Dr. Walter Thomas House, 964 Wellington Boulevard, Columbus

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS OH-15. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

This residence serves as one of the most prominent examples of both African- American cultural history and mid-century modern design in Columbus. The unique house was designed by Sylvester Angel, the second licensed African American architect to practice in Columbus. The original owner of the home was Dr. Walter Thomas, a prominent African American physician, and his family retained ownership until Description: 964 Wellington is situated at the end of the block on an irregularly shaped parcel. The house is oriented along its east-west axis to take full advantage of the sunlight and views of the landscaped property. The house has a large front yard and sits on the top of a slight rise which gives the single-story house a prominence on the block.

There is a side entrance from the driveway to the west. The main entrance to the house is led by gently curving concrete landscape steps that lead the visitor from the street to the front door. The concrete steps have curved nosings and were constructed with an exposed aggregate decorative finish. The steps are irregular in size, creating a cascading effect of rounded forms. Sidewalks along the street were originally planned for the development, but they were never built. The architect was very intentional in creating a relationship between the interior and the exterior landscape. In terms of spatial organization, the main living room, which has a sunken seating area, is located in the basement. This lower level is excavated, exposing the rear of the house in a walk-out condition.

This provides light to the living room and direct access to the back yard through sliding glass doors. Large plate glass windows and doors extend across the entire rear elevation on the main floor, where there is a cantilevered deck above the exposed basement. The entire rear fa ade literally opens up to the back yard, tying the house, both physically and visually, to the surrounding landscape. A concrete patio was created in the excavated space around the walk-out lower floor, at the same level as the sunken living room in the basement. Concrete steps lead from the patio up to the back yard. Limestone retaining walls with a batter surround the outdoor patio space giving that space an intimate, organic quality that reinforces the connection of the house to the site.

The design of the wall system was carefully crafted to minimize their visual impact upon the expansive back yard. A curving pathway leads from the cantilevered deck to the DR. WALTER THOMAS HOUSE HALS NO. OH-15 PAGE 2 steps down to the sunken patio. The composition of the walls, walks, and seating area is horizontally and vertically asymmetrical, but feels balanced and well- organized. This demonstrates the modernist design approach and skill of the architect. The sunken patio, cantilevered deck, and large glass doors showcase the Thomas s desire to enjoy the outdoors with their family and friends. This is further evidenced by various amenities, including a built-in charcoal grill and chimney in both the outdoor patio space and the basement living room.

Fireplaces were also located in both the upstairs seating area and basement living room. Ownership of the house has recently transitioned. The new owners are currently undergoing a major restoration of the interior and will be working on the exterior in the coming years. The walls and paved areas are all in moderate to good condition and require little repair beyond cleaning. In the front yard, two large shade trees and two ornamental cherry trees are in good health. A large shade tree and various shrubs were recently removed in the rear yard. The planting beds around the foundation of the house and rear patio have largely been cleared of their original plantings. The current owner has plans to clear volunteer vegetation and install new ornamental plantings in the beds in the coming years.

History: Wellington is part of a subdivision called the St. Mary s Gate Addition that was platted in It is in northeast Columbus, just west of the historic Shepard neighborhood which was where the home and studio of celebrated African American artist and MacArthur Foundation Fellows grant winner, Aminah Robinson, was located. Sunbury Road, with its high terraced lot frontages, forms the eastern boundary and Leonard Ave. curves around and creates the western and northern edges of the subdivision. A former railroad right-of-way forms the southern boundary, which has been purchased by the City of Columbus and now serves as a multi-use recreational trail.

It is of great cultural and historical significance that the Addition was subdivided by a female African-American real estate agent and was marketed to African- American professionals at a time when there was extensive discrimination in the housing market in Columbus and throughout the country. Old advertisements from the Columbus Suburban Realty Co. featured this development as Columbus Most Beautiful Subdivision. Part of the marketing of this development also included a contest to name the boulevard and the streets. A cash prize was offered to the winning entries that would be a first payment on the best lots . This upscale suburban-type development is close to the natural beauty of Alum Creek.

It is also less than 3 miles from High Street, the main north-south commercial corridor in Columbus. Stone pillars were planned at the entrances to the Addition off Leonard Ave.; lots were large 200 ft. deep and planted with many shade trees to produce a park-like setting. This is all the more DR. WALTER THOMAS HOUSE HALS NO. OH-15 PAGE 3 impressive in light of the fact that the Leonard Ave. boundary was and still is an industrial roadway, and the railroad tracks were less than 100 ft. from the residential parcels on Wellington. Many of the post WWII homes on Wellington were designed in a modernist style. The house that sits on the 964 Wellington site was built for Dr. Walter Thomas who was one of the founders/doctors of the Franklin Park Medical Center. Dr.

Thomas and 4 other prominent physicians opened the nearby Medical Center to serve the African-American community at a time when medical services were still largely segregated. Franklin Park Medical Center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Dr. Thomas commissioned architect Sylvester Angel, the 2nd state-licensed African American architect to practice in the city of Columbus, to design this home. The architect designed another house on this block as well. Angel was only one of two African-American architects practicing in Columbus during the Sylvester Angel went on to have a long career in community development. He worked for the City of Detroit Model Neighborhood Program and City of Columbus Model Cities Agency. He also worked for the Charles F.

Kettering Foundation and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, from which he retired in It is important to note that 964 Wellington is one of a handful of built works in Columbus designed by Mr. Angel.

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS OH-15. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Columbus Metropolitan Library. Columbus, Ohio. 3rd Floor, History and Genealogy. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. St. Mary s Addition, Book 7, page Research on Sylvester Angel, architect: https://digital- mode/exact/conn/and Research on Sylvester Angel, architect: https://digital- d/all/mode/exact/conn/and Columbus Dispatch, May 29, Columbus Dispatch, May 19, Columbus Dispatch, May 21, Columbus Dispatch, May 18. Columbus Dispatch, Oct. 9, Columbus Dispatch, Jan 30, Columbus Dispatch, Oct. 28, Franklin County Auditor, Assessment List. Ohio Sentinel, Jan. 10, Ohio Sentinel, Dec. 6, DR. WALTER THOMAS HOUSE HALS NO. OH-15 PAGE 4 Mid-Century Modern: Columbus, Ohio, prepared by Jennifer L. Gariety, AmeriCorps Member of the Ohio History Service Corps. Columbus Landmarks Foundation, august

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS OH-15. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Susan Keeny, RA, LEED AP Preservation Services Director, Columbus Landmarks Matthew Leasure, PLA ASLA AICP LEED AP Principal, Designing Local Past President, Columbus Landmarks July 31, Entry HALS Challenge: Historic Black Landscapes The front yard features approximately 4-7 of grade change from the street and has an architecturally unique front elevation (Matthew Leasure, July 25, DR. WALTER THOMAS HOUSE HALS NO. OH-15 PAGE 5 The grade transition up to the front porch is provided by a series of circular cascading stairs. (Matthew Leasure, July 25, An additional set of stairs transitions from the driveway to the front entrance and has an exposed aggregate finish. The limestone walls feature a random Ashlar pattern and a well-proportioned batter. (Matthew Leasure, July 25, DR.

WALTER THOMAS HOUSE HALS NO. OH-15 PAGE 6 The rear exterior of the home has large windows and sliding doors across almost the entire fa ade. The basement living room is accessible to the rear patio and the cantilevered deck provides an overlook. The charcoal grill and chimney provide a place to barbeque and entertain. (Matthew Leasure, July 25,