herr2ck: XVI

February 2026.

Southwood Elementary School is a historic elementary school building, one of the oldest in use by Columbus City Schools. It has a fun Romanesque Revival design which is identical to the Felton School in Mt. Vernon, listed on the National Register of Historic Places but demolished in 1990. Southwood has not met the same fate and has been well-maintained.

Southwood Elementary School is located at 1500 South 4th Street in the Merion Village neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. It is bordered by Southwood Avenue to the north, Markison Avenue to the south, 6th Street to the east, and 4th Street to the west.

History

Historic photo of the building’s original appearance. (HathiTrust)

Southwood Elementary was built in 1894 by Columbus City Schools resident architect David Riebel at a cost of $22,000. The lot itself was purchased from a local family for $3,000. It is a Romanesque Revival design with a tall central tower and copious vaulting. Southwood Elementary’s construction was a product of the school district’s rapid expansion during the growth of the city in the 1890s. Merion Village was being developed as the south side industrialized, although the school’s immediate surroundings were sparsely populated in 1901.

When Southwood Elementary opened, it had five teachers and 250 students. Its first principal was Mary Esper, who also taught German; she held that role until 1923. The school originally taught 1st-8th grade, with biweekly carpentry and cooking classes. In 1903, a matching wing was added to the south side, completing the 4th Street facade.

1922 postcard of the school, very similar to how it appears today. (Columbus Metropolitan Library)

By 1912, the school had 17 classrooms, with 16 teachers and 735 students. The school’s PTA was founded in 1917, which raised money for various improvements to the school and for struggling families during the Great Depression.

Although it is not listed on the NRHP, Southwood Elementary is on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties, listed in 2002. The school also received major renovations beginning in 2007, including window replacement and the construction of a contemporary addition attached to the school via a passageway. The work revealed chalkboards that were original to the building, which may have been removed and preserved. The renovations were completed in 2009.

Photos

Even though the Felton School was demolished, it was in pretty shoddy repair when it happened. Southwood Elementary, however, is in remarkable condition for its age. It has of course been altered, but other usually-absent features are visible today.

Southwood Elementary is finely crafted from an architectural standpoint. Its exterior is carefully proportioned and built with a thoughtful palette of sturdy materials. The entrance tower establishes a hierarchy and adds visual interest to the school, but it does not dominate the rest of the building.

One of the two wings--this one was the original, built in 1895:

Along with the brick vaulting, note the recessed spandrels between the first and second-floor windows, which have different brick patterns and varying textures.

The cornerstone is at the northwest corner of the school, which credits Riebel with its design:

This area has a diamond pattern:

This central tower is simply magnificent. Much of its detail is executed in brick, not crazy terra-cotta or carved masonry. It complements the remainder of the school excellently.

The base has a lovely vaulted entrance, which is recessed slightly. It also has coffered surrounding brickwork.

I just love towers. It also resembles the one on Fair Avenue Elementary School, a Frank Packard design from around the same time.

Riebel also proportioned it well so as to not excessively loom over the roof of the wings. It can be seen from a distance, but only the dormers and tourelles at the very top. Shoutout to the masons who built this, too--the brick vaults flow effortlessly into the otherwise standard wall construction.

It’s pretty unusual for the tourelles and dormer to be so intact, as the more decorative bits were usually hacked off during the 1950s or 1960s. Southwood Elementary seems like it has had its chimneys and decorative cornice removed, but the rest remains to this day.

One more…I always love to exaggerate towers’ stature.

Southwest end of the school, which is the 1903 addition in a matching style:

The 2009 addition does a passable job responding to the original building.

The north facade is also identical to the south, down to the brickwork and fenestration. I wonder if David Riebel just flipped his plans upside down and crossed out the tower?