Boutique hotel inside the 1882 Carr Building — a 19th-century warehouse in Columbus's old wholesaling district converted to 44 unique guest rooms in 1998, with a white-haired Victorian woman reported in its corridors.
55 E Nationwide Boulevard, Columbus, OH 43215
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
Standard boutique hotel rates; check booking sites for current pricing.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Modern hotel conversion of historic warehouse
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1882 · 1882 Columbus Transfer Company Warehouse · Carr Plumbing Supply (1936-1979) · Adaptive Reuse to Boutique Hotel (1998) · Arena District Heritage Building
The Carr Building was completed in 1882 on what is now East Nationwide Boulevard in the north end of downtown Columbus. The area was the city's transportation and wholesaling center in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the Carr Building is one of the best-preserved warehouse-era structures remaining from that period.
For its first half-century the building housed the Columbus Transfer Company (1882-1932). After a brief vacancy it was acquired by Carr Plumbing Supply, which operated there from 1936 to 1979. The building gives the present hotel its name.
The property was redeveloped and converted to a boutique hotel in 1998 by The Lofts Hotel ownership group, opening with 44 unique rooms that preserved exposed brick walls, original wood beams, and exposed ductwork from the warehouse era. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Lofts is located in what is now the Arena District, immediately south of Nationwide Arena and within walking distance of the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Sources
According to America's Haunted Roadtrip and Haunted Rooms America, the principal entity at The Lofts is a Victorian-era woman — described as white-haired and dressed in period clothing — seen most frequently in the lobby stairwell. Some regional sources note her resemblance to a woman pictured in an 1896 photograph of the building (taken during the Columbus Transfer Company era) that hangs on display on the second floor.
A secondary report describes a blonde woman who appears entering the elevator around 4 a.m. and fades as the doors close. There is also a story that clocks throughout the hotel change time without explanation, and that staff have heard murmuring voices in unoccupied rooms.
These accounts are sourced from regional paranormal-lifestyle press and from Columbus Monthly's 2014 'Ghost stories' feature. The hotel does not commercially program paranormal investigations.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Book a room at the 44-room boutique hotel inside the 1882 Carr Building. Exposed brick, wood beams, and exposed ductwork carry over from the warehouse era. Guests and staff have reported encountering a white-haired woman in Victorian dress in the hallways and lobby stairwell.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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