Mount Vernon (Columbus, Ohio)

Mount Vernon is a predominantly African-American historic neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The neighborhood lies within the historic Near East Side community, north of King-Lincoln Bronzeville. Mount Vernon borders Interstates 71 and 670. Its main thoroughfares, Mount Vernon Avenue, Long Street, Atcheson Street, and Champion Avenue define the community's limits.

Mount Vernon
Neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio
The Macon Hotel
The Macon Hotel
Interactive map pinpointing the approximate neighborhood center
Coordinates: 39°58′N 83°0′W
CountryUnited States
StateOhio
CountyFranklin
CityColumbus

The neighborhood is named for Mount Vernon Avenue, the center of a once-thriving economy. In the 19th century into the 1970s, the area (including the present-day King-Lincoln Bronzeville) held thousands of Black families and businesses, with a variety of businesses lining the avenue. It was during an era of segregation and isolation for the community, and thus Black families were self-sustaining in the area. Beginning in the 1950s, interstate highways were constructed in Columbus. The highways physically divided parts of the neighborhood and their large land uses forced families and businesses to relocate, leading to more vacancies and an overall neighborhood decline.[1][2]

The Leonard Pearl Henderson House in the neighborhood is a historically-significant house near an Ohio State University medical center. The building was proposed for demolition in 2023.[3]

The neighborhood also includes a large apartment complex, Latitude Five25. The complex was formerly a public housing project called Sawyer Towers. It was privatized in 2009 and renovated into Skyview Towers, and changed hands twice again. In 2023, following numerous violations, the city attempted to force the owners to pay for its long-needed repairs, and ended up deeming the towers unsafe, forcing its residents to relocate.[4]

  • Historical marker
    Historical marker
  • Former Engine House No. 8
    Former Engine House No. 8
  • The Vernon (later Cameo) Theatre, 1914
    The Vernon (later Cameo) Theatre, 1914
  • The Felton School
    The Felton School
  • Mt. Vernon Avenue in 1922; the East End Market House is at the right
    Mt. Vernon Avenue in 1922; the East End Market House is at the right
  • Mt. Vernon post office
    Mt. Vernon post office
  • Saint Dominic Catholic Church
    Saint Dominic Catholic Church
  • Refuge Baptist Church
    Refuge Baptist Church
  • Mount Vernon, part of the shaded area redeveloped in the 1950s
    Mount Vernon, part of the shaded area redeveloped in the 1950s

See also

References
  1. "The great divide: the rise and fall of a Black business mecca in Columbus". 10tv.com. February 16, 2021. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  2. "How highways destroyed Black neighborhoods in the '60s, as told by elders who were there". Columbus Dispatch. December 3, 2020.
  3. "OSU Plans to Demolish Historic Near East Side Home for New Hospital Building". Columbus Underground. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  4. "Remaining Latitude Five25 residents relocating after Near East Side towers deemed unsafe". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
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