Das ist gut, ja?

The history of Ohio includes the accomplishments of scores of diverse individuals from all about the world. Germans were early immigrants to the country and likewise in the state of Ohio. In the early to mid 1800s, German settlements popped up in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, where opportunities for business along an emerging canal system were ripe. Today a walk through German Village (wiki, map), just south of Downtown Columbus, is a walk through the history of the German-American experience in Ohio and America (see right, click to enlarge).

The ups and downs of America -- and Ohio -- are reflected in the 233 acres that have seen development, decline, decay, destruction and rebirth. German settlers built a little community here through the dawn of the 20th Century, but the natural movement of young adults away from home, the backlash of a nation involved in two wars with Germany, prohibition (beer!) and the Great Depression took its toll on the area.

But in the 1960s the die was cast to begin a movement and organization that would become one of the most distinguished examples of neighborhood revitalization in the country. The German Village Society was formed and wove through the intricacies of city government to begin the preservation and revitalization of the settlement. Today over 1600 buildings have been renewed and the society boasts over 1000 preservationists.

German Village is best visited on foot. The streets, in typical European fashion, are tight (see left, click to enlarge) and sometimes jog inexplicably at angle. Plus a walking tour is the only way to truly linger in front of homes and gardens without irritating drivers behind you. The homes today vary from the historic to the historic looking, with an odd out-of-style home here or there that was existed before the preservation efforts began. The society's requirement is that the facade of the house look historic, while the interior can be modified as the owner desires.

The only neighborhood to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is a testament to the will power of volunteerism. German Village was revitalized without state or federal financial assistance. It is coveted real estate, with the median house price estimated at nearly $400,000. The typical German Village home is a two or three bedroom house that sits close to the road, emulating the close-knit feel of villages in Germany.

Examples of the types of homes in German Village vary from modified warehouses, small homes that were creatively adjoined to create a larger and historic homes preserved. But you will be hard-pressed to see similar homes in the village. Drive around the outerbelt that loops Columbus and you can see the same home style, with the boom of growth in the 1990s, replicated throughout your trek, but in German Village each street offers a unique vista.

One of the more interesting homes is a pair of adjoining homes built by a pair of German brothers who were feuding at the time. Determined that each side of the house would not look like the other brother's, two very distinctive style sit awkwardly from the curb (see left, click to enlarge). But not long after completion, the two brothers enlisted in the cause and mustered out with an Ohio regiment to fight in the Civil War.

The neighborhood's investment in itself is evident from the voluntary efforts to maintain the gardens and throughways. During a guided tour, one of the key members of the governing board of the village shared that the City of Columbus once could not afford to maintain the brick-paved roads and sought to asphalt over a street. The entire village turned out to repair the brickwork themselves, from the noticeably aged to the very young. A little media coverage of the repair work guilted city council into funds for upkeep. In 2007 they were named a Preserve America Community by the Presidential Preserve America cooperative.

It is hard to wander through the parks in the village without seeing volunteers hard at work in the gardens. The centerpiece park of the village is Schiller Park (see left, click to enlarge), which was briefly re-named Washington Park as part of the anti-German sentiment during World War I. A vast open space for dogs to romp, residents to exercise, and for Shakespeare to come alive. The amphitheater plays the Bard each summer weekend at no cost to the public.

A sculpture titled the Umbrella Girl (see right, click to enlarge) has been attracting visitors to one of the corners of Schiller Park since the 1870s, but its current visage is the second generation of the sculpture. In the 1950s the original sculpture disappeared without a trace and still today the situation remains a mystery. The second sculpture was dedicated in the 1960s.

There are other greenspaces and gathering places within the district. A small two-tenth of an acre vacant lot, which was sarcastically referred to as "dog****" park, (see left, click to enlarge) was revitalized into a showcase garden known as Frank Fetch Park in honor of the man who initiated the German Village movement. Shopping, dining and overnight accommodations are abundant and equally unique. Among the popular dining stops are the original Max and Erma's restaurant and Schmidt's Sausage Haus (see right, click to enlarge). Juergens Bakery offers delectable goodies and at least 10 years ago accepted payment in Deutsche Mark! The Book Loft offers 32 rooms of shelves for browsing and there is no shortage of quaint Bed and Breakfast homes.

The best starting point for a tour of German Village is the Meeting Haus on South Third Street. An outstanding 10 minute video (also available over the web) provides the historical backdrop of German Village. Food and fun are found in one neighborhood that hides just south of Columbus, beckoning one and all to drink, dine and dawdle in a culture that is intertwined into the fabric of Ohio.

-J.