Ohio History Journal

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THE WORTHINGTON MEDICAL COLLEGE

THE WORTHINGTON MEDICAL COLLEGE

 

By JONATHAN FORMAN, M. D.

 

Those of you who drove in to this meeting may have noted,

as you approached Columbus, the remnants of our pioneer days

which still set forth clearly the identity of our original settlers.

Those of you who came from the west or southwest along high-

ways 3, 40, or 42, should have been impressed with the large

farms with the original masters' houses set way back from the

road, reminiscent of Virginia from where came the original set-

tlers. Those who came in from the east will have noted small

farms, the older houses smaller and of brick, the farming more

intensive--reminiscent of Pennsylvania. Those who came in from

the north certainly must have been struck with the appearance

of the village of Worthington just before you came into the cor-

poration limits of Columbus.

Worthington, with its village square around which are

grouped its churches with their tall spires, is a typical New Eng-

land village. This New England culture extends along the old

Urbana-Granville pike to that other New England village of Gran-

ville. If you had stopped to investigate you would have found

the house of New England Lodge No. 4, F. & A. M., chartered

October 19, 1803, which moved into this home on December 27,

1827. Just south of the square is the home of Corbin Under-

taking Establishment. This was the first brick building erected

in the town of Worthington. At first it was a tavern but in

1811 the Western Intelligencer, Worthington's first newspaper,

moved in. In 1818 this paper was moved to Columbus to become

finally our present Ohio State Journal. The original ash flooring

in the upstairs is still in use and parts of the stairs of the build-

ing are identical with that of its beginning. Farther down street,

towards Columbus, is the Central Hotel, the north portion of

which was built in 1833. There, too, is the St. John's Protestant

Episcopal Church which opened its doors on January 23, 1831.

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