Columbus Library

    In 1824, a young, prominent attorney moved to Columbus from Zanesville, Ohio.    Noah Haynes Swayne had moved to Zanesville in 1823 upon finishing his law studies, from his home state of Virginia, because of his Quaker inspired anti-slavery views.  Rising quickly in his profession, in 1830, Swayne was appointed as the U.S. District Attorney of Ohio by President Jackson.  In 1848, Swayne built a substantial home on the present site of Main Library.  At that time, 96 S. Grant Avenue was far from the center of town, and the local citzenry wondered why Swayne would build so far out of the city proper, on a lot that was “swampy” and unbefitting of such a substantial house.  It was referred to as “Swayne’s Folly”.    Under President Lincoln, he was appointed as a justice to the U.S. Supreme Court, and moved from Columbus to Washington, D.C.  After a thirty year residency in Columbus, we gave up one of our finer citizens to national service.

    Before moving to Washington, Swayne sold his house to Thomas Ewing Miller, a prominent local dry goods merchant, and a former U.S. minister to France under President Pierce.  Miller in turn leased the house to the State of Ohio, to be used as the Governor’s mansion.  The house was home to three of Ohio governor’s from the 1860s to the 1890s, including Governor Rutherford B. Hayes, who later went on to become President. 

    Incidently, Rutherford B. Hayes’ sister, Fanny (Hayes) Platt lived on the corner of Broad Street and Cleveland Avenue.  She was the wife of prominent businessman William B. Platt, who owned the local gas company.  The beautiful Platt mansion on East Broad Street met the wrecking ball in 1929; one the the early casualties of urban sprawl.  (The library recently received a photographic house history of the Platt Mansion and a transcription of Fanny (Hayes) Platts memoirs from the period, from descendants of the family, Nan and Bill Platt.)  Fascinating reading on local Columbus social life during that period.

    Anyway, back to the story,  …In 1902, Thomas Ewing Miller sold the Noah Swayne house to the city of Columbus for $40,000.00 (adjusted for inflation, that would be about $996,000.00 in today’s money.)  The city had grown significantly between the time the house was built in 1848 and the time the city purchased the property, and this location was considered a prime location for the new public library, which was the big civic project of the day.  The house was razed in 1903 to begin construction of the library.

    With the razing of the Noah Swayne house ended a chapter of local, state and national history, but as ”all history is local”, a new chapter of local history was introduced with the construction of Main Library between 1903-1907; …a much cherished institution and edifice in its own right.  In 2007, the Main Library was included on the National Register of Historic Places, and there is a plaque in the Library courtyard, which breifly details its historic significance.

    If you would like to know more about Noah Swayne; The history of Ohio Governors residences; Rutherford B. Hayes’ family connections to Columbus, or the history of the Library,… stop by Main Library and drop by the Genealogy, History and Travel Division.  We have a lot of interesting information on all these topics, and much more.

Until next time,

Andy

Thought of the day:  I’m always fascinated by Columbus landmarks which are long gone, as Columbus never was shy about ripping down a building; sometimes for a good purpose, such as in this case,…but more often than not, to make room for yet another parking lot.  The recent razing of the Firestone Mansion on East Broad Street comes to mind.