William B. Hubbard was the president of the Exchange Bank of Columbus from 1845 to 1852. He was also the president of the Mechanics’ Savings Institute (incorporated 1838) and on the Board of Trustees of Green Lawn Cemetery. Hubbard Avenue and the school were named after him.
I talked to Teresa Sadek, principal of Hubbard School. Whose decision to paint all the double doors and trim a plum color? She gave me some insight: the doors are of bright hues inside, as well. It was consensual. One hundred and ninety students brighten the halls, too, in grades Pre-K to Fifth. The building still has its original tin ceilings and hardwood floors. Ms. Sadek used to be principal of Medary School, another architectural highlight of Columbus.
She added two more notes of history. The records of Hubbard School are still intact, with students’ names, grade reports, and some exams they took, dating back to the origin of the school – an unburied time capsule. Also, she knows that there used to be an opening in the upstairs floor that enabled a teacher to look below into the downstairs hall. It has since been sealed due to safety issues.
The only change to the building has been an addition of a gym in the 1970’s. Ms. Sadek said that the recent renovation of the playground was accomplished through the generosity and cooperation of local businesses. Way to go, Short North!
The yellow-brick façade, with its arched-frame black windows above, looks smugly onto Hubbard Avenue. Above the double front peaks lies the imposing octagonal dome. What a landmark! I should like to be a child playing near its curved shape, and look up, and feel secure in its shadow. A child of say, the year 1900, for Hubbard School was built in 1892.
Christine Hayes
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