Perhaps more than in any other neighborhood in Columbus, German Village's unique physical environment creates a special sense of place. In addition to its architecture, the following factors help define the area's distinctive character: closely spaced buildings with small or nonexistent front yards; extensive use of brick for buildings, streets, and sidewalks; wrought iron fences; neighborhood commercial buildings interspersed among the residential buildings; and attractive landscaped areas ranging from intimate private gardens to the grand scale of Schiller Park. Each of these factors contributes uniquely to the Village's pedestrian scale and urban character.

German Village buildings generally represent the vernacular architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although not unique to the Village, this architecture does not rely on styles or trends. It tends to be conservative, simple, and has little ornamentation. Such buildings are typical of the working-class neighborhood German Village once was. This chapter illustrates some of the most distinctive of the Village's architectural styles. Not all buildings in the neighborhood fall into one of these categories. Although many older sections in Columbus have similar buildings, the combination and interpretation of these building forms makes the Village area unique.

Story-and-a-Half Brick Cottages
With gable rooflines, story-and-a-half brick cottages are the earliest German Village building form, dating from 1840 to 1870. The Village has many examples of both single and double cottages. Typically, these houses are oriented with their gable ends facing the street. Other common features include a raised limestone foundation, windows with either six-over-six or two-over-two double-hung sashes, entrances with transoms, limestone stoops, either brick segmental arched openings or limestone sills and plain lintels, and slate-shingled roofs.

Story-and-a-Half Frame Cottages
Sharing many features with brick cottages, story-and-a-half frame cottages are less common. They have shaped window and door architraves (moldings) and generally taller, more vertical proportions.

Italianate Vernacular Houses
Very popular between 1860 and 1890, Italianate houses have two or two-and-a-half stories. Common features of this style are an irregular plan or L shape; two-over-two double hung sash, sometimes with round or segmental arches; carved and shaped stone lintels and sills; shallow-pitched hipped rooflines; bracketed cornices; entrances with transoms; and decorative front porches. Most Italianate houses are brick on raised limestone foundations; a few are frame houses. Builders also adapted this style for double residences.

High Style Queen Anne Houses
The Queen Anne style was popular during the 1880 - 1900 period. Brick high style Queen Anne homes have two-and-a-half stories, irregular massing, multiple rooflines, a variety of window shapes and sizes, different siding materials, stained and leaded glass, turrets and towers, tall decorative chimneys, multiple porches, and flamboyant decorative detail.

Vernacular Queen Anne Houses
More common are brick vernacular Queen Anne-influenced houses. Frequently borrowed features include an L-shaped plan, a steeply-pitched hipped roofline with a cross-gable facing the street, a large round-arched window with decorative brick trim on the first floor and one-over-one sash elsewhere, and a porch and entrance located within the ell.

Bungalows
Early 20th century development introduced bungalows to the area. Frame bungalows have one-and-a-half stories, steeply-pitched rooflines, broad overhanging eaves, and large front porches. Bungalows are rare in the Village.

Rowhouses
Although not common, these brick apartment buildings house more than two families. Generally they date from 1890 to 1910, are fairly plain in design, and have no front yards as they border the sidewalk. Buildings dating from the early 20th century are the simplest with one-over-one sash windows and little decorative detailing.

American Four-Square Houses
Another early 20th century innovation was the four-square house. The brick four-square is a simple vernacular two-story house with a hipped or gable roofline and a porch across the front.

Outbuildings
The Village's historic outbuildings include carriage houses, early 20th century garages, and storage and work sheds. Frequently relating architecturally to their brick or frame houses, they are usually in back yards or along alleys. Outbuildings represent the evolution of German Village and contribute to its visual variety.

Commercial Buildings
Commercial buildings are an important aspect of German Village architecture. The majority have two or three stories; they are brick, free-standing, and Italianate in style. Large display windows, separated by limestone piers, are typical of commercial storefronts. The upper floors are residential. Frequently larger than neighboring residential structures, commercial buildings have features such as upper floor windows with stone sills and carved lintels that integrate them into the residential streetscape. Projecting cornices are one of the elements distinguishing commercial from residential buildings; many are quite ornamental. Cornices are generally made of painted wood or sheet metal.