A 1900 American Foursquare at 123 E. Deshler Ave., sitting directly across from Schiller Park in German Village, has hit the market for $2.695 million. The four-bedroom home spans 4,649 square feet across three stories and includes six working fireplaces, a private pool with an architectural fountain, and a three-car climate-controlled garage — a rarity in the historic neighborhood.
The listing went up at the beginning of October, according to NBC4 WCMH-TV, which reported the home is being marketed by listing agent Edward Searle of Cutler Real Estate. Searle told the station the home has one of the best views in the area because it faces the Schiller Park pond. That park-front positioning places the home at the very top of German Village's current housing market, where 29 listed properties span $224,900 to $3,150,000 with a median asking price of $714,900, according to Blacktree Realty data.
At $2.695 million for 4,649 square feet, the asking price works out to roughly $579.69 per square foot, per Cutler Real Estate's listing via Central Ohio Regional MLS.
Inside the Renovated Foursquare
The home's exterior reflects its American Foursquare style, with brick construction, an expansive front porch, landscaped grounds, mature trees and sculpted boxwoods, the NBC4 WCMH-TV report notes. Inside, hardwood floors and abundant natural light run through a living room, dining room, great room, den, loft and bonus room, plus a partially finished basement and finished third floor. The home has two and a half bathrooms.
A renovated primary suite features cathedral ceilings, an updated bathroom, generous closet space and an upper-level laundry area, per the station's report. The home also features a glass art installation by Seattle-based artist Jen Elek, which Searle said can be added to the sale.
Out back, the property includes a soaking pool, fountain, pergola and multiple bluestone patios set within a tree-lined private garden, complete with an irrigation system and architectural lighting. The property also includes a three-car garage.
Schiller Park's Long History Across the Street
The park the home overlooks is no ordinary green space. Schiller Park is a 23.6-acre public park that the City of Columbus purchased for $15,000, making it the city's second-oldest municipal park after Goodale Park, according to the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. The land was originally known as Stewart's Grove before the city's acquisition.
Originally named City Park, it was officially renamed in 1905 after German poet Friedrich von Schiller. The park was temporarily renamed Washington Park in 1918 amid anti-German sentiment tied to World War I, before its original name was reinstated in 1930, according to the Friends of Schiller Park.
A Neighborhood Built on Strict Preservation Rules
German Village's 233-acre historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in December 1974, a designation recognizing its national architectural significance as a preserved 19th-century residential neighborhood, per the National Park Service. That status came with lasting consequences for homeowners: any exterior renovations or alterations in the district require a Certificate of Appropriateness from the German Village Commission, a seven-member mayoral-appointed board established by city ordinance in 1960, according to the City of Columbus.
Zoning has played an equally protective role. In 1972, the German Village Society successfully lobbied the city to rezone the neighborhood to R-2F, limiting residential development to single- and two-family structures and blocking high-density commercial expansion. The rules help explain why streets like East Deshler Avenue have kept their low-density, historic character even as individual homes command seven-figure prices.
The Deshler Avenue home was built in 1900 in the American Foursquare style.
Where the Listing Fits in Central Ohio's Market
The Deshler Avenue listing stands out less for its price alone than for what it represents: a fully renovated historic home operating within one of the region's most tightly regulated preservation districts, directly facing Schiller Park.
