Southwood Elementary School

The original eight-room Southwood Elementary School was built in 1894 for $16,000 on this site which was purchased from a local family for $3,000.
Southwood Elementary originally had only 5 teachers, resulting in a teacher-pupil ratio of 50-1. Mary Esper was the school's first principal and German language instructor, staying until her retirement in 1923. At Southwood, children attended grades one through eight, and enjoyed special biweekly classes in carpentry and cooking. The school had its first graduation ceremony in 1896, with 6 boys and 7 girls promoted to high school.
By 1912, the school had grown to 17 rooms with 16 teachers and 735 students. A Parent Teacher Association (PTA) was formed in 1917 to raise money for school supplies and equipment, food and clothing for needy Great Depression families, trees for the school grounds, cookies and candies for service men in World War II, scholarships and a new library.
Southwood Elementary School, designed by Columbus Public Schools first architect David Riebel, is noted for its Romanesque Revival architectural style. A fine example of intricate decoration achieved with brick, the building was placed on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties.
In the 1990s, a joint venture of community members, the City of Columbus and Southwood Elementary School resulted in a major investment toward improving the grounds and landscape around the school, with community funds used for playground expansion and equipment.
Southwood Elementary School later underwent a major renovation and expansion which was completed in 2009. Southwood’s historical marker was sponsored in 2009 by the Merion Village Association, the United Way of Central Ohio, the Columbus Foundation, and the Ohio Historical Society. In the renovation, an original slate chalk board with an elaborate drawing was found intact and preserved.