Flytown
Encyclopedia
Flytown is a neighborhood just northwest of downtown Columbus
encompassing portions of the present-day Arena District
and western sections of the Victorian Village
. In the 19th-century it was considered the center of the Irish American
community in the city after the arrival of immigrants fleeing the Great Famine, and Naughten Street, now Nationwide Boulevard, was nicknamed the "Irish Broadway."
, and south to a nearby industrial district along the Scioto River
. The name "Flytown" resulted from homes which "flew up over night."
community in the city. Industrial firms located in the area included Columbus Forge and Iron, Columbus Coop Foundry, the Simplex Foundry, Columbus Coffin Company, Capital City Products, and the Dresser-Ideco Company.
The immigrants went on to become domestic workers, civil servants, small businessman, police and fire officers, and became present in the political class, as well as the legal, medical, and education communities.
Born to Irish immigrants north of Columbus in 1853, Jeremiah O'Shaughnessy began working at 17 digging the foundation of what would become the city water works, located just west of Flytown. Working his way up to engineer, he eventually became superintendent of the Columbus City Water Works, dedicating much of his life to the city's water system. He would collaborate with the construction of the Columbus Experiment, at the time a revolutionary environmental project and one of the largest water plants built in the United States. In 1913 he pushed a storage dam project, which when completed in 1925 was considered the "best inland city reservoir and dam in the United States." It was named O'Shaughnessy Dam
in his honor.
Aside from his water works activities, he would serve on the Columbus City Council, and his descendants, including his son Jeremiah, Jr., would go on to become Ohio State Senators. Today the political family is represented by City Council member and Ohio Secretary of State candidate Maryellen O'Shaughnessy, whose father was a State Senator and World War II
veteran.
O'Shaughnessy's Public House in the Arena District
is dedicated to the Irish American experience in the city and named in honor of the family. It was completed with imported Irish fixtures constructed by native Irish artisans.
of America in becoming a melting pot
neighborhood. Many Italian and Eastern European natives moved in, and became known as a port-of-entry for the immigrants. The St. Francis of Assisi church was constructed in 1895 on Buttles Ave. to cater to the Italian immigrants. The Godman Guild House was built for troubled youth in 1898, eventually helping establish the neighborhoods first library, public bath, public gym, and first kindergartens.
migrated to the city, settling in the neighborhood and becoming a considerably large population Many European Americans, and some of the African Americans native to the neighborhood moved out, and racial tensions began to flare. Segregation became commonplace, and enforced at the Godman Guild House, including at their summer resort The Reservation.
The neighborhood, considered lower-class, was hit hard by the Great Depression
, beginning a cycle of decline. By 1953, the Columbus Redevelopment Authority declared the area blighted, and a bond was passed to raze much of the neighborhood. The Goodale Expressway, which would eventually become I-670
, began construction, resulting in further destruction of the neighborhood as it cut through its heart.
In total, 118 acre (0.47752948 km²) were cleared, 547 families, 71 individuals, and 73 commercial businesses displaced by the CRA's renewal project.
and Short North, which was also faced with serious decline.
, Huntingon Park
, commercial facilities, condominiums, and restoration of many homes and manors built from the previous centuries which survived.
During the construction of Nationwide Arena, many Irish American immigrant artifacts from the 19th-century were unearthed, including dining plates and saucers. O'Shaughnessy's Public House was constructed to honor the former Irish American center of the city, and the Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Services, which operates the apartment towers in Thurber Village, proposed in 2010 a new 14-story, $43 million tower.
An Ohio historic marker at Arch Park in the Arena District notes the Flytown neighborhood, as well as the marker at Goodale Park.
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
encompassing portions of the present-day Arena District
Arena District
The Arena District is a , mixed-use urban infill, master planned development located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. It is characterized by its New Urbanism layout, mixed-use, and neo-classical American design. The architecture is of the Chicago School style, being influenced by Daniel Burnham in...
and western sections of the Victorian Village
Victorian Village
Victorian Village is a neighborhood located north and near west of downtown Columbus. It is an older area with a fair number of established trees for an urban setting...
. In the 19th-century it was considered the center of the Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
community in the city after the arrival of immigrants fleeing the Great Famine, and Naughten Street, now Nationwide Boulevard, was nicknamed the "Irish Broadway."
Origins
Flytown begin to spring up in the mid-19th century, when primarily Irish, German, and Welsh immigrants settled in the area to labor in nearby factories. The neighborhood comprised a 25-block area west of Neil Avenue, east of the Olentangy RiverOlentangy River
The Olentangy River is a tributary of the Scioto River in Ohio.It was originally called keenhongsheconsepung, a Delaware word literally translated as "stone for your knife stream", based on the shale found along its shores. Early settlers to the region translated this into "Whetstone River"...
, and south to a nearby industrial district along the Scioto River
Scioto River
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County in west central Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth...
. The name "Flytown" resulted from homes which "flew up over night."
Growth
As the immigrants moved in, the neighborhood became distinctive. West Goodale became its primary artery as commercial establishments took root to cater to the inhabitants, including saloons and shops, and boarding houses sprang up to house the laborers. Naughten Street, now Nationwide Boulevard, became known as the "Irish Broadway" being the center of the Irish AmericanIrish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
community in the city. Industrial firms located in the area included Columbus Forge and Iron, Columbus Coop Foundry, the Simplex Foundry, Columbus Coffin Company, Capital City Products, and the Dresser-Ideco Company.
The immigrants went on to become domestic workers, civil servants, small businessman, police and fire officers, and became present in the political class, as well as the legal, medical, and education communities.
O'Shaughnessy family
O'Shaughnessy Dam (Ohio)
The O'Shaughnessy Dam is located on the Scioto River near Dublin, Ohio, United States. The dam forms O'Shaughnessy Reservoir, which is a major source of drinking water for the city of Columbus. It was completed in 1925 following recommendations of then superintendent Jerry O'Shaughnessy...
in his honor.
Aside from his water works activities, he would serve on the Columbus City Council, and his descendants, including his son Jeremiah, Jr., would go on to become Ohio State Senators. Today the political family is represented by City Council member and Ohio Secretary of State candidate Maryellen O'Shaughnessy, whose father was a State Senator and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran.
O'Shaughnessy's Public House in the Arena District
Arena District
The Arena District is a , mixed-use urban infill, master planned development located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. It is characterized by its New Urbanism layout, mixed-use, and neo-classical American design. The architecture is of the Chicago School style, being influenced by Daniel Burnham in...
is dedicated to the Irish American experience in the city and named in honor of the family. It was completed with imported Irish fixtures constructed by native Irish artisans.
Melting Pot
As the Irish immigrants became successful they moved out. By the late 19th-century, the neighborhood became a microcosmMacrocosm and microcosm
Macrocosm and microcosm is an ancient Greek Neo-Platonic schema of seeing the same patterns reproduced in all levels of the cosmos, from the largest scale all the way down to the smallest scale...
of America in becoming a melting pot
Melting pot
The melting pot is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" into a harmonious whole with a common culture...
neighborhood. Many Italian and Eastern European natives moved in, and became known as a port-of-entry for the immigrants. The St. Francis of Assisi church was constructed in 1895 on Buttles Ave. to cater to the Italian immigrants. The Godman Guild House was built for troubled youth in 1898, eventually helping establish the neighborhoods first library, public bath, public gym, and first kindergartens.
Racial tensions
In the 1910s, many rural southern African Americans fleeing the Ku Klux KlanKu Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
migrated to the city, settling in the neighborhood and becoming a considerably large population Many European Americans, and some of the African Americans native to the neighborhood moved out, and racial tensions began to flare. Segregation became commonplace, and enforced at the Godman Guild House, including at their summer resort The Reservation.
Decline
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, beginning a cycle of decline. By 1953, the Columbus Redevelopment Authority declared the area blighted, and a bond was passed to raze much of the neighborhood. The Goodale Expressway, which would eventually become I-670
Interstate 670 (Ohio)
Interstate 670 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Ohio that passes through downtown Columbus, connecting I-70 west of downtown with I-270 and US 62 near the eastern suburb of Gahanna. I-670 provides access to Port Columbus International Airport, and intersects SR 315 and I-71 downtown...
, began construction, resulting in further destruction of the neighborhood as it cut through its heart.
In total, 118 acre (0.47752948 km²) were cleared, 547 families, 71 individuals, and 73 commercial businesses displaced by the CRA's renewal project.
Renewal
The Goodale Expressway was part of the city's renewal project for Flytown, one of three such projects which included the Market-Mohawk in downtown and Bolivar Arms in East Columbus. The city invested $6 million in what they called Thurber Village in Flytown's place, and high-rise apartment complexes sprang up, including Thurber Towers and Westminster Terrace. The Thurber Village Shopping Center was constructed next to these towers. The project helped contribute to the renewal of nearby Victorian VillageVictorian Village
Victorian Village is a neighborhood located north and near west of downtown Columbus. It is an older area with a fair number of established trees for an urban setting...
and Short North, which was also faced with serious decline.
Present
Today the neighborhood is rarely referred to as Flytown as neighboring areas have incorporated much of what was Flytown as part of their own. The Victorian Village and Arena District have become some of the city's most attractive neighborhoods, which have included the construction of Nationwide ArenaNationwide Arena
Nationwide Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in Columbus, Ohio, USA. It opened in 2000 and is the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets, of the NHL....
, Huntingon Park
Huntington Park (Columbus, Ohio)
Huntington Park is the home of the Columbus Clippers, a Triple-A minor league baseball team in the International League currently affiliated with the Cleveland Indians. Groundbreaking for the new ballpark took place on August 2, 2007, with construction being completed in April 2009. Designed by 360...
, commercial facilities, condominiums, and restoration of many homes and manors built from the previous centuries which survived.
During the construction of Nationwide Arena, many Irish American immigrant artifacts from the 19th-century were unearthed, including dining plates and saucers. O'Shaughnessy's Public House was constructed to honor the former Irish American center of the city, and the Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Services, which operates the apartment towers in Thurber Village, proposed in 2010 a new 14-story, $43 million tower.
An Ohio historic marker at Arch Park in the Arena District notes the Flytown neighborhood, as well as the marker at Goodale Park.