South High Carhouse
When the first Columbus horsecar line was built in 1863, the stable and carbarn were located on N. High Street between Goodale and University Streets (University Street has been renamed Poplar Avenue). In 1873, it was decided to
move the University Street stable and carbarn to S. High Street between E. Hoster and E. Beck Streets. The move included the buildings and everything in them.
In 1885, the South High stable and carbarn
caught fire and was heavily damaged. The building in the first photo below was built after the fire to house the electric streetcars.
In 1899, the Repair Section and Wash House was added to the north side of the Carbarn. The new addition also housed the line department.
In 1933, the streetcar company started converting to trolley coaches. The South High building was not large enough to handle trolley coaches. Sometime in the late 1930s, the oldest part of the carbarn was demolished leaving only the 1899 north side addition and the storage barn behind the carbarn. The property was declared surplus and sold around 1940.
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There are no good photos of the South High Carbarn, this is the most complete photo of the carbarn built in 1885 after the stable fire destroyed the original buildings. The lower section behind the streetcar is an 1899 addition used to repair and wash the streetcars. The building remains standing in 2023 having been repurposed numerous times in the last 80 years.
Photo, circa 1905, from the Galen Gonser Collection.
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1909 Ohio Inspection Bureau Map showing the South High Carbarn. The snow sweepers and off season streetcars were stored in the three track, Car Storage Barn, located behind the carbarn.
Drawing from the Edward Miller Collection.
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The fancy brickwork was displayed in 1890 when the employees celebrated the end of the 1890 strike. The turret's base is on the right top of the photo. The portals into the building were enlarged when double-truck streetcars were introduced.
Photo by Baker's Art Gallery, 1890.
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Columbus police guarding the South High Carbarn during the 1910 strike. The portals into the building have been enlarged in this photo. The camera is looking north.
Photo from the Galen Gonser Collection, 1910.
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The 1925 track configuration for the South High Carbarn.
B. J. Kern drawing from the Tom Boland Collection.
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In the early years of the electric streetcar, the line department worked out of the South High Carbarn. The line department horses were stabled in the northeast corner of the building. The photo shows the 1899 addition on the north side of the carbarn.
Photo from the Rich Murphy Collection, circa 1910.
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Another view of a line wagon. This wagon is labeled Columbus Railway Company. German Village is in the background.
Photo from the Rich Murphy Collection, 1913.
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In the late 1930s the carbarn was demolished with the exception of the 1899 addition. In the background is the Storage Barn which sat on the east side of Pearl Street and also remains in 2023. During the 2000s the Storage Barn was remodeled into offices.
Photo from the Rich Murphy Collection, Circa 1940.
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One of the many businesses that have inhabited the remnant of the South High Carbarn.
Photo from the Rich Murphy Collection, Circa 1940.