By Caitlin O'Brien
On July 13, the Columbus Landmarks Foundation is kicking off its “Save Gas – Take a Walk with Landmarks” event, six walking tours of historic neighborhoods throughout July and August.
Instead of the usual indoor museums or gallery historical scene, Landmarks is giving Columbus residents a chance to learn more about the history of the city’s unique landmarks and neighborhoods while enjoying the beautiful summer weather.
The tours kick off at Eastgate, a neighborhood laid out by William Pitkin, planner of notable communities such as Upper Arlington that boast former residents (including former Ohio State University presidents) and are rich in Africentric and Eurocentric history and architecture. Other tours explore areas such as the Oakland and Northwood Historic District, learning about the neighborly feud of two streets wars of the title of Columbus’s “most beautiful street," and other notable neighborhoods such as the Victorian Village.
Doreen Uhas Sauer, of the Columbus Landmark Foundation, explains that when deciding what neighborhoods to include in the tour, “we wanted to get a little bit of the east, west, north and south. We wanted to feature some of the lesser-known communities that have rich histories and great architecture. We also wanted to explore the communities that people are more familiar with, like the Victorian and German villages, but may not know everything about.”
The walking tour explores not only the architectural beauty and uniqueness of each of these areas, but also invites visitors to experience the rich history and character of each neighborhood.
From the history of their previous famous residents to the planning, terrain and landscapes, each of these neighborhoods are an incredibly beautiful and rich element that make Columbus such a diverse and unique city. Whether a history buff or just looking for something to do to save you some gas money on the summer weekends, the Landmarks walking tours offer something for everyone.
“We’ve done walking tours for a couple years but we’ve never done it on such a scale. What we’re seeing already is that people are really responding very well to the residential aspect of the tours and are coming back week after week. This is what these tours are meant to do: to give you a sense of the city from the insider’s view,” says Sauer.
The tours are two hours long and tickets are $15 each, or $7 for Columbus Landmark members. Tickets can be purchased online at www.columbuslandmarks.org or by calling 614-221-4508. Tour group size is limited.