Explanation
BACKGROUND: The Historic Resources Commission (HRC) (CC 3117) is charged, in part, with identifying districts, sites, buildings, structures, and/or objects that are of significance to the historical, architectural, or cultural development of the city, state, or nation; maintaining a list of these districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects; and providing regulation of these properties through design review. With these goals in mind, the Commission provides recommendations to City Council for the potential listing of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and/or objects on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties.
An application has been made by Drew May/Columbus Housing Partnership, Inc. (Applicant), in cooperation with Blueprint Community Development, LLC. (Owner), to list the property located at 440 Taylor Ave., the Pilgrim School, on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties. The subject building is locally significant as intact example of the “one of a small group of schools on the Near East Side of Columbus that the federal courts identified as having been intentionally established and maintained as an all-Black school. It remained racially isolated for roughly a quarter century after the United States Supreme Court declared school segregation unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, until court-ordered desegregation finally reached it in 1979.” (May p.7) The period of significance for the building is 1921-1922 (construction & opening), 1954 (Brown v. Board of Education) & 1977-1979 (Pennick v. Columbus bd. Education).
The nominated property is situated on the north portion of Franklin County Parcel 010-066727-00 in the city of Columbus and state of Ohio. The site is just over three acres, including the building footprint and ball field extending to Harvard Avenue. There is one contributing building and one contributing site. The historic nomination boundary and contributing building is limited to the historic school building and its immediate curtilage to be 1.065 Acre Tract. Being Lots Nos. Eight (8) through Twenty-three (23), both inclusive, of M.R. Kerney's First Addition, as the same are numbered and delineated upon the recorded plat thereof of record in Plat Book 2, Page 132, Recorder's Office, Franklin County, Ohio. Situated in the State of Ohio, County of Franklin and City of Columbus: Being Lots Nos. One (1), Two (2), Three (3), Seven (7) and Eight (8) of Nelson Place Addition, as the same are numbered and delineated upon the recorded plat thereof, of record in Plat Book 3, Page 399, Recorder's Office, Franklin County, Ohio, except for a strip of land off of the east side of Lot No. 8. Together with that portion of the alley, streets, rights of way as vacated by the City of Columbus by Ordinance No. 32257 and No. 1147-68. (Detailed description located on Narrative Page 22.)
Proper notice was given to the property owner, per CC 3117.061, and a signed and notarized owner consent form has been received. A public hearing was held September 3, 2026, per CC 3117.063. The public hearing was attended by the Applicant, who provided comments in support of the listing of the property.
The Commission voted unanimously to recommend listing of the property located at 440 Taylor Ave., the Pilgrim School, on the Columbus Register based on the following criteria outlined in CC 3117.05:
Criterion E: “The property is closely and publicly identified with an event, or series of events, which has influenced the historical, architectural, or cultural development of the city, state, or nation”.
Emergency Justification: Listing of this property on the Columbus Register will facilitate its eligibility for historic tax credits in conjunction with the planned rehabilitation and adaptive use of the building. This legislation is submitted as an emergency to allow its incorporation in a historic tax credit application.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Title
To list the property at 440 Taylor Ave., the Pilgrim School, on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties as CR #83; and to declare an emergency. ($0.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Historic Resources Commission is charged, in part, with identifying districts, sites, buildings, structures, and/or objects of significance to the historical, architectural, or cultural development of the city, state, or nation; and
WHEREAS, as part of this responsibility, the commission provides recommendations to City Council for the potential listing of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and/or objects on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties; and
WHEREAS, an application has been made by Drew May/Columbus Housing Partnership, Inc. (Applicant), in cooperation with Blueprint Community Development, LLC. (Owner), to list the property located at 440 Taylor Ave., the Pilgrim School, on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties; and
WHEREAS, notice was given, as required by City Code, and a public hearing regarding the application was held on September 3, 2026; and
WHEREAS, the Historic Resources Commission has determined that 440 Taylor Ave., the Pilgrim School, is eligible for listing on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties under criteria listed in CC 3117.05, and therefore recommends approval of the nomination to Columbus City Council; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Historic Resources Commission in that the listing of this property on the Columbus Register will facilitate its eligibility for historic tax credits in conjunction with the planned rehabilitation and adaptive use of the building. This legislation is submitted as an emergency to allow its incorporation in a historic tax credit application; and now therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the requirements of CC 3117, regarding nominations and listing on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties, have been met for the property located at440 Taylor Ave., the Pilgrim School.
Section 2. That the Historic Resources Commission is hereby authorized and directed to enter the property located 440 Taylor Ave., the Pilgrim School, on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties as Listed Property CR #83.
Section 3. That the City Clerk is directed to certify a copy hereof to the City Historic Preservation Officer.
Section 4. That the Historic Preservation Officer shall have said designation recorded in the official records of the Franklin County Recorder.
Section 5. That this ordinance, for the reasons stated in the preamble, which are made a part of this ordinance and fully incorporated for reference as if rewritten, is declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after this ordinance’s adoption and approval by the Mayor or ten (10) days after its adoption if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes this ordinance.