Italian Village, Columbus, Ohio

Italian Village is a mixed land use neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio that contains an array of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. It is a designated historic district, known for its historical and cultural preservation. The building types and architecture reflect Italian influence. With its parks and preserved historic homes, Italian Village has the highest home value appreciation in Columbus. Italian Village is part of the Short North area. The neighboring Downtown District provides access to major employers, cultural and learning institutions, and entertainment venues.

Italian Village is located in the north side of Columbus, Ohio just north of Downtown and adjacent to the central business district. The area is bounded by Interstate 670 on the south, Fifth Avenue on the north, North High Street on the west, and the Conrail railroad tracks to the east. N. Fourth Street, E. Fifth Avenue, and E. Second Avenue serve as primary corridors within the neighborhood’s street system, which remains a grid street configuration. Specifically, N. Fourth Street is one of the primary routes through downtown while E. Fifth Avenue crosses both the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers. Both N. Fourth Street and E. Fifth Avenue contain residential, commercial, office, and industrial buildings.

Eighty percent of the buildings are residential, including single family homes, double houses and row houses. Most residential uses are low density and located in the northwest as well as along the area’s major corridors. Approximately ten percent of the buildings are commercial, which are concentrated along N.Fourth Street and E. Fifth Avenue. This is a higher land use than directed by its zoning code. The zoning code also calls for more than two thirds manufacturing, though industrial buildings are scattered throughout the area. Most manufacture uses are concentrated east of N.Sixth Street and north of E. Second Avenue, while others are found along N. Fourth Street and E. Fifth Avenue.

Italian Village was one of Columbus' first suburbs. The land was uninhabited until the Columbus-Worthington Pike (High Street) was built in 1823 and provided access to the area. With this road stimulating residential growth, the Italian Village area was annexed to Columbus in 1862. The North Columbus Street Railway Company, along with the progression of street car service, helped to develop Italian Village. By 1899, transportation had enabled a street system with extensive alleys that serviced horse stables behind residences. Entering the early 1900s, the Italian Village was a stable middle-class residential community. Its proximity to downtown ensured access to goods, services, and recreational facilities and provided employment opportunities. Electric trolleys carried residents to places that weren’t within walking distance.

Italian Village was once an immigrant neighborhood, named for its high concentration of Italian immigrants in its earliest days. However, the Italians were not the only ethnic group to occupy the Italian Village, nor were they the first. From around 1850-1870, the Irish resided in the southern part of the village as well as around Naughten Street (Goodale Boulevard), which was nicknamed ‘Irish Broadway.’ The Irish community then left the area, which made room for other residents. African immigrants then moved to the Italian Village area for work prospects, which consisted of railroad machinery and iron works. A small group of African Americans settled in the northeast section of the village and established the Bethany Baptist Colored Church in 1882. Later on, Italians were attracted to the neighborhood by employment opportunities that were within walking distance. In the 1890s, the first Italian immigrants moved from Flytown to the nearby Italian Village area and worked in stone quarries, construction trades, railroads, and local businesses on High Street. The quality of the Italian Village’s buildings as well as its character can be attributed to Italian craftsmen. In 1896, St. John the Baptist Italian Catholic Church was founded and helped to form the Italian-American community. Additionally, the Great Depression brought attention to Italian cuisine because the home grown food was much less expensive. This food was sold locally at restaurants like Presutti’s Villa Restaurant on West Fifth Avenue in Grandview and small groceries throughout Italian Village such as Salvatore’s Grocery.

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