In the past 30 years the world population has grown from 4 billion to over 7 billion. The percentage of families living in industrialized cities in the United States has grown from 30% in the 1900’s to 62.7% as of 2013 Population Estimates and 2010 Census. One of the issues with this growth is the congestion of automobiles, and where to park them. Parking lots are an unfortunate necessity for any industrialized city and at times they are more detrimental than historical significant buildings. In most cases the buildings in question are destroyed to make way for more parking space, but at times the structure is moved to save it from demolition. Three buildings that fit this description in Downtown Columbus are the Fontaine Home, St. Christopher’s Normal and Industrial Parish School and the Alexander-McGehee-Woodall House. Created in the 19th and early 20th centuries these buildings are historically significant for their style and the individuals attributed to it. The images displayed in the text are to make a connection between the past and present, and to inform the reader about the history of the lot - before it was a parking lot.

Fontaine Home, 1044 Front Avenue

Built at approximately the same time as the founding of Columbus in 1828, the Fontaine Home was a Greek Revival Mansion and survived until it was demolished in the 1940’s. Listed as a cotton merchant in Columbus in 1829, John Fontaine had the house built on the street later known as “Golden Row.” Mr. Fontaine had the finest house on the street and was Columbus’ first mayor when the city government was established in 1836. In 1936, a HABS (Historic American Building Survey, one of Roosevelt’s New Deal programs of 1933, utilizing unemployed architects, draftsmen and photographers) team visited the city and documented 10 houses, resulting in 8 wonderful photographic documents of the Fontaine home by Branan Sanders.

The building was significant for the individual who had it constructed, the date it was erected and the style it was created in. The house had a two story porch with six Ionic columns running along the front, and two Doric pilasters on each end of the façade. A balustrade ran along the pyramidal roof with four chimneys that jetted out. Inside there was a mantel made of black marble and a wide sliding door of mahogany between the dining room and the parlor. Other notable information is that it was in the continuous possession of the descendants of the original owner and served as the BPOE Lodge #111.

St. Christopher’s Normal and Industrial Parish School, 900 5th Avenue

Documented by HABS in the 90's, with the help of local historian John S. Lupold, the former St. Christopher’s Normal and Industrial Parish School was built in 1916. The building was constructed in the Romanesque Revival style and served the black community as a private church-affiliated school until 1951. Important individuals involved in the creation of the school, as noted on the cornerstone that still stands, are Episcopal Bishop C. Kinlock Nelson, of Atlanta, and local black rector J. Stewart Braithwaite. In later years, the property was bought by the First African Baptist Church across the street and converted into a child care center. The lot where the school used to stand is now a parking garage for the Columbus Police Department. A special trace from St. Christopher’s Normal and Industrial Parish School that can still be seen to this day is the cornerstone that was laid during the construction of the building. The west side of the cornerstone reads:

“S. Christopher’s Normal

and Industrial Parish School

Erected 1916 A.D.

Pro Deo et Ecclesiae

The Rt. Reverend C.K. Nelson D.D.

Bishop.

The Reverend J. Stewart Braithwaite. Rector.

Godfrey H. Hawkins, Arct. & Bldr.

The significance of the school is in its educational purposes, as it served as an early church-affiliated school in Columbus’ black community, as well as the individuals affiliated with the building of the structure. Important aspects of the front façade are the one-story porch with a round arch and the radiating voussoir opening with a crenelated parapet. Other features of the architecture are the string courses of corbelled brick between the first and second floor, and second floor to the stepped parapet.

Alexander-McGehee-Woodall House, 1543 2nd Avenue

Constructed in the mid 1840’s, the Alexander-McGee-Woodall House is named after its builder, Robert B. Alexander, and the long time owners of the house, The McGehee-Woodall family. Mr. McGehee was a successful cotton exporter, real estate investor and developer, and was a director of the old National Bank of Columbus. The McGehee family had three children. One of their children, Virginia Ethel McGehee, born in the home in 1879, married William Clyde Woodall. Mr. Woodall was affiliated with both of the newspapers in Columbus and established the Industrial Index. Mr. and Mrs. Woodall were able to acquire the house from their families’ estate and passed it on to younger generations until after the 1960’s. Due to the building of TSYS in the late 90’s, the house was moved a block south to 1443 2nd Avenue - instead of being destroyed, and was then renovated by Tom Gates in 1998.

Now used for office space, the building is significant for its Classical Revival construction. The front steps lead to a small decorated porch held up by four Doric columns with two Doric pilasters on either side of the main entrance. Along the ridge of the porch is a classical design of metopes and triglyphs, with a set of six triangular “pegs” below each of the triglyphs, which is customary for entablatures using the Doric order. Four chimneys rise above the stepped parapet cross gabled roof, and inside there is a hidden staircase that connects the first floor to the basement.

Whether or not these buildings were moved or destroyed to put in a parking lot, the fact remains - there is now a parking lot where there once stood an important historical building. It was not the first time this happened, nor will it be the last, but with the preservation of records and artifacts these historical traces will be part of Columbus' history forever. So the next time you are parking your car, think to yourself, "was there once a beautiful historic building here?"

Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi

Counting Crows - Big Yellow Taxi ft. Vanessa Carlton