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Char Bar -- secret tunnel(s)?

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Started 1 year ago by Lakee911
Latest reply from vestanpance

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Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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So, I went to Char Bar this weekend. I hadn't been there in a year or two. When I went to the restroom, I noticed the same old door that leads to what appears to be a room underneith high street.

I also noticed a window down there (that I had somehow missed before). Using the flashlight on my phone, I shined it into the window and I could see part of an arch and the enterance of some sort of tunnel. What's the scoop here?

A little googling reported that there are many tunnels under High St and that it connected to the former train station.

Anyone know anything or maybe been down there?

Jason

Posted 1 year ago #
alexs
Limestone bluffs of the Scioto
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That's the old original High Street level, at the same level as the rail lines. Back in the day traffic had to wait for trains until they put High Street on a viaduct over the tracks. It has come up in threads here before, but I don't remember the titles.

Try using the board's search function for the term "tunnel".

Posted 1 year ago #
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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I did a bit of searching, but nothing really jumped out at me. I guess High St does start to ramp up there, and the grade level out back is on the second story...intersting. I'd still love to see what's down there. Are there still tracks?

Posted 1 year ago #
alexs
Limestone bluffs of the Scioto
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Trains still run under High Street. There are ways to get under there, like that door you found, but I don't know how many access points there are, or how far you can go in any direction.

Someone will see this thread title and chime in, a few tunnel explorers have posted here before.

Posted 1 year ago #
cyclist II
Short North & Peach District
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Lakee911 wrote >>
I did a bit of searching, but nothing really jumped out at me. I guess High St does start to ramp up there, and the grade level out back is on the second story...intersting. I'd still love to see what's down there. Are there still tracks?

yes, very active tracks. Convention Center drive and a bike path go through there, and its entirely visible from the Front St bridge. Just a lot of mud there now from the hotel construction.

Posted 1 year ago #
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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Link

I think that is the building from Convention Center Drive. There is a lot of space still underground there between the road and the building. It doesn't appear to be accessible from Convention Center Drive that I can find.

Posted 1 year ago #
alexs
Limestone bluffs of the Scioto
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I still remember something on this subject from a history book from my elementary school days - a totally fabricated exchange that went something like:

"We need a viaduct over these tracks," one citizen said.
"What's a viaduct?" asked another citizen...

Posted 1 year ago #
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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Still doesn't help much. From Dec '10 apparently.

alexs wrote >>
I still remember something on this subject from a history book from my elementary school days - a totally fabricated exchange that went something like:

"We need a viaduct over these tracks," one citizen said.
"What's a viaduct?" asked another citizen...

It's a funny word that seems almost redundant in itself.... ;)

Posted 1 year ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
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Lakee911 wrote >>
It's a funny word that seems almost redundant in itself.... ;)

Latin root words often sound funky in Germanic-ish English. I Love 'em.

Posted 1 year ago #
awd86ed

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This is interesting. Anyone into urban exploration? Is there much to explore in colubus you think?

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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I took this photo of the Hilton construction and you can see how the Char Bar building has a lower level connected to the level below the current day street, with the "second floor" being the main entrance today:

Posted 1 year ago #
alexs
Limestone bluffs of the Scioto
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Imagine trying to get through there in the old days. Besides trains passing through, there would be trains stopping, shunting, etc. Man, there must have been accidents. Meanwhile the horses crap and whiz while they're waiting, so add those aromas to all the coal smoke.

"We didn't have to put up with this bullshit in the canal boat days," one citizen said.

Posted 1 year ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
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alexs wrote >>

"We didn't have to put up with this bullshit in the canal boat days," one citizen said.

Quote of the week.

In fact, I'm going to start using that. Frequently.

edit: crap... the more I think about it the more I am starting to think that we ARE putting up with a lot of the same bullshit we put up with in the canal boat days.

Posted 1 year ago #
Sethgc

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Noticed that tunnel years ago when we were down there trying to play the piano ;) I was actually in there a coupla weeks ago and moved that piece out of the way so people could see the tunnel through the glass. It doesn't look like it heads anywhere, but it'd be cool to poke around for sure.

Posted 1 year ago #
ohio4life
Victorian Village
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When you walk into Char Bar from the front entrance, look to your left and you will see a Dispatch article mounted on the wall about the viaduct and Char Bar's access to it. They have had people break the door open and go in without permission. I guess they had to threaten one group with being locked in before they would leave.

Posted 1 year ago #
alexs
Limestone bluffs of the Scioto
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I wonder about all the 1950s - 1960s atomic bomb shelters that were designed into public buildings constructed in those years.

How many buildings have mysterious locked blast-proof doors and no one has the keys to go get the half-century-old peanut butter and crackers that would fetch a fortune on Ebay...

Posted 1 year ago #
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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ohio4life wrote >>
When you walk into Char Bar from the front entrance, look to your left and you will see a Dispatch article mounted on the wall about the viaduct and Char Bar's access to it. They have had people break the door open and go in without permission. I guess they had to threaten one group with being locked in before they would leave.

Oh ya? Never saw that either ... apparently it is so packed in there or I have had a few too many long island ice teas to notice anything. lol I'll have to read that next time I'm in.

Sethgc wrote >>
Noticed that tunnel years ago when we were down there trying to play the piano ;) I was actually in there a coupla weeks ago and moved that piece out of the way so people could see the tunnel through the glass. It doesn't look like it heads anywhere, but it'd be cool to poke around for sure.

I'd love to poke around there. Maybe one day the Owner would open it up and take some pics at least...

Walker wrote >>
I took this photo of the Hilton construction and you can see how the Char Bar building has a lower level connected to the level below the current day street, with the "second floor" being the main entrance today: [pic removed]

The other thing is, that "basement" is so cruddy, I couldn't imagine anyone using that as the first floor to their bar/restaurant/shop.

Also, the pic shows a smooth wall on the lower level of the building. Inside looks like a stone foundation, if I remember correctly. Seems to be holding up pretty well too. I wonder if they poured a new wall or reinforced the existing foundation there or something.

Posted 1 year ago #
ColumbusTime

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awd86ed wrote >>
This is interesting. Anyone into urban exploration? Is there much to explore in colubus you think?

Don't remember seeing anything about this tunnel, but there are some places in Columbus here:

http://www.ohioexploration.com/

Including this, behind Tim Horton's near Clintonville:
http://www.ohioexploration.com/bloodgates.htm

Posted 1 year ago #
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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According to the Auditor, the CharBar building was built in 1900--but that might just be as far back as the building goes. It's been in the same two families since then too. Not too much turn over.

Posted 1 year ago #
GCrites80s
5xNW
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It's older than 1900; 1900's just the year they use when they don't know what year it actually was.

The reason the basement is like that is that it's been over 100 years since the basement was at grade with the road. The viaduct was construed by 1897.

Posted 1 year ago #