Franklinton, Columbus, Ohio

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Franklinton is a neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. Lucas Sullivant, a Virginia born land surveyor, established Franklinton in 1797. It is bordered by the Scioto River on the east and north, Greenlawn Avenue on the south, and I-70 on the west. West Broad Street, or Route 40, is one of the country's first roads and is Franklinton's main throughway.

Franklinton, sometimes known as "the Bottoms", is the neighborhood immediately west of downtown. It gets its colorful nickname because much of the land lies below the level of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and a floodwall is required to contain the rivers and protect the area from devastating floods. The fertile, low-lying bottom land was ideal for farming, with the river serving as a direct connection to the Ohio River and beyond. (Just to the west of Franklinton is a group of smaller neighborhoods commonly referred to as "The Hilltop.") More recently, "the Bottoms" has been applied to describe the low socioeconomic status and comparatively high crime rate of the area.

In an effort to convey a more accurate description of the historical Columbus neighborhood of Franklinton it is necessary to add the following facts as stated by the Franklinton Area Commission:

Though Franklinton is the last downtown neighborhood to be redeveloped, it is actually the birth place of Columbus, settled 15 years before the city itself.

Franklinton was once a separate city from Columbus, like the present-day cities of Bexley and Whitehall, which are both completely surrounded by the city of Columbus, but continue to exist as separate municipalities.

Since the completion of the floodwall, the community redevelopment has included more than forty residential projects, a new firehouse, two new schools, new residential dorms at Mount Carmel Medical Center West and the esploration of countless commercial projects.