Victorian Village

Victorian Village
Neighborhood of Columbus
Goodale Park; the focal point of Victorian Village
Victorian Village Show map of Ohio Victorian Village Show map of the US
Coordinates: 39°59′N 83°01′W / 39.98°N 83.01°W / 39.98; -83.01Coordinates: 39°59′N 83°01′W / 39.98°N 83.01°W / 39.98; -83.01
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Franklin
City	Columbus
ZIP Code	43201 and 43215
Area code(s)	614

Victorian Village is a neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio, United States, north and near west of downtown. It is an older area with a fair number of established trees for an urban setting.

In 1827, Columbus businessman William "Billy" Neil purchased 300 acres of farmland just north of Downtown Columbus from Joseph Vance, and by 1853 owned all of the land from west of North High Street to the Olentangy River, south to First Avenue, and north to Lane Avenue. He constructed a road on the property to reach his farm, which became known as Neil Avenue. After Neil's death, the land was subdivided by his heirs. Southern portions of the Neil Farm were developed and became one of Columbus’s first suburbs, Victorian Village.

Development of land south of the Neil Farm was spurred by the growth in manufacturing in the Olentangy Industrial Cluster, placement of Goodale Park, the city’s first public park, and streetcar service along Neil Avenue and High Streets. Streetcar lines expanded in 1879 down Neil Avenue, which connected downtown Columbus and The Ohio State University. Because of the streetcar, Neil Avenue became a major north-south route. The Neil Farm, west of current-day Neil Avenue and south of West Fifth Avenue, was platted between 1888 and 1902. Lots were reserved, almost exclusively for large homes. Electric Streetcar Service along High Street in 1888, followed by Neil Avenue in 1891, further increased the demand for housing between The Ohio State University and downtown Columbus. By 1920, the majority of these parcels had filled in with Victorian, Italianate Queen Anne, Second Empire, Carpenter-Stick and Four Square style homes.

Following 1920, the streetcar gave way to the automobile as the main source of transportation. Increased mobility allowed residents to move further away and into suburbs of Columbus. As that occurred, businesses also began moving to the suburbs to be closer to their customers, which led to a decline in the neighborhood. The nearby Flytown, Short North and Italian Village neighborhoods suffered similar decline.

Renewed interest in Victorian Village was sparked in the 1970s, following the successes of German Village, which had undergone significant revival in the 1960s. Restoration begun in Victorian Village was carried out under the auspices of the Victorian Village Commission, which was established as a historic district by the City of Columbus in 1973. In 1980, it was listed on the list of National Historic Places and is in the Near North Side Historic District.