Franklinton, Columbus, Ohio

The founding of Franklinton.

Urban Scrawl 2008 in Dodge Park.

Franklinton is a neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. Lucas Sullivant, a Virginia-born land surveyor, established Franklinton in 1797. It is bordered by the Scioto River on the north and east, Harmon Avenue on the east, Stimmel Road and Greenlawn Avenue on the south, and Interstate 70 on the west. West Broad Street, or US 40, is one of the country's first roads and is Franklinton's main throughway.

Franklinton is the neighborhood immediately west of downtown. A portion of the neighborhood gets its colorful nickname of "The Bottoms" because much of the land lies below the level of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and a floodwall is required to contain the rivers and protect the area from devastating floods. The fertile, low-lying bottom land was ideal for farming, with the river serving as a direct connection to the Ohio River and beyond. (Just to the west of Franklinton is a group of smaller neighborhoods commonly referred to as "The Hilltop.") More recently, "The Bottoms" has been applied by real estate investors to describe the low socioeconomic status and comparatively high crime rate of the area.

According to the Franklinton Area Commission:

• Though Franklinton is the last downtown neighborhood to be redeveloped, it is actually the birthplace of Columbus, settled 15 years before the city itself.
• Franklinton was once a separate city from Columbus, like the present-day cities of Bexley and Whitehall, which are both completely surrounded by the city of Columbus, but continue to exist as separate municipalities.
• Since the completion of the floodwall, the community redevelopment has included more than 40 residential projects, a new firehouse, two new schools, new residential dorms at Mount Carmel Medical Center West and the exploration of countless commercial projects.
• The neighborhood is a recovering flood area.

See also: The Bottoms

Gallery

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  Historic building on W. Broad Street.

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  Holy Family Church and rectory.

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  Building on W. Broad Street showing a bit of local grit.

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  A somewhat intact, walkable, urban commercial stretch.

References

• "Franklinton Plan" (PDF). 

External links

• Franklinton Development Association
• Franklinton Arts District
• Birthplace of Author Douglas Foster
• Franklinton CycleWorks