Walk to the corner of Gay and High streets where you will see the Old Modern Finance Building and former site of the Old Columbus Dispatch Printing Company. Built in 1899, the building was destroyed by fire in 1907 and rebuilt in 1910. Founded in 1871, the company was sold to Robert F. Wolfe and his brother Harry P. Wolfe in 1905, and the Wolfe family still owns the paper. The Columbus Dispatch moved to its current home at 34 South Third Street in 1925.
If you continue across Gay Street heading north, stop at the White-Haines Building at 82 North High Street next to the large Madison’s sign. Built in 1913, the building was designed by Richards, McCarty and Bulford of Columbus. Over the years, the building had many different uses, but the north storefront was home to Argo and Lehne Jewelers for many years.
From here, head back and turn left onto Gay Street to see a vibrant downtown business corridor filled with rehabbed historic buildings and local, small businesses. Now, take a right turn down Pearl Alley, home of the bi-weekly Pearl Market. If you find yourself here on Tuesdays and Fridays between 10:30 and 2:30 from May through October – you will experience a bustling market of local venders, farmers, musicians, and downtown workers.
Continue down the alley a bit further and you’ll come to the historic Ringside Café. Dating back to1910, the local watering hole was designed by architect Carl Howell of Howell and Thomas Architects. As a traditional haunt of politicians and newsmen, story has it that politicos would end their work day at Ringside and, depending on who arrived at the bar first, a light would be put behind the elephant or the donkey on the stained glass window outside the building to stake the winning party. Carved grape and vine decorations over an elegant corner entrance also make this small building a distinctive presence in Pearl Alley.
The decorations covered over the words “Chamber of Commerce Café,” an early name for the bar when the Board of Trade next door objected, afraid Temperance supporters would get the wrong idea. During Prohibition, the bar was the Jolly Gargoyle Tea Room, selling tea and small artistic knickknacks. These became very popular with the actors who played the vaudeville scene at the Palace—which has an eleven story hotel attached to the back of the theater—look for it.
A number of unique works of art have recently found their home in Pearl and Lynn alleys. At the intersection of the two, take a glance up at the top of the northwest corner building and you’ll see Topiary Man, an eight-foot tall shrub-covered businessman stepping off the side of the building. You’ll also see an arm-shaped streetlight at the corner of Third and Lynn, and other art installations popping up in the alleys thanks to the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District and local artists