Mount Vernon is a predominantly
African-American historic neighborhood in
Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The neighborhood lies within the historic
Near East Side community, north of
King-Lincoln Bronzeville
King-Lincoln Bronzeville is a historically African American neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. Originally known as Bronzeville by the residents of the community, it was renamed the King-Lincoln District by Mayor Michael B. Coleman's administration ...
. Mount Vernon borders Interstates
71 and
670. Its main thoroughfares, Mount Vernon Avenue, Long Street, Atcheson Street, and Champion Avenue define the community's limits.
The neighborhood is named for Mount Vernon Avenue, the center of a once-thriving economy. In the 19th century into the 1970s, the area (including the present-day King-Lincoln Bronzeville) held thousands of Black families and businesses, with a variety of businesses lining the avenue. It was during an era of segregation and isolation for the community, and thus Black families were self-sustaining in the area. Beginning in the 1950s, interstate highways were constructed in Columbus. The highways physically divided parts of the neighborhood and their large land uses forced families and businesses to relocate, leading to more vacancies and an overall neighborhood decline.
The
Leonard Pearl Henderson House in the neighborhood is a historically-significant house near an Ohio State University medical center. The building was proposed for demolition in 2023.
The neighborhood also includes a large apartment complex, Latitude Five25. The complex was formerly a public housing project called Sawyer Towers. It was privatized in 2009 and renovated into Skyview Towers, and changed hands twice again. In 2023, following numerous violations, the city attempted to force the owners to pay for its long-needed repairs, and ended up deeming the towers unsafe, forcing its residents to relocate.
Gallery
File:Mount Vernon Avenue marker (cropped).jpg, Historical marker
File:Engine House No. 8 & East Opportunity Center 03.jpg, Former Engine House No. 8
File:Vernon Theatre photograph.jpg, The Vernon (later Cameo) Theatre, 1914
File:Felton School.jpg, The Felton School
File:Blanchard Columbus image 010.jpg, Mt. Vernon Avenue in 1922; the East End Market House is at the right
File:United States Post Office Mt. Vernon Retail Unit 02.jpg, Mt. Vernon post office
File:Saint Dominic Catholic Church (Columbus, Ohio) - exterior.jpg, Saint Dominic Catholic Church
File:Mount Vernon 01.jpg, Refuge Baptist Church
File:Urban Redevelopment in Columbus, Slum Clearance Progress Report map.jpg, Mount Vernon, part of the shaded area redeveloped in the 1950s
See also
*
Mt. Vernon Avenue Commercial Building
References
External links
*
{{Columbus, Ohio
*
Neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio
African-American history in Columbus, Ohio