Earlier this month, the Columbus Landmarks Foundation released its annual list of most endangered buildings in the Columbus area.
The five locations added to the list include:
- Fairwood Elementary School, 726 Fairwood Ave.
- Courtright School, 1712 Courtright Rd.
- Beacon Building, 50 W. Gay St.
- 147-157 Thurman Ave. (two houses)
- 871 Carpenter St.
The Carpenter Street building near Nationwide Children's Hospital looks like a house. But the foundation's preservation services director Nathan Bevil said it was built to be a warehouse.
Bevil said the former warehouse, which dates to the 1870s, illustrates the neighborhood's evolution from a rural area to an urban one as homes were built around it.
"So it was just such a unique example of that growth of businesses and the extent of the neighborhood," Bevil said.
That building in the Southern Orchards neighborhood dates back to the 1870s.
The six-story Beacon Building used to be a city office building. The city of Columbus bought it in 1978. The city moved all offices to the nearby Coleman Municipal Center in 2018, and the Beacon Building remains vacant.
Bevil said the Beacon Building's mid-century design, with its red granite tower, and Indiana limestone curtain walls, make it unique for downtown Columbus.
Fairwood Elementary School was built in 1921. It was one of the buildings Columbus City Schools decided to close this year. The last day of class was on Thursday.
Courtright School was converted to the Cathedral of the Covenant Church in 1959. The building was put up for sale in 2025. No new plans have been announced. The property was sold to the St. Michael Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
The foundation said the two Thurman Avenue buildings, which are both houses, are deteriorating.
Columbus Landmarks Foundation CEO Chris Hune said the nominations for the list comes from residents concerned that the buildings won't be saved.
"These nominations come from our community, so they are invested in looking at these properties that may be in their own neighborhood, so it's very important for them to continue to advocate for their own neighborhood," Hune said.
Hune said the foundation will be leading a tour of the buildings in August.
