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| Hartman Building and Theater | |
|---|---|
| Name | Hartman Building and Theater |
| Location | Columbus, Ohio |
| Built | 1911–1915 |
| Architect | Richards, McCarty & Bulford |
| Architecture | Romanesque Revival, Beaux-Arts |
| Added | 1978 (NRHP) |
Hartman Building and Theater is a historic commercial and theatrical complex located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Commissioned by entrepreneur and department store magnate Lazarus Hartman and designed by the firm Richards, McCarty & Bulford, the complex opened in the 1910s as a combined office block and performance venue. From its inception the site served as a nexus linking retail, finance, transportation, and cultural institutions in central Franklin County, Ohio, shaping downtown Columbus'' urban fabric through the 20th century.
The complex was developed during the Progressive Era amid the national expansion of department stores such as Marshall Field and Company, Sears, Roebuck and Company, and Macy's; local parallels included the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette-noted growth in Ohio retail. Construction began after land acquisitions involving parcels once owned by investors tied to the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company and local real estate interests linked to the Columbus Board of Trade. Opening ceremonies featured civic leaders from Columbus Chamber of Commerce, representatives of the Ohio Statehouse, and theatrical companies affiliated with touring circuits like the Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corporation. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s the building hosted events connected to the Republican National Committee meetings in Ohio and economic conferences alongside institutions such as the American Institute of Architects local chapter.
Designed by the architectural practice Richards, McCarty & Bulford, the complex combined Romanesque Revival massing with Beaux-Arts ornamentation, reflecting influences from McKim, Mead & White and Daniel Burnham's urban plans. Exterior materials referenced regional sources used by projects such as the Ohio Statehouse and the Columbus City Hall; façades incorporate terracotta, limestone, and large arched fenestration similar to contemporaneous works by Adolf Cluss and Henry Hobson Richardson. Interior planning employed innovations seen in early skyscrapers by Louis Sullivan and office-block schemes promoted by Daniel Burnham for circulation, elevators by firms akin to Otis Elevator Company, and HVAC arrangements paralleling installations at Union Station (Washington, D.C.). Decorative programs included murals and plasterwork executed in styles associated with the American Renaissance and artists trained at the Académie Julian and Art Students League of New York.
The theater was configured as a proscenium house accommodating vaudeville, silent film exhibitions, and later live repertory and touring productions from companies like the Shubert Organization, the Pantages Circuit, and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra on occasion. Its stage facilities and backstage layout were comparable to houses commissioned by impresarios such as S. H. Dudley and used by performers connected to Ethel Barrymore, John Barrymore, and orchestral conductors in the lineage of Leopold Stokowski. The venue also screened motion pictures distributed by studios including Paramount Pictures, United Artists, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the studio-era booking system. During World War II the theater participated in USO-sponsored shows with performers associated with Bob Hope-led tours.
Ownership passed through syndicates and corporate entities similar to those managing the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company properties; trustees involved included banking houses modeled on National City Bank and insurance firms in the tradition of Aetna Life Insurance Company. Postwar shifts in downtown commerce driven by suburbanization and competition from malls like Easton Town Center precipitated changes in tenancy reminiscent of transitions at the Columbus Dispatch building and other Ohio commercial landmarks. The theater closed and reopened multiple times under operators comparable to the Nederlander Organization and nonprofit arts groups following models such as the Guthrie Theater and the Brooklyn Academy of Music management.
Historic preservation efforts mirrored campaigns seen at the Carnegie Library restorations and the rehabilitation of Union Station (Columbus); advocacy came from preservationists linked to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and local chapters of the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana-style organizations adapted for Ohio. Rehabilitation projects referenced tax-credit strategies under policies comparable to the National Historic Preservation Act incentives and used firms experienced with restorations like those for the Woolworth Building and the Ohio Theatre (Columbus, Ohio). Conservation interventions balanced modern building codes applied by the International Code Council with efforts to conserve ornamentation traced to artisans from schools like the Cleveland Institute of Art.
The complex functioned as a civic landmark hosting political rallies for figures aligned with the Kennedy family campaigns and later cultural festivals akin to the Columbus Arts Festival. Its role in urban revitalization paralleled projects such as the adaptive reuse of the German Village warehouses and the redevelopment of Short North. Scholars in urban studies citing models from the Jane Jacobs and Lewis Mumford traditions have referenced the building when analyzing midwestern downtown evolution. Today its legacy endures in discussions among institutions such as The Ohio State University, the Columbus Historical Society, and municipal planners at the City of Columbus concerning heritage-led regeneration.
Category:Buildings and structures in Columbus, Ohio Category:Theatres in Ohio