Hilltop, Columbus, Ohio

Hilltop is a geographic area of Columbus, Ohio on the west side of the city. It was so named because it sits atop a rise that slopes down into the Scioto River. Highland Village, Wilshire Heights and Westgate are included within the Greater Hilltop area. It borders on Franklinton. The "Greater Hilltop Area" (as defined by the City of Columbus) is bounded by I-70 on the north, I-270 on the south and west, and the railroad track just west of Harrisburg Pike/Central Avenue/3C. The Hilltop includes part or all of ZIP Code 43204, ZIP Code 43223, ZIP Code 43228 and ZIP Code 43123. Its main thoroughfares are West Broad Street (U.S. Route 40) -- upon which two welcome signs for the neighborhood sit (one near I-70 and one near Wilson Road) -- Mound Street and Hague Avenue.

History

The Hilltop was originally known as Sullivant's Hill, and was slowly sold to other owners by the Sullivant family who had originally settled there after family patriarch Lucas Sullivant was given the land for his service to the federal government as a surveyor near the end of the 18th century. Sullivant Avenue is now a major road in the area. Hilltop was once the site of the Columbus State Hospital for the Insane. Groundbreaking for the massive, Victorian structure was presided over by then-governor Rutherford B. Hayes in 1870; construction took an additional seven years to complete. The hospital remained in service until the late 1980s, despite falling into severe disrepair. It was demolished in 1997 and new Ohio Department of Transportation and Ohio Department of Public Safety facilities were built near its former location. Four patient cemeteries of the Columbus State Hospital still exist in Hilltop.

Community

It is in Precinct 10 and 19 of the Columbus Division of Police. The area is home to some of the most active block watch groups in the state.Facts|date=February 2007 These groups meet regularly, often have area clean ups, participate in community action groups, and coordinate other area events. Facts|date=February 2007 One of the most active blockwatch groups in the Hilltop is the Camp Chase Blockwatch. [ ["http://campchaseblockwatch.com/"] Camp Chase Blockwatch]

Notable people from Hilltop

*Dan Stewart
*Jesse Owens
*Michael Redd
*Jack Sensenbrenner
*Nancy Wilson (singer)
*Columbus City Council President Michael C. Mentel

External links

* [http://www.forgottenoh.com/Asylum/asylumcemetery.html Forgotten Ohio: The Columbus Mental Hospital Cemeteries] . Includes pictures and history of State Hospital for the Insane, as well as surviving cemeteries.

References

Other references

* www.nbc4i.com
* 10TV: Crime Tracker 10
* The Columbus Dispatch
* www.10tv.com
* http://www.highlandvillagesociety.com
* http://www.theghac.com
* http://www.friendsofthehilltop.com
* http://www.hilltopbusinessassociation.org
* http://www.wilshireheightsohio.org