Built in 1895. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. A historic map-sheet match is not published yet. The record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary.
“Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden and conservatory located in Columbus, Ohio. It is open daily and an admission fee is charged.”
Wikipedia article Franklin Park Conservatory, CC BY-SA 4.0.
one of 295 National Register listings in Franklin County · listed in 1974 · category: Building · built in 1895 · one of 3 National Historic Landmarks in Franklin County.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
An account from the chapter on Columbus city, The inset identifies its exact source book and publication year.
The Mound Builders and Indians - First White Settlements and Struggle for Possession - Indian Village at the Forks of the Scioto Attacked by Crawford and Dispersed - The Ohio Company, the Scioto Company and Symmes Purchase - Indian Power Broken and British Hopes Blasted - First Surveys - Topography, Geology and Soil of Franklin County.
The chapter on Columbus City in History of Franklin County [Ohio]:, published 1858 names Columbus. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.
From the first organization of the State government in 1803, until 1816, there was no permanent seat of State government. The sessions of the Legislature were held at Chillicothe until 1810, and the sessions of 1810-11, and 1811-12, were held at Zanesville, and from thence they were removed back to Chillicothe, and there remained until December, 1816, when the first session commenced in Columbus.
Passage source: History of Franklin County [Ohio]:, published 1858.
No further definite action, however, was had on the subject until February, 1812, when the law was passed establishing it at Columbus. Various proposals were received, offering inducements for its establishment at different points, and amongst the rest were the proposals of Lyne Starling, James Johnston, Alexander McLaughlin and John Kerr, for establishing it on the '-' high bank of the Scioto River, opposite Franklinton," which site was principally a native forest. Franklinton was then at its apex, and a town of considerably more consequence than it now is, and was one of the sites proposed ; but the plan upon which it was laid out, and more particularly its low situation, were considered sufficient objections to its adoption. Worthington and Delaware were also among the sites proposed.
Passage source: History of Franklin County [Ohio]:, published 1858.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Columbus City - 895,918 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 1 fire within 5 miles of Franklin Park Conservatory between 2007 and 2007, burning about 0 acres in total. None started naturally. None was 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 burning | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 October 2007 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 9,889 specimens collected within 10 miles of Franklin Park Conservatory between 1804 and 1975: 7,912 Animalia, 1,269 Fungi, 560 Plantae, 117 Chromista, 30 Unrecorded, 1 Protozoa. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by 19 V 1938 in original publication, Knull, =, ? and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.
| Image | Species | Year | Collected by | Where, as recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Cintractia sorghi (Sorokn) De Toni | 1900 | Tyler, F.J.; O. E. Jennings | Columbus |
 | Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench | 1900 | Jennings, O.E. | Columbus, Ohio. |
 | Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana | 1804 | Dr. Paddock | Worthington |
 | Platanthera psycodes (L.) Lindl. | 1805 | J. R. Paddock | Worthington |
 | Carex comosa Boott | 1809 | Collector unknown | Worthington, O. [Inferred county from precise loc.] |
 | Hirundo Linnaeus, 1758 | 1814 | not recorded | Columbus Ohio, Franklin, Ohio, USA |
 | Callimome strobiloides Huber, 1927 | 1821 | C. Huber | Columbus |
 | Solidago riddellii Frank | 1832 | W. A. Kellerman | A few miles N of Columbus. |
 | Carex lupulina Muhl. ex Willd. | 1834 | Anonymous | Columbus. |
 | Anomodon viticulosus (Hedw.) Hook. & Taylor | 1837 | W. S. Sullivant | Near Columbus |
 | Acris crepitans blanchardi Harper, 1947 | 1897 | not recorded | No Further Locality Data |
| Albugo candida (Pers. ex J.F.Gmel.) Roussel | 1897 | Clevenger, J. F. | Columbus |
All 9,889 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Franklin Park Conservatory: 1 past producer, 1 plant. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Zinc, Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Facility) Asarco Columbus Smelter | Zinc, Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid | Plant | ||
| Columbus No. 210 Plant and Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Columbus, the town this property stands in, in 107 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 56 thunderstorm wind, 26 hail, 13 flash flood, 11 flood. The reports record 9 injuries. 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | 4 hurt, $5,000 | Trees were downed, some on power lines. Four golfers were injured after lightning struck the shelter house they entered to take shelter from the storm. |
| August 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | 4 hurt, $5,000 | Trees were downed at several locations. Winds were measured at 59 mph at Port Columbus Airport. Four men were injured at an outdoor amphitheater when the tent they occupied was blown over. |
| April 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | 1 hurt, $50,000 | A microburst, with winds estimated to be between 80 and 100 mph, struck the west side of Columbus, destroying roofs of two industrial buildings. The debris from the roofs stretched 600 yards. A tractor-semitrailer was also blown over, injuring one male. |
| June 2016 | Tornado (EF0) | Columbus | $100,000 | Damage was first observed on Deserette Court. The west-facing|side of several housing units had shutters torn off and also|experienced minor siding damage. This is where it appears the|tornado first touched down.||On the opposite side of Deserette Court, additional shutter and|siding damage was observed, and primarily affected the east-facing|side of the housing units.||Damage continued to the east onto Boyleston Boulevard, with the|garage door of one home completely destroyed and walls of the|garage experiencing significant damage. Siding and roof damage was|also observed on this home, and damage is assessed to be in the|EF0 category, with winds around 80 mph. An eyewitness also stated|that she was looking west and saw a tornado moving toward|Boyleston Boulevard.||A swath of damage continued to the east, affecting homes along|Niantic Drive and Hingham Lane. Much of the damage was associated|with trees, where large tree branches in the back yards of|several homes on both Niantic Drive and Hingham Lane were snapped.|A convergent pattern was observed from 10 to 12 inch diameter tree|branches. Some damage to homes was also observed, including a|large portion of siding being stripped off the east-facing side of|a two story home. Minor roof damage was also noted on several|homes.||Damage became more sparse further east along Hingham Lane and was|confined to a few large hardwood tree branches being snapped off. |
| June 1994 | Hail | Columbus | $50,000 | Lightning struck several buildings causing fires and destroying one home. |
| July 2011 | Flash Flood | South Columbus | $30,000 | Cars were stalled in moving water with water up to hoods of some cars on High Street due to heavy rain. |
| July 2002 | Flash Flood | Columbus | $22,000 | Two to three feet of water on some roads submerged some cars and caused others to float. On Leonard Street and 5th Avenue, a foot of water was entering the main level of some homes. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Columbus | $20,000 | Several large old growth hardwood trees were blown down in Schiller Park due to thunderstorm winds. Large branches also fell on vehicles. |
| April 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $20,000 | Roofing materials were removed from several buildings, a gutter was blown down, power lines were downed, and fencing was partially blown over in northeastern Columbus due to damaging thunderstorm winds. These winds also blew a large tree down onto a house on Schleppi Road. |
| July 2011 | Flash Flood | Columbus | $20,000 | Several people were rescued from their vehicles at the intersection of Karl Road and Norris Drive. |
| April 2007 | Hail | Columbus | $20,000 | Penny to golf ball size hail fell from downtown Columbus into the eastern suburbs. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $10,000 | Damage occurred to the roof of a grocery store and trees were uprooted due to damaging thunderstorm winds. |
| May 2002 | Hail | Columbus | $10,000 | Event occurred on the southeast side of town. |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $10,000 | Numerous trees and utility poles were downed across the county. |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $10,000 | Trees up to one foot in diameter and a few power poles were blown down near the intersection of Interstate 71 and North Broadway. |
| May 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $10,000 | Several trees and large limbs downed. Barn destroyed. |
| May 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $8,000 | A few structures sustained minor damage. Large tree limbs were downed as well. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $7,000 | A tree was reported down on a house. Large tree limbs were also reported down in the area. These occurrences were due to damaging thunderstorm winds. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $7,000 | Awnings were blown off two buildings in north Columbus, while several large tree limbs were blown down across the city. |
| February 2002 | Hail | Columbus | $7,000 | no account filed |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Columbus | $5,000 | Several trees were downed in Green Lawn Cemetery. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $5,000 | Several power poles and wires were downed onto 19th Avenue. |
| May 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Columbus | $5,000 | A tree fell onto a house in German Village. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Columbus | $5,000 | Trees were uprooted just north of downtown in the Short North area. Large trees were also downed in German Village. |
| March 2007 | Flood | Columbus | $5,000 | Numerous roads were flooded throughout the Columbus metro area. |
| May 2000 | Flash Flood | Columbus | $5,000 | A second batch of heavy rainfall within several hours caused flooding of streets and overpasses. |
| August 2000 | Flash Flood | Columbus | $5,000 | Heavy rainfall caused flooded roads across the city. |
| October 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $5,000 | Trees and powerlines were knocked down in the Blendon Township area northeast of the city. |
| September 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $5,000 | Several power lines were knocked down on the south side of Columbus. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $5,000 | Trees downed. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $5,000 | Tree and power lines downed. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $5,000 | Large trees were downed at Route 40 and Darbydale. |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $4,000 | Several ten inch diameter trees were downed. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Columbus | $3,000 | Several trees were downed. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Columbus | $3,000 | Several large softwood trees were snapped. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Columbus | $3,000 | A few large trees were downed. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Columbus | $3,000 | A few large trees were downed. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $3,000 | A tree was downed onto some power lines. |
| May 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $3,000 | Several trees were downed on Kenlawn Street. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $3,000 | The roof of a garage was partially detached from the rest of its structure due to thunderstorm winds. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Columbus | $3,000 | Trees and large limbs were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds. A billboard was also bent in half due to the storms. |
| August 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $3,000 | Three trees were knocked down, one in Clintonville and two in Westerville. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Columbus | $3,000 | Large tree limbs were downed. Dumpsters were being blown down the street. |
| October 2006 | Hail | Columbus | $3,000 | Several trees and large limbs were downed as well in downtown Columbus. |
| May 2001 | Flash Flood | Columbus | $3,000 | Child rescued from creek which was in flood. Several roads with high water. |
| November 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $3,000 | Trees down on the south side of Columbus. |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $3,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Flash Flood | Columbus | $3,000 | no account filed |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Columbus | $2,000 | Large softwood trees were snapped. |
| August 2018 | Flood | South Columbus | $2,000 | Underpasses were flooded on the south side of Columbus, with some cars stuck in the water. |
| August 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Columbus | $2,000 | Trees were reported knocked down. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Columbus | $2,000 | Trees and power lines were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds. |
| July 2010 | Flash Flood | Columbus | $2,000 | Six inches of water was running across high street due to heavy rainfall. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $2,000 | Large tree limbs were downed. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $2,000 | A few large tree limbs were knocked down. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $2,000 | One tree and power lines were downed near the intersection of State Route 104 and Frank Road. |
| October 2006 | Flash Flood | Columbus | $2,000 | Several roads were flooded in and around downtown Columbus. |
| October 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $2,000 | Four large trees were knocked down at the Raymond Memorial Golf Course. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $1,000 | A healthy tree was downed on Summit Street. |
| May 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Columbus | $1,000 | A two foot diameter tree was downed in Glen Echo Ravine near Indianola Avenue. |
10 papers published in this town, digitised by the Library of Congress and free to read: 0 issues, 0 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.
| Newspaper | Published |
|---|---|
| Columbus Standard | 1898 to 1901 |
| The Catholic Times | 1951 to Current |
| The Free American | 1887 to 18?? |
| Daily Ohio Statesman | 1855 to 1870 |
| Der Westbote | 1843 to 1871 |
| Der Westbote | 1872 to 1918 |
| Wochenblatt Des Westboten | 1871 to 1872 |
| Eastern Review | 1958 to 1964 |
| West Side News | 1946 to 1960 |
| West Side News and Hilltop Record | 1960 to 1964 |
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.
When this property was proposed for the National Register, someone wrote the case for it: what the building is, and why it matters. That document is a federal record in the public domain. It is quoted below word for word, never summarised. The text was read off the scanned case file by machine, so the occasional stray character is the recogniser's and the 1970s typewriter's.
OCT 1 6 1973 has been added to the west side.The cornerstone of weathered brown Division of Parks and Forestry.There is also an attached growing On the west facade there is a projecting portion which has diminutive PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) D 17th Century SPECIFIC DATE(s) (If Applicable and Known) AREAS OF
it was bought, or how it was transported to Columbus, It coffee, and rubber trees, hibiscus, bird of paradise and other OCT 1 6 1973 1895 Commerce Conservation cornerstone. losophy Architecture Communications Transportation Engineering Science Landscape Theater NATIONAL Military REGISTER SIGNIFICANCE Literature Aboriginal Religion/Phi Music itarian Invention Pre-Columbian Prehistoric tropical wonders. Agriculture Sculpture Political Social/Human- took place in front of the conservatory. animals until room was made at the zoo. Dayton's Huffman Meadow to Columbus.Delivery of the silk circus and housed them in the conservatory for the winter.
Urban Planning The tropical gardens were enhanced by monkeys and other known that it once graced the Columbian Exposition of 1893 air freight terminal when the Wright Exhibition Co.flew a bolt of rose-colored silk on a Wright Model B airplane from Industry The full history of the 78 year old glass conservatory will In l926 a local publisher purchased animals from a defunct On November 7,l9l0,Franklin Park became the Nation's first was erected in Franklin Park in 1895,the date on the Other (Specify) never be known. Today, the conservatory is the scene of "jungle tours" for school and youth groups where they learn of bamboo, banana, Art Records pertaining to its purchase were destroyed when the old Columbus City Hall burned.It is Society, Oxford University Press, N.Y., 1940.
The whole case file for this property - 1,429 words, 10 pages, reproduced complete.
Quoted from the National Register nomination for reference 74001489, 10 pages, held by the National Archives in Record Group 79. See the catalogue record.
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 | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Edna, The | 0.2 miles | 2017 |
 | Miller, Frederick A., House-Broad Gables | 0.3 miles | 1985 |
 | Old Governor's Mansion | 0.3 miles | 1972 |
| Sessions Village | 0.4 miles | 1975 | |
| Ohio Baptist General Association Headquarters | 0.5 miles | 2020 | |
 | Huntington, Franz, House | 0.7 miles | 1980 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 74001489 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Franklin County | All 295 listed properties in this county. |
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