Lincoln Lodge was iconic suburban destination

Lincoln Lodge opened in 1956 on the National Road at 4950 W. Broad St. in Prairie Township. The motor lodge was considered Columbus’ first suburban hotel, and it was once a vibrant destination in the far western part of Franklin County. 

A subsidiary of Nationwide Insurance had created the Lincoln Village neighborhood in the area, designed as a “model city” development with affordable housing. The planned community was designed to be like a small, independent city with residences and businesses, and was featured in national magazines.  

The Colonial-themed lodge opened as part of Lincoln Village a few years after the homes were built. It had 135 rooms and often hosted the college football teams coming to Columbus to play against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Celebrities stayed there, too. 

The lodge had a resort or country club feel for its time, with destination dining, dancing, a nine-hole golf course, ice skating on a pond, and a popular outdoor pool, remembered for its winter rubber bubble cover, which kept the water warm and was “something to write home about,” according to The Dispatch in 1961. 

Family pool memberships were offered to Lincoln Village residents. 

A 1962 menu shows its coffee shop offering an eclectic mix, including a New York strip steak meal, lobster tails, five flavors of pancakes, corned beef and turkey sandwiches, hot fudge sundaes and cocktails. The lodge’s seafood buffet was a popular draw for years. 

Patronage declined after freeways became the preferred travel routes for out-of-towners, instead of West Broad Street. The lodge closed temporarily in 1982 and for good in 1990. For years it sat idle. In 1997, part of the site was redeveloped and opened as an assisted living facility. 

In 2013, National Church Residences purchased the facility and continues to operate it as a senior community with the familiar name of Lincoln Village.  

Contributor Linda Deitch was a Dispatch librarian for 25 years. 

PHOTO CAPTIONS: 

I have included five art options. 

Hoping you can include the Easter Day menu ad from 1972 in print and online, since the column is running on April 17, which is Easter Day this year.