109–111 South High Street

109–111 South High Street

Company type	Retail property
Industry	Retail real estate
Founded	1938 (1938)
Headquarters	Columbus, Ohio , United States
Products	Retail space

109–111 South High Street is a retail property situated on South High Street within Downtown Columbus, Ohio. This location has historically been part of a bustling commercial zone accommodating various enterprises. The existing structure was erected circa 1938 to serve as a Woolworth's five-and-dime outlet, which remained operational until 1997. Following a six-year period of vacancy, the premises were occupied by a CVS pharmacy from 2003 until its closure in 2022.

Attributes

The initial design envisioned a contemporary, air-conditioned edifice measuring approximately 62.5 feet in width and extending 187.5 feet in depth. The building was planned to include three above-ground stories plus a basement and sub-basement level. Retail operations were intended for the upper basement and the two floors above it. The exterior was to feature brick, steel, and terracotta materials, complemented by a slab roof and a terracotta façade. Interior amenities included a bakery, cafeteria, shelving areas, stoker boilers, two freight elevators, and three dumbwaiters.

History

The Johnson Building and neighboring structures, circa 1909-1910

Store at 105 N. High Street during the 1930s

In the autumn of 1812, during the early formation of the city, John Collett constructed a two-story brick tavern on this site. Lot sales commenced on June 18 of that year. This tavern was notable as Columbus’s first building with two stories. By 1813, Volney Payne was operating the tavern; John Collett managed it intermittently through 1814 until approximately 1818 when ownership transferred to Robert Russell. Russell renamed it Russell's Tavern, also known as the Globe, which gained recognition as one of the premier taverns west of the Allegheny Mountains.

In 1827, a traveling menagerie featuring an elephant named Tippo Sultan visited the town and held exhibitions at the tavern over three days. The animals were housed behind the building. Historical accounts describe how Tippo Sultan escaped confinement, drank water from the well, and disrupted barrels of flour—events that roused Russell.

Russell's Tavern continued operations until 1847 when it was replaced by F. C. Sessions' dry goods store. By at least 1922, the site hosted a F. W. Woolworth Company five-and-dime store. By 1934, this location was one of four Woolworth stores operating within Columbus. In March 1937, Woolworth solicited bids for constructing a new building on this same plot. By April of that year, construction plans were finalized for what would become the largest Woolworth’s store across Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia regions with an estimated cost of $350,000. This development involved demolishing two existing four-story buildings—including one housing Woolworth’s and another occupied by Wilbur Rogers dress shop. The new store opened around 1938 shortly before another Woolworth’s debuted at 105 North High Street to replace one lost to fire the previous year; both buildings shared similar architectural features.

Woolworth’s maintained its presence at this address until closing all remaining stores nationwide in 1997. At that time, this location was Columbus’s last surviving Woolworth’s among roughly a dozen former outlets. Recognized by The Columbus Dispatch as a downtown landmark, this store ceased operations just one week before the inauguration of The Mall at Tuttle Crossing, a $300 million shopping center in a suburban area of Columbus.

Historically, Central Ohio had supported about twelve Woolworth stores; all locations were shuttered in 1997 including those across the United States. Columbus had hosted a Woolworth or its predecessor (F. M. Kirby & Co.) since 1882 at Long and High Streets. The store adjacent to Columbus City Center became the largest Woolworth’s in the city by 1959 and featured a prominent bus stop nearby along with an affordable lunch counter contrasting mall pricing and brands. When it closed it employed approximately thirty full- or part-time staff members—some with three decades’ tenure at this site. Its proximity to the Lazarus Building dated back to the 1930s; however shifting retail trends contributed to its closure.

During the 1990s, developers linked to the Schottenstein family acquired this building along with an adjacent smaller structure at 107 S. High Street to block rival developers from erecting competing high-rise projects opposite their own investment—the 23-story Fifth Third Center. By decade’s end, low vacancy rates downtown encouraged plans for constructing a new 22-story office tower on these lots; however market conditions later deteriorated leading to postponement.

Following approximately six years unoccupied, in 2003 plans emerged for a CVS Pharmacy to occupy the former Woolworth space as part of a larger retail and office complex totaling around 43,000 square feet (4,000 m²). The developer intended to demolish an adjacent brick structure and integrate it with the main building while adding underground parking and rooftop video displays. Architectural elements would draw inspiration from the original Woolworth design while complementing the style of nearby Fifth Third Center, also developed by the same firm. Shared facilities such as elevators and restrooms between buildings enhanced rentable area efficiency and reduced operational costs; similar arrangements were proposed for neighboring properties like 101 S. High Street.

In March 2022, CVS announced closure of this downtown location effective April 1 as part of a nationwide plan to shutter approximately nine hundred stores (representing ten percent of its outlets). This decision considered factors such as demographic shifts, evolving consumer purchasing behaviors, future healthcare demands, and community needs including underserved areas. This closure left no CVS pharmacies within Downtown Columbus despite being one of few convenience or pharmacy options near Capitol Square.

See also

• List of Woolworth buildings