7-4-12 & 1-16-14 & 5-5-16
Welcome to Columbus! Also known as “The City of Distinction”, this community of 4,991 has many interesting landmarks and historic structures. Featured above is the City Hall, built in 1892 and still serves in this capacity. The living landmark as seen in the sign above the Redbud Tree. They provide a great color accent to the downtown and resident yards in May when they bloom. Columbus so reveres the tree they have a festival called, “Redbud Days”.
In 2016 we were not able to come to the festival but we did stop in to see their beautiful red bud trees. They were EVERYWHERE. This city really earned it’s monicker “The Red Bud City”. The sign above was on the lawn of the Columbus Public Library. It is no ordinary library though, it’s a Carnegie Library. We have seen those in many of the towns we have visited.
We begin our exploration of Columbus with the historic home of former Governor James Taylor Lewis.
The mansion is located in a historic district and we took a look at the other beautiful houses on this block and nearby. Across the street on 147 North Lewis is the Wheeler House, 1870. Louis Sullivan stayed here while the Farmers and Merchants Union Bank was being built. President Taft once made a speech from the front balcony of this house too.
The Bellack House, 1897.
The beautiful Farnham House from 1867 dominates the corner on 553 West James St.
This is the Queen Anne/Tudor Revival House on 314 South Charles, built in 1900.
This house that looks like a castle is the Albrech House on 334 South Ludington, built in 1930. There are a great many more houses, be sure to get the guide book in the Farmers bank to find them all!
On a hill across the street from the Governor’s mansion is the Columbus historic Chapel Street Water tower, a prominent landmark.
The whole downtown is a designated Historic District. This fact did not escape Hollywood. They chose to film part of the movie “Public Enemies”, released in 2009. Here is a corner panorama of these beautiful buildings.
The Farmers and Merchants Union Bank is a special centerpiece of Columbus. It is only one of 8 “Jewel Box” banks in the entire United States designed by Louis Sullivan. The outside of the bank was also featured in the movie Public Enemies. The inside was breathtaking! One of the associates who was worked there a long time, Anita, gave us a tour of the bank! On the upper floor is a small museum of bank artifacts. We found out the beautiful molded “stonework” on the outside is terra cotta, less expensive than carved stonework. The water fountain no longer works but it is still beautiful.
Thank You we love Columbus, Wisconsin
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