Columbus, Ohio, USA
1854 - Columbus

Columbus city, capital of the state of Ohio, and seat of justice of Franklin county, is pleasantly situated on the E. bank of the Scioto river, 90 miles from its mouth, 116 miles N. E. from Cincinnati, 115 miles S. from Sandusky citv, and 350 miles from Washington. Lat. 39° 57' N., Lon. 83° 3' W. It is on the same parallel of latitude with Philadelphia, from which it is 450 miles distant. It was laid out in 1812, in the midst of an unbroken wilderness, and incorporated in 1816. The state house, a plain brick building, was erected in 1814, and the legislature met here for the first time in December, 1816. The site of Columbus is level; the streets are wide and laid out with great neatness and uniformity. Broad street, 120 feet wide, extends from east to west, and is crossed by High street, 100 feet wide, on which the principal business is transacted. At the intersection of these is a public square of 10 acres. The old state house, occupying one corner of this square, was entirely consumed by fire, February 1, 1852. A new capitol had previously been commenced, which is designed to be the finest building in the state, and will surpass in magnitude every other state house in the Union : it is 304 feet long by 184 wide, and covers an area of 55,930 square feet. The height to the top of the rotunda is 157 feet. The material is a hard, whitish limestone, resembling marble. The other remarkable edifices are the Ohio Lunatic Asylum, the Institution for the Blind, the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, and the Ohio Penitentiary. The Lunatic Asylum, founded in 18336, is a brick building. 296 feet in front, and 46 in depth, with wings 39 feet wide, extending back 218 feet; it cost about $150,000, and can accommodate 350 patients. The number admitted in the year ending November, 1851, was 283, and 300 were discharged in the same period. The Institution for the Blind is a handsome brick building, three-quarters of a mile E. from the state house. In 1851 it had 69 pupils. The Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb is also a fine edifice, and surrounded by ornamental grounds. In 1851 there were 132 pupils. The Ohio Penitentiary, situated on the E. bank of the river, is an imposing edifice, of Ohio marble ; together with the numerous workshops, it comprises a square of sir acres. The whole number of prisoners in 1851, was 628. They are employed in useful manufactures, the proceeds of which are more than sufficient to meet the expenses of the establishment. The Starling Medical College was recently established in this city, by means of a legacy of $50,000 from the late Lyne Starling. It is a Gothic edifice, the walls of which are brick, with cornices, caps, arches, sills, &c. of whitish limestone, giving it a very tasteful appearance. The Olentangy river enters the Scioto about half a mile above Columbus.

Columbus is surrounded by a rich and populous country, and is a place of active business. The National road passing through it from E. to W. is a great thoroughfare of travel, and the Columbus feeder connects it with the Ohio canal. Other internal improvements recently finished have given an impetus to its growth, viz. the Cleveland and Columbus railroad ; the Columbus and Xenia railroad, which connects it with Cincinnati ; and the Central railroad, which extends to Zanesville, and will be continued to Wheeling. Several plank-roads and turnpikes also terminate here. The city is lighted with gas. It contains about 20 churches, 1 academy, several seminaries, and 5 banks. Two daily and several weekly newspapers are published in this town. There is a park of 40 acres on the N. side of Columbus, given to the public by one of the citizens. Eastwood, one mile E. from the city, contains the gardens of the Columbus Horticultural Society, occupying 10 acres, and the grounds of the Franklin County Agricultural Society. Population in 1840, 6048; in 1850, 18,138; and in 1853, about 25,000.

A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

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