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Photograph of Columbia Commercial Historic District
Photograph by Nyttend, Public domain. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Columbia Commercial Historic District

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

From the record

“The Columbia Commercial Historic District in Columbia, Kentucky, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. It is a 5.3 acres (2.1 ha) historic district with 29 contributing buildings, two non-contributing buildings, and a non-contributing site.”

Wikipedia article Columbia Commercial Historic District (Columbia, Kentucky), CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 7 National Register listings published here for Adair County · listed in 2017 · category: District.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the National Register database, National Park Service · the Wikipedia article

The listing

  • What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 28 buildingss as contributing to the listing.
  • Address. Roughly centered around the Columbia Public Square, Columbia, 42728
  • When was it listed? March 2017
  • Category. district
  • Census division. Columbia
  • National Register reference number. 100000733 - assigned by the National Park Service when the property was listed.

Fires near this property

25 since 1998

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 25 fires within 5 miles of Columbia Commercial Historic District between 1998 and 2017, burning about 87 acres in total. None started naturally. 3 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning9
Missing data/not specified/undetermined5
Recreation and ceremony4
Arson/incendiarism3
Railroad operations and maintenance2
Equipment and vehicle use1
Smoking1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
25 August 2007Recreation and ceremony2.0 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
8 July 2002Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
20 May 2014Debris and open burning3.0 acresKentucky Division of ForestryBY-PASS
6 April 2010Debris and open burning15 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
6 April 2001Arson/incendiarism1.5 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
9 March 2007Debris and open burning8.0 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
9 March 2006Missing data/not specified/undetermined8.0 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
8 March 2016Railroad operations and maintenanceunder an acreKentucky Division of ForestryHWY 61N FIRE

Every fire recorded in Adair County

Mines and quarries near this property

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Columbia Commercial Historic District: 1 past producer. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Butler QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer

Every working recorded in Adair County

Storms near this property

60 of 67 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Columbia, the town this property stands in, in 67 storm reports between 1995 and 2026: 41 thunderstorm wind, 14 hail, 7 flash flood, 4 flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
March 2012HailColumbia$1,500,000An extensive hail storm brought widespread damaging hail to Adair County with insurance claims for automobiles and homes expected to exceed 1 million dollars. In Columbia, over 150 skylights at a Wal-Mart were smashed. A lengthy swath of hail fell from a supercell thunderstorm that traveled from Nell, over 10 miles southwest of Columbia, through Columbia. Extensive damage to windows, siding, roofs and gutters was noted along a west to east path along State Highway 80 southwest of Columbia, and near the intersection of State Highways 704 and 55 just south of town.
January 2006Tornado (F2)Columbia$150,000no account filed
May 2010Flash FloodColumbia$100,000Numerous roads across the county were closed due to flash flooding. A total of eight to ten inches of rain fell across Adair county from May 1-2.
March 2004Thunderstorm WindColumbia$60,000A large tool shed was blown down on Sand Lick Road. The roof was blown off a small shed at a residence on Cane Valley Mill Road. Several trees were blown down across State Highway 80.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindColumbia$50,000no account filed
July 2016Thunderstorm WindColumbia$30,000A trained spotter reported roof damage to a business in the area from severe thunderstorm winds.
August 2016Thunderstorm WindColumbia$20,000Local law enforcement reported trees down across multiple locations along with damage to a mobile home.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindColumbia$20,000no account filed
May 2018Thunderstorm WindColumbia$15,000A tree caught fire after knocking down a power line on Harvey Street.
April 2007Thunderstorm WindColumbia$10,000A barn was damaged by thunderstorm winds. Trees and power lines were downed county wide.
April 1996Thunderstorm WindColumbia$2,000no account filed
March 2006Thunderstorm WindColumbia$1,000A metal shed was blown away.
April 2026Thunderstorm WindColumbia-A tree was blocking an unknown roadway.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Multiple trees were blown down in Columbia.
February 2025Flash FloodColumbia-Numerous road closures were reported across Adair County as a result of flash flooding and high water.
September 2024HailColumbia-Quarter sized hail was observed in Columbia.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Trees and power lines were downed along Hurt Street in Columbia.
July 2024Flash FloodColumbia-Liberty Road was impassable due to flood waters from Sulphur Creek.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Trees fell down on a road. One fell on a vehicle and caused damage.
January 2022HailColumbia-A viewer reported half dollar size hail in Columbia.
December 2021Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Trees were reported down in Columbia.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Several trees were reported down in central Adair County.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Local law enforcement reported trees and power lines down. Some trees fell on vehicles.
April 2015FloodColumbia-A Kentucky state official reported that 6 to 10 inches of water was flowing across some roadways in the county, including Highway 704, Highway 551 and Highway South 61.
July 2015FloodColumbia-An Adair County law enforcement official reported that excessive rainfall resulted in 4 to 5 inches of flowing water over Fairground Road. This caused the road to be closed for a time.
December 2015FloodColumbia-An Adair County official reported to the NWS that excessive rainfall was backing up water onto Green Hills Road.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindColumbia-The Columbia law enforcement reported numerous trees down along with power outages. At 235 pm CST, the Kentucky Mesonet just north of Columbia measured a 50 mph wind gust.
February 2014Thunderstorm WindColumbia-The Adair County emergency manager reported that a tree was downed in Columbia. Numerous power outages were reported around town as well.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindColumbia-A county official reported tree branches across a power line at mile marker 48 on the Cumberland Parkway.
January 2013Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Numerous trees were downed across Adair County.
March 2013FloodColumbia-Minor flooding was reported in Columbia with several city roads under water. Oak Street, East Guardian Street, and Christine Roads were closed. A Kentucky Mesonet rain gauge measured 2.2 inches of rain within a 5 hour period.
February 2011Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Law enforcements reported a tree blown down near Columbia.
May 2009Flash FloodColumbia-Several side roads in the County were flooded with high water.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Trees down across the county.
August 2007Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Numerous trees were downed in the Columbia area.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Trees were downed.
April 2006HailColumbia-Hail fell near Highway 206.
June 2006Flash FloodColumbia-Three roadways in the city of Columbia had water flowing over them. A construction site just outside the city limits was under water. Highway 704 was covered by a foot of water.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Trees and power lines were downed.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Trees were downed.
May 2004Thunderstorm WindColumbia-A barn was destroyed along state highway 80.
May 2003Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Trees were downed. One was blown down across Highway 80.
March 2002Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Power lines were downed.
June 2001Flash FloodColumbia-Minor street flooding occurred, along with the erosion of road construction areas.
May 2000Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Numerous trees were downed.
January 1999Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Several trees down across county
July 1999Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Several trees downed
May 1995HailColumbia-Golf ball-size hail and downed power lines reported by Columbia State Police Post.
June 1995Thunderstorm WindColumbia-Trees reported down.
July 2018HailColumbia-no account filed
April 2017HailColumbia-no account filed
June 2008HailColumbia-no account filed
August 2007HailColumbia-no account filed
August 2007HailColumbia-no account filed
January 2006HailColumbia-no account filed
April 2006HailColumbia-no account filed
June 2006Thunderstorm WindColumbia-no account filed
July 2005Thunderstorm WindColumbia-no account filed
August 2004Thunderstorm WindColumbia-no account filed
May 2003HailColumbia-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Adair County

Newspapers printed here

8,222 digitised pages

1 paper published in this town, digitised by the Library of Congress and free to read: 1,172 issues, 8,222 pages. Every page is searchable, so a name or a street can be looked for directly in what the town printed about itself at the time.

NewspaperPublished
The Adair County News1897 to 1987

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

5 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph PropertyDistance Listed
Adair County Courthouseunder 500 feet1974
John Field Houseunder 500 feet1978
Dr. Nathan Gaither House0.1 miles1979
Daniel Trabue House0.2 miles1974
Zion Meetinghouse and School4.3 miles1976

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 100000733 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia articleCommunity-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Adair CountyAll 7 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

  • Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
  • Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
  • How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.