herr2ck: June 2026

March-April 2026.

King Avenue United Methodist Church (King Avenue UM for brevity) is an imposing English Gothic Revival church in Dennison Place. It sits on a prominent intersection of King and Neil, and the church was designed with this site in mind.

King Avenue UM is located at 299 King Avenue in the Dennison Place neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. It is bordered by King Avenue to the north, H2O Church to the south, Neil Avenue to the east, and The Circles to the west.

History

King Avenue UM traces its beginnings to a Sunday school established by Dennison Place residents in 1888, as the nearest Methodist church was on 3rd Avenue and too far away. They met on the second floor of a wood-frame building that was used as a bakery, which was located on 6th Avenue. The group soon grew to 127 people, resulting in the need for a full-fledged church. The congregation was established in May 1889 with 30 members.

Snippet of the 1899 Baist map, which shows the 1889 church’s footprint. (Columbus Metropolitan Library)

The first King Avenue UM church, located on the current site at the southwest corner of King Avenue and Neil Avenue, was dedicated on December 23, 1889. It was a smaller stone building located on the west side of the site, entered on King Avenue, and it had a large apse on the western end. This small church only sat 150 people and was outgrown by the turn of the 20th century.

Low-resolution, cropped photo of the church (possibly the 1904 version), which is the only early 20th-century photo I could find. (King Avenue UM website)

The 1889 church was demolished circa 1902, and a temporary church known as the “Wigwam” that could seat the 200+ member congregation stood until 1904. The second church was dedicated on March 5, 1904. It cost $54,000 to build, and with a capacity of 1,800 people, it was one of the largest in Columbus. However, the 1904 church burnt down during renovation work on August 23, 1918, only leaving a few of the exterior stone walls intact.

The existing church building dates to 1922. After the fire, another temporary building known as the “Tabernacle” was used by parishioners until the church was rebuilt and dedicated on October 8, 1922. The church’s website states that it has an almost identical appearance to the 1904 church, which seems to be true aside from the much larger tower.

1973 photo of the exterior. (Columbus Metropolitan Library)

A southern addition to the church was built from 1957 to 1959, also Gothic Revival in style. It contained a new chapel and choir rooms, and the foundation for the addition was built as part of the original building in 1922.

Photos

A view from the corner of Neil and King:

Principal, Neil Avenue facade:

The addition (left) actually balances the building, but it pokes outward a bit too much. This building is clearly influenced by English Gothic architecture overall with its horizontal emphasis and simple tracery.

The area with the main entrance has a large stained-glass window above:

A better view of the window:

Rectangular windows and parapet above:

The main entrance, which has a broad pointed arch:

Roof above and slightly hidden window:

I’m honestly shocked that this addition is from the 1950s. I thought it was original to the building--it’s very rare for alterations from that era to be contextual.

This massive tower is iconic to the neighborhood and stands tall above the surrounding two-story houses. It is largely symmetrical aside from the decorative turret at the northeast corner.

The belfry has four large openings with openwork tracery, which take up the entire wall between the buttresses.

Zoomed in on the crown:

I like this straight-on view and how it depicts the asymmetry of the corner turret:

King Avenue facade, which has a very uneven massing:

Detail of the entrance doors and transom window, which are original:

This little area on the end has a crenellated parapet, but it is also pitched:

West facade, which is largely buff brick and has a typical early 20th-century design:

I’m honestly surprised that there isn’t as much history about this one online, and that it isn’t listed on the NRHP.

Sources:

https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/memory/id/76386/

https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/columbusmaps/id/35

https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/columbusmaps/id/15

https://www.kingave.org/

May 2026.

Dennison Place is a small, largely residential neighborhood that is south of OSU campus and immediately west of High Street. This post continues on the 6th Avenue stretch of The Circles, a section of the neighborhood that features roundabouts at each intersection. A lot of the houses are partially obscured by the copious trees in the area, which provide a nice shaded quality but sure made pictures difficult.

There isn’t much history available online on Dennison Place, but given that it doesn’t really appear on Sanborn maps until the 1901 edition and the methods through which Columbus (and other large cities expanded), we can assume it was being developed to its present density around the turn of the 20th century. Indeed, the Near Northside Historic District listing (which includes Dennison Place) states that it was platted in 1888 by Anne Dennison, who was influenced by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and designed the picturesque “Circles” area. Beforehand, the area was owned by William Neil and his family, who farmed there.

Dennison Place is located on the north side of Columbus, Ohio. It is bordered by King Avenue and the University District to the north, 5th Avenue and Victorian Village to the south, High Street and Weinland Park to the east, and the Olentangy River to the west.

297-301 West 6th Avenue

This oddly proportioned American Foursquare was built between 1901 and 1921 as a duplex. It has some Craftsman features, such as the overhanging eaves and dormer.

307 West 6th Avenue

A brick Queen Anne built circa 1900, the enclosed porch is an alteration. Otherwise, its design is a pretty good example of the simpler Queen Annes all across Columbus.

313 West 6th Avenue

It’s tough to see through the trees, but this Queen Anne house is a much fancier example of the style. It has elaborate woodwork and masonry details, a turret, and art glass windows.

Very purple front porch:

Gable with several wood patterns and ornamental details:

Unusually detailed vaulted window:

Turret detail:

329 West 6th Avenue

Another unique Queen Anne design, this house dates to 1888. It has a large, circular tower, brick and stone details such as the lintels and sills, and an overall rhythm that defines the Queen Anne style.

Detail of the tower’s top and roof:

333 West 6th Avenue

This detailed Queen Anne house has lots of interesting woodwork on its porch and balcony.

Detail of the bay window with brick arch, as well as the balcony above:

6th-Pennsylvania Circle

We’ve reached the first “circle” at the intersection of 6th Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. Along with its tall, leafy trees, there are paths and benches to sit. This would be a wonderful place to take a second and relax.

360 West 6th Avenue

This is another bog-standard Queen Anne with a large, double-height porch. I was more interested in the real gas lamp near the entrance path--super common in German Village, but not as much here:

365-367 West 6th Avenue

This apartment complex built circa 1960 would be considered an “intrusion,” i.e. it does not match the historic character and scale of the area. It incorporates an existing 1900s home on the west side, but the east lot seems to have been empty for decades until the apartment building was built.

Detail of the older Queen Anne house, which has been heavily altered with stucco, subdivided, and had a metal balcony added:

382 West 6th Avenue

I really like the choice of green here, as it contrasts excellently with the red brick walls of the rest of the house. The gable is supported by cool intact Queen Anne brackets, too.

The arched window and wood details can be seen a little better here. I love the two Easter Island moai flanking the entrance, too.

388 West 6th Avenue

A larger Queen Anne, this one has contrasting masonry details in its pale brick walls and bright red arches. It was built circa 1890.

Detail of the bay windows and their colorful frames, brick arches, and stone sills:

6th-Michigan Circle

This is an earlier photo from when I visited for my King Avenue articles, which was in March. I didn’t get around to doing the Circles until much later, as they were some of my last photos in Columbus, and I didn’t initially plan to cover them.

391 West 6th Avenue

This once-stately Queen Anne on the 6th-Michigan Circle has been modernized with a horrendous coat of gray and white paint. The original brick was intact until at least 2015, but by 2019 Google Maps shows that the gray paint was applied. It’s unfortunate, because these kinds of renovations destroy the busy and eclectic character of Victorian homes and replace it with a minimalist hellscape. If you want a millennial gray house, build your own or renovate one built after 2000. Don’t defile a historic home.

401 West 6th Avenue

This Queen Anne changes the common Columbus plan with some extra porch details and a bay window.

405 West 6th Avenue

I really like the spindlework on the porch and balcony here. This house dates to circa 1900, one of the few brick houses in this area of 6th Avenue at the time.

Detail of the woodwork and small gable on the tower:

I think this used to be a small balcony at one time, which had its balustrade and door removed and replaced with a window. The woodwork is also fantastic. It’s a shame--it would have been great for Romeo and Juliet reenactments.

406 West 6th Avenue

Tough to see this Queen Anne through the trees, but I like its purple woodwork, which incorporates classical denticulation.

411-413 West 6th Avenue

This duplex built circa 1920 is odd in that it is largely an American Foursquare design but has an asymmetrical cross gable and dormer. They express the duality of the two dwellings inside one larger house, which then results in breaking the typical symmetry of the style. The remaining details are very common to American Foursquare designs, however.

416 West 6th Avenue

An otherwise heavily altered and modernized house, I was most interested in 416 W 6th for its intact spindlework. Despite the contemporary Craftsman porch and color scheme, these original wood details emphasize the Queen Anne design that the house was built with.

A closer look at the spindlework (on the balcony):

420-422 West 6th Avenue

Otherwise a standard Queen Anne, this duplex has a lot of Romanesque flair with its copious usage of arched windows. Most other Queen Anne houses have a vaulted window or two, but this house employs them much more frequently. Another important detail to note is the fancier brick used on the front facade yielding to standard red brick in the rear, which reduced costs.

423 West 6th Avenue

I like this Queen Anne’s color scheme, large porch, and bay windows.

Edgar & Grace Weinland House (428 West 6th Avenue)

This very unique Colonial Revival house built in 1903 is much different from the others on the street. This is because it was designed by Columbus architect Frank Packard, versus the vernacular houses nearby. It is low and horizontal instead of vertical, it has a gambrel roof, its porch is larger with rough stone supports, and it has a large balcony on the second floor. I’m reminded of the more vernacular houses in the Northeast by H. H. Richardson and McKim, Mead, & White--it is a pleasant change of pace.

And yes, this is the same Weinland that Weinland Park was named after.

431-433 West 6th Avenue

An American Foursquare duplex, this is the final house on the south side of 6th Avenue. The massive dormer is interesting, but the rest is very standard design.