Cleveland Avenue Carbarn, Power House & Office
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The Cleveland Avenue carhouse, shops, and powerplant as they looked in 1894. Instead of a tall smoke stack, the power house had a short stack hidden in the dome. Steam pressure was used, instead of the draft created by a tall stack, to force the exhaust upward, which may explain why the photo is so hazy.
Photo from the Columbus Metropolitan Library Collection.
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1922, and the camera looks north on Cleveland Avenue. The power plant is in the foreground, and the office with its cone cap is in the background.
Photo from the Ohio State University Archives.
The Columbus Central Railway Co., founded in 1894, built the traction line from Columbus past Minerva Park to Westerville. Its carhouse, shops, power plant, and offices were located at Cleveland and Reynolds Avenues. The line started with 60 traction cars, primarily serving crowds at Minerva Amusement Park.
In 1899, the company was combined with the Columbus Street Railway Co., the dominant streetcar company in Columbus. Since the CSR already had a power plant, the Cleveland Avenue power plant was converted to an electric substation, which served that duty through the trolley coach era, ending in 1965.
Minerva Park was a short-lived amusement park that closed in 1902. The CSR already owned Olentangy Park on North High Street and didn’t need Minerva Park.
1930, the main carhouse was destroyed by fire, leaving the two car storage barns and the substation.
In 1933, the Columbus Railway, Power and Light Co. started converting streetcar lines to trolley coach lines. The Cleveland Avenue route was the first conversion, with the Cleveland Avenue carbarn repurposed as a trolley coach station. The company also needed a motor bus garage constructed across North 9th Street behind the two storage barns.
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1909 Ohio Inspection Bureau Map shows the Cleveland Avenue Car Barn, Car Storage, Power House and Office buildings.
Drawing from the Edward Miller Collection.
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A 1949 aerial view of the complex with the camera looking east. Cleveland Avenue is in the foreground. The carbarn was destroyed in 1930, but the motor garage behind the complex was added in the 1930s. The station yard is full of trolley coaches.
The PRR CA&C yard is on the right. The flyover bridge to the N&W freight house crosses the rail yard and the Cleveland Avenue Bridge. On top of the embankment, an N&W team track is handy for the complex.
Photo from the Peerless Collection of Aerials and Other Photographic Prints from the Studios of William Preston Mayfield, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
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A circa 1900 photo of the Columbus Central Railway Co. office building located at the northeast corner of Cleveland and Reynolds Avenues. After the Columbus Street Railway Co. acquired the property, the motormen and conductors’ office and lounge were moved to the building. The Signal and Line Department also had space in the building.
Photo from the Larry Betts Collection.
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A 1920-30s office building photo showing some wear and tear.
Photo from the Columbus Metropolitan Library Collection.
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Circa 1930 photo of Reynolds Avenue – the southside of the office building.
Photo from the David Bunge Collection.
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Circa 1930 eastside of the office building.
Photo from the David Bunge Collection.
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Circa 1910-1930, the west side of the Car Storage Barn. The storage barn could hold 28 off-season cars. After 1933, the Cleveland Avenue line converted to trolley coaches and this building became the trolley coach shop.
Photo from the Galen Gonser Collection.
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Circa 1910-1930, the north side of the Car Storage barn.
Photo from the David Bunge Collection.
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The following three photos were taken inside the car barn that was destroyed in the August 1930 fire.
Photo from the David Bunge Collection.
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The camera is in the same location as the previous photo, with some cars moved off-camera. A snow sweeper can be seen on the far track. In both images, the camera is looking at the back, the east wall, and,to the right, the south wall.
Photo from the David Bunge Collection.
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The camera is now looking toward the north at an inside wall. Beyond the inside wall are the wash house and workspace. The same streetcar as in the previous two images is shown.
Photo from the David Bunge Collection.
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An aerial view of the complex in 1978, when the trolley coaches were gone, leaving only motor buses. A parking lot next to the garage has been expanded. This complex will be replaced by the Fields Avenue and McKinley Avenue motor bus garages.
Photo from the Ricki Elliott Collection.