View Edit

The Lazarus Building is a commercial building in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. It was the flagship store of the F&R Lazarus & Company, a department store founded nearby in 1851. The building, completed in 1909, housed the Lazarus department store until 2004, one year before its brand was retired. The building currently houses numerous state and county offices, the Ohio State University Urban Arts Space, and restaurants and a bank branch in its storefronts on High Street.

Attributes

The present-day building has had many expansions and renovations, and today occupies much of a city block. It has five stories facing High Street, increasing to seven stories on Front Street. The West Town Street facade of the building is largely as originally built.[1]

Among the most noted interior spaces in the building is the Chintz Room, the most formal dining space in the Lazarus Building. The restaurant closed on January 30, 1998, six years before the department store shuttered. In 2014, two restaurateurs revived the concept inside the same building, highlighting memorabilia from the department store. In 2016, after less than two years in business, the concept closed; a food critic attributed the closure to the business letting down fans of Lazarus and the entrepreneur's Columbus Food League followers.

Prior home of the Lazarus store, one block south, 1901.Building formerly on the corner of Town and High Streets, c. 1898-1909. Lazarus power plant is at the far left.The same building in 1908 being used for a mock fire for a film before demolition.

History

1909 sketch of the new Lazarus store on the northwest corner of Town and High streetsArchitect's sketch of the refaced store, 1950The Lazarus department store company, originally known as S. Lazarus & Sons, was founded by Simon Lazarus in Downtown Columbus in 1851, in the Parsons Building at the southwest corner of Town and High streets.[2] Simon's sons Fred and Ralph renamed the company as F&R Lazarus & Co. ten days after Simon's death, on December 13, 1877, while executing his will.[9] In 1909, the company moved to the current Lazarus Building, and moved from being predominantly a men's clothing store to a general department store. It was the first building in the city to feature an escalator, in 1909. The model was soon removed, but modern electric escalators were installed in 1947, another first for the city.[3]

One of the building's first additions was constructed in 1925; a new seven-story building west of the original structure, and originally joined to the main structure through pedestrian bridges over Wall Street. The new building was announced to be built in June 1925.[4]

Architect's sketch of the final building expansion, published June 4, 1957The Lazarus Annex was completed in 1946, followed by a service garage in 1947, and work on the sixth floor, general offices, and refacing in 1948.[8]

In 1950, the company announced it would reface the department store's High Street facade, allowing for deeper display windows, a more spacious entranceway, six revolving doors, and a stainless-steel-edged marquee over the sidewalk. The design was created by industrial designer Raymond Loewy, and incorporated deep tone maroon marble at street-level. Five stories of Tennessee pink marble would project above the marquee, paralleled by a five-story neon sign.[8]

From 1957 to 1959, the building was again expanded, with a midcentury design by Columbus firm Benham, Richards, and Armstrong. The $5 million addition would increase the building's floor space from 925,000 to 1,225,000 square feet.[7]

In 1989 the City Center Mall was opened across from the Lazarus Building (at the current site of Columbus Commons). The mall duplicated many of the Lazarus store's items, though it helped support the already-foundering store. A pedestrian walkway was installed over High Street between the mall and the Lazarus store, forming it as one of the anchors of the mall. The department store closed in 2004.[5] Its last decade had seen sales decline 60 percent. Its iconic sign was removed August 28, 2004. The store building was converted into a mixed-use space. A rooftop garden was installed to harvest water to cool the building. The building earned a LEED Gold rating following the renovations.[2]

Much of the 700,000 sq ft (65,000 m2) building is currently used for government offices, including the county economic development offices, and the Ohio Department of Medicaid, Ohio Department of Insurance, and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.[6] The Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Ohio State University Urban Arts Space, and AIA Columbus are located here as well.[2] The city department of development was also located here until the completion of the Michael B. Coleman Government Center.

Every Christmastime from 1963 to 1990, the store's 50,000-gallon water tower on its roof was lit with string lights to resemble a Christmas tree. The tradition was postponed for two years during the 1970s energy crisis, and was discontinued in 1990 due to decreased visibility around modern high-rises.[2]

The store was known for its window displays, especially during the holidays. Its highlight was the "big window" at Town and High streets.[2]

Gallery

 

The Parsons Building after 1877, when S. Lazarus & Sons became F & R Lazarus & Co.Photograph showing the original store's location in the Parsons BuildingThe store in the 1940s

Further reading

References

  1. Samuelson, Robert E.; et al. (Pasquale C. Grado, Judith L. Kitchen, Jeffrey T. Darbee) (1976). Architecture: Columbus. The Foundation of The Columbus Chapter of The American Institute of Architects. p. 213. OCLC 2697928.
  2. David Meyers; Beverly Meyers; Elise Meyers Walker (2011). Look to Lazarus: The Big Store. History Press. ISBN 9781614233985. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  3. "Photos: Lazarus in its heyday". The Columbus Dispatch.
  4.  "D.A.R. To Mark Grave Of Mrs. Mary Sprague". Columbus Dispatch. June 11, 1925. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  5.  "Final Countdown - Downtown Lazarus-Macy's prepares for last days". The Columbus Dispatch. May 30, 2004. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  6.  Navera, Tristan (February 6, 2018). "Want to work in the downtown Lazarus building? Now is your chance to lease a space". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  7. "Razing Set For Store Addition". The Columbus Dispatch. June 4, 1957.
  8. "Lazarus to Install Modern New Front; Spacious Entrance, Marquee Planned". The Columbus Dispatch. March 22, 1950.
  9. "Notice". Ohio State Journal. December 21, 1877, p. 2.

External links

Add tags