2019 Most Endangered Buildings
White Haines, Commercial Bldg., Madison’s
Year Built: 1913, 1898, 1904
Address: 72, 78, 80-84 N. High St. Columbus, Ohio 43215
Original Building Use: CommercialBuilding Condition: The Day Companies
This intact continuous stretch of historic commercial buildings represents a final puzzle piece in revitalizing an important block in downtown Columbus. These three buildings are part of the High & Gay Streets Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The White Haines Building at 72 N. High St. was designed by the noted architecture firm, Richards, McCarty & Bulford. The building’s façade is punctuated by large, three-across window bays and decorative terra cotta skin detailing. A parapet rises above a floating cornice that features a foliage motif. The neighboring brick four-story commercial building at 78 N. High and adjacent six-story brick building at 80-84 N. High, best known (and altered) as Madison’s Department Store, represent the thriving retail that was once concentrated downtown.
Why is this Site Endangered?
The Day Companies purchased the three buildings in 2015 and have a proven track-record of urban revitalization and historic preservation. Their proposed project was awarded State and Federal Historic Tax Credits that have since expired. Continued vacancy and deterioration puts these buildings at risk.
Photos by Orbit Design & Richard Burry