Walk through time in Clintonville. From the ravines that began forming 50,000 years ago to the newly revamped schools, there’s a lot of history around here.

From Tribal Land to Informal Neighborhood: A History

Before Clintonville, Ohio became an established community, before it even came into United States government hands, it was actually a Wyandotte Native American territory. It used to be made up of acres upon acres of farmland. Westward expansion, however, drove natives away from the land and brought in the U.S. government--who then planned to give patches of the land to U.S. Continental Army soldiers in place of pensions. 

Instead, however, the land was purchased by Thomas Bull, a Methodist minister. Once he and his family had settled in, they began farming the acres upon acres of farmland, only to realize that they just didn’t have enough people to do all that work! There was no one else in the area besides them, and they had nearly 600 acres to their name. In an attempt to bring in more people, Thomas’ son built a string of buildings along what is today known as High Street. They offered space in the buildings to anyone who had a marketable trade to bring to the area, and, thus, Clintonville was born.

These days, the neighborhood is located just north of Columbus’s downtown, between Ohio State University and Worthington, Ohio. A short trip away from the city center, Clintonville offers plenty of things to do both in the neighborhood and just outside of it. 

About Clintonville: Style and Substance

Clintonville’s history plays a big role in how the community looks and operates to this very day. From its unique home architectures and glacial ravines to its Chamber of Commerce and local school district, Clintonville is bursting with a community history that will have you hooked from the very first day.

Clintonville, Ohio Architecture

If you’re looking to buy a home in Clintonville, but unsure of what might be the right fit for you, you needn’t worry while home buying in this neighborhood. The collection of architectural styles and mediums of homes strewn throughout Clintonville is...eclectic, to say the least, but we see that as a part of the neighborhood’s charm! Among this collection are four houses constructed in one of the more unique architectural styles in the neighborhood, known as Lustron homes. 

Lustron homes began popping up in pockets of the country following the end of World War II. As U.S. soldiers began making their way home from the battlefield, it became apparent that there was a major housing shortage across the country. To remedy this, the Lustron Corporation, based in the heart of Columbus, came up with the idea of building Lustron homes--factory-produced buildings constructed primarily of steel enameled with porcelain. 

Being a neighborhood in the home city of Lustron Corporation, Clintonville had four Lustron homes built in the area before the company was forced out of business. All four are still standing. Some of the other, more common styles of housing located in the Clintonville neighborhood include bungalows, Dutch Colonials, Larcombs, and 4-squares, and each bring their own character to the neighborhood. No matter what you’re looking for, you’re bound to find a house you love in Clintonville!

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Local Clubs and Organizations in Clintonville, Ohio

The Clintonville community really is just that--a community. No matter where your interests lie, you are bound to find a way to get involved in the local community. Whether you’re moving in from somewhere nearby or somewhere far away, you should have no trouble making quick friends in the neighborhood when you arrive. There are a number of activities and organizations that are already teeming with people from around the community.

You could, for instance, see what the Clintonville Chamber of Commerce is up to. The Chamber’s mission is to attract and develop a steady business flow in the community, as well as to a unified voice for the businesses in the area who can relay their thoughts and concerns to the surrounding community and Columbus government. Whether you are an entrepreneur looking to grow a new business in Clintonville or not, there are plenty of ways the Chamber of Commerce can be a great resource to you.

Throughout the year, the Clintonville Chamber puts on several events to help bring the community together and promote businesses in the area. The annual Celebrate Clintonville event, for instance, is an awards ceremony put on every year to celebrate local businesses that have been voted into excellence by the rest of the community. In the past, they’ve also done events such as “Slice of Clintonville,” which brings attention to pizza shops in the area.

If you have a particular talent for music that you’re hoping to nurture, Clintonville also has a few opportunities for you to do so! The Clintonville Community Band is an instrumental ensemble much like you would find in a high school marching band, but for people of all ages and backgrounds. They do a number of performances a year and have even performed at the Ohio State Fair!

You could also try your hand at the Clintonville Community Choir. The choir puts on two concerts a year, singing songs written by one of the Clintonville community’s very own--the late John Ness Beck. Alongside these, they also delve into a number of other genres, including sacred choral works, Broadway tunes, and jazz numbers. The choir’s little sister, “the Songsters,” is an acapella group that works alongside the choir, as well as on their own.

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Clintonville, Ohio Education

Moving to Clintonville with kids in tow? You won’t be short of options for their schooling! Clintonville prides itself on the education of its young residents, boasting four elementary schools, one middle school and one high school as a part of the greater Columbus school system. 

Clintonville’s four elementary schools include Clinton Elementary, Colerain Elementary, Indianola Informal Elementary, and Indian Springs Elementary. With the exception of Indianola Informal, each of these schools follows a curriculum that is specifically designed to help students be successful under the Ohio state standards, while still respecting the individuality of each student. Clintonville elementary schools are all about fostering a strong community wherever your child winds up.

With classes ranging from kindergarten to grade 8, Indianola Informal operates a little differently from the other elementary schools in the area, although no less efficiently. As an informal school, Indianola Informal uses the Columbus City curriculum, but combines it with the individual interests of the students to create an enriching learning experience that is tailored to the student. They place a heavy focus on art as a source of learning, and often incorporate things like dance, music, and visual art into their lesson plans. Indianola admits prospective students based on a lottery system.

Dominion Middle School in Clintonville is not only of good standing in the neighborhood, but also throughout the rest of Columbus. It is actually the only middle school in greater Columbus with a center that has been designed specifically to help students in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, as well as services for students with special needs. Each incoming 6th grade Dominion student also receives a peer mentor from the 8th grade class to help them adjust to middle school life!

Clintonville’s only public high school, Whetstone High School, is a self-described “pre-college school.” On top of the traditional course offerings, Whetstone offers a number of opportunities to help students looking to attend college after high school. There are AP courses spanning all the core subjects, as well as dual enrollment programs that can help students to take a chip--or sometimes even a whole year--out of the time they would need to spend in college.

To Do in and around Clintonville: Get in Touch with Nature

If you’re someone who loves nature, Clintonville, Ohio is a great place to live. Clintonville itself is home to a few nature-based attractions, but being a part of the greater Columbus area also adds some perks to your weekend laundry list. From parks to natural wonders to a zoo and aquarium in the Clintonville area, you will never be bored.

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Ravines

Some of the most breathtaking natural features of Clintonville come in the form of its ravines. There are three: Glen Echo, Walhalla, and Overbrook. Years ago, there used to be two more, but they have since been graded over, but they still play a large role in the landscape surrounding the remaining ravines. 

The ravines are the offspring of the Wisconsin Glacier, which made its way across central Ohio twice--once 50,000 years ago, and a second time 16,000 years ago, carving its way through the earth. Today, the ravines have been dressed up with trails and drives for people to explore the scenic area.

If you’re looking for a place where you can be surrounded by nature, the ravines might be the perfect place to head towards on the weekend. Pack a picnic lunch and head out to Overbrook Park to enjoy the surrounding trees and wildlife with your egg salad sandwiches. Bring some Ralph Waldo Emerson with you for the ultimate nature experience.

Columbus Park of Roses

Located in Clintonville neighborhood, the Columbus Park of Roses is one of the largest rose gardens in the entire country, stretched out across 13 acres. The garden is a great place for visitors to come to all year round, boasting over 12,000 different specimens of roses, as well as some perennials, herbs, and 138 varieties of trees and shrubs. Throughout the park, you’ll spot five different themes of horticulture: a formal rose garden, a heritage rose garden, a perennial garden, a backyard garden, on top of being an accredited arboretum. 

The formal rose garden is made up of a symmetrical design of rose beds, each of which is planted with a single specimen of roses to create a stunning visual effect. The heritage rose garden is a little more limited in the scope of specimens it displays because the rose specimens must have been cultivated prior to 1867, which cuts out many modern varieties of roses. 

One of the main sources of interest for many visitors to the Columbus Park of Roses, however, is the backyard garden, which houses a wide variety of low-maintenance bulbs and perennials, as well as trees and shrubs that might offer up some creative new ideas for visitors to include in their own gardens.

All throughout the park, visitors will have the opportunity to walk along paved paths that span out over a mile across all of the gardens. There are also a number of benches along the for people to sit down on and admire the scenery around them. If you’re into gardening, the Columbus Park of Roses might be your new sanctuary.

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

If you’re willing to take a little trip out of the neighborhood on the weekend, head on over to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium! With 139 different animal species and counting, there are no shortage of animals to see in replicas of their would-be habitats. A campaign spear-headed by the zoo’s director, Jack Hanna, it is the goal of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to make their animals feel as comfortable in their zoo habitats as they would out in the while.

The Columbus Zoo first opened in 1927 with a donation of a small collection of animals that were owned by the Wolfe Family (who also owned the Columbus Dispatch newspaper). In the 50’s, a gorilla named Colo arrived at the zoo and took the nation by storm with her winning personality. With the arrival of Jack Hanna in 1978, the Columbus Zoo became one of the first in the country to start putting the care and comfort of the animals first.

Today, the zoo operates year-round. While some of the animals might be a bit shy of their natural, outdoor habitats in the colder months, you will never be short of animals to see during your visit. The zoo also has traditions around holidays, such as the Wildlights, when thousands of twinkling lights are strung up around the property and guests can feel like they’re walking through a winter wonderland if it’s snowed.

Guests love the Wildlights. One yelp reviewer describes it as such: “The Wildlights event is absolutely beautiful. The zoo gets illuminated with lights and holiday music.  It does tend to get cold, so do bundle up!”

You’ll never really run out of things to do around Clintonville, Ohio. Being so close to the rest of the city of Columbus, there are actually an overwhelming amount of activities to partake in. Discover your favorite when you move to Clintonville.