In the 1800s, Reverend James Preston Poindexter was a venerable leader for the African American community in and around Columbus. His dedication to social causes created a solid foundation for future generations.

Reita Smith, a local historian, founding chair of the James Preston Poindexter Foundation, and long-time resident of Upper Arlington, will share with us…

• The story of Rev. Poindexter, a conductor on the Underground Railroad, the first Black member of Columbus City Council, and the first Black member of the Columbus Board of Education. 

• Poindexter’s important connection to Pleasant Litchford, a blacksmith by trade and a formerly enslaved man who migrated around 1830 from Virginia to this area, purchasing 227 acres of land in what is now Upper Arlington. 

• Her own connection to this history, both through her ancestry and through her time living and raising children in what was one of the first New Deal public projects of its time, Columbus’ Poindexter Village. 

• Her decade-long dedication to saving two Poindexter Village buildings which will become a museum and cultural center dedicated to preserving the history of Poindexter and the Black community of Central Ohio.

The Sells Bros. Circus (1870s-early 1900s) wintered just southeast of today’s Upper Arlington. Bill Moose, buried in UA’s Wyandot Park and recognized as the last full-blooded Wyandot in this region, appeared in their show for nine years.

Fred Pfening’s interest in things sawdust began at age five when he rode an elephant in his father’s circus. Since then, he has written over 50 articles on the history of the circus, has appeared on numerous documentaries, and given presentations at many conferences. He is a former president of the Circus Historical Society and at one time edited its journal Bandwagon. He is currently on the board of directors of the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida.

He has extensively studied the history of the Sells Bros. Circus that was headquartered in the Grandview area from the 1870s until 1907. The Sells brothers had one of the most important traveling railroad circuses from the late 1870s to the early 1900s.  He will share his knowledge about the colorful history of this local amusement institution.

In real life Pfening is a life-long resident of Upper Arlington. He is the retired president of a family business that engineers and manufacturers ingredient conveying equipment for the wholesale bakery industry. He characterizes his fascinating with the circus as “a hobby that got out of hand.”

The society annual meeting presents: why preservation? — June 7, 2023

Susan Keeny, Preservation Director, Columbus Landmarks

What are the important architectural features of older homes? How do they enhance the character and style of your historic home?

This program looks at why taking a preservation approach is important not only for our homes, but also for our neighborhoods. Highlights of local architecture, resources for homeowners, and a lively question/answer session will round out this informative evening.

Columbus Landmarks was founded 45 years ago with a mission "to preserve Columbus landmarks and neighborhoods through advocacy, education, and investment, and to promote design that inspires and endures." We are fully committed to equity, sustainable growth, and design excellence for all.

A History of Tremont Center’ s Neighborhood Grocers — September 17, 2023

Dan Tarpy, Tarpy’s Market
Tim Huffman, Huffman’s Market
Rob Littleton, Littleton’s Market

Upper Arlington has a rich history of namesake local grocery stores emphasizing personalized service. As we highly anticipate the opening of Littleton’s at Tremont Center, we honor the beloved markets that once occupied that retail space — Tarpy’s Market and Huffman’s Market.

Tarpy’s was one of the first Tremont Center tenants in the early 1950s, moving from their original Mallway location. Our featured presenter, Dan Tarpy, worked closely with his father, Tom, a master of developing competitive advantages to benefit his customers. Dan will walk us through the forty years of changes, expansions, and “firsts” that are part of Tarpy’s legacy.

Huffman’s is a more recent community mainstay, with Tim Huffman at its helm until selling the market in 2018. Tim will expound on his years of owning the business and its community impact.

Rob Littleton looks to the future, bringing insight as to the hopes and goals for this new generation of market. Attendees will get a special tour of Littleton’s and all it has to offer.

The Newark Earthworks: One of the World’s Ancient Wonders — OCTOBER 11, 2023

Brad Lepper, Senior Archaeologist for the Ohio History Connection’s World Heritage Program.

The Newark Earthworks are the largest set of geometric enclosures and mounds in the world. The work of the Hopewell people who lived in Ohio circa A.D. 1-  400, these geometric earthworks covered nearly five square miles, using more than seven million cubic feet of earth. Why did the Hopewell build such monumental works? Were they prehistoric forts or ancient American cathedrals?

From ohiohistory.org: “The Newark Earthworks (are in consideration to be) part of Ohio’s first World Heritage site (and so close to Upper Arlington!). The site is one of seven Ohio sites in a serial nomination of Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks. In addition to Newark Earthworks, the sites are Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve and five sites that make up Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Chillicothe.” The designation will hopefully be communicated by the time of this event.