An Adult and Group of Children Walking on Andover Street, 1950s

Pictured in this color photograph are eight elementary-school-aged children walking, followed by an adult woman. They are walking south on Andover Street, approximately 150 feet north of Park Boulevard, in the Colonial Hills neighborhood. The white house visible in the background at the upper righthand corner of the photo is the home at 424 Colonial Avenue.

Part of the land that would eventually become Colonial Hills was initially platted in 1927, but the Great Depression halted plans for further development. According to the book "Worthington Neighborhoods" by Jennie McCormick, the first home to be built was 36 E. Southington, which opened in February 1940 as a model home. On December 4, 1941, three days before Pearl Harbor, "The Worthington News" described a plan for 225 new homes in the neighborhood. Housing demand for workers at Columbus's Curtiss Wright aviation plant drove the construction of homes in the neighborhood, which was developed by the Defense Homes Corporation as an agent of the federal government. Following World War II, these homes were sold to their renter occupants or to veterans returning home. Like other neighborhoods in Worthington, homes in Colonial Hills had deed restrictions limiting residence to white people.

By 1954, the population of Colonial Hills was over 3000, eclipsing that of the Village of Worthington at over 2000. Residents of Colonial Hills had sought annexation to Worthington, which many Worthington residents resisted. Worthington Village Council issued an acceptance ordinance annexing the neighborhood on June 14, 1954, but the issue went to voters by means of a referendum petition. On November 2, 1954, Worthington voters approved annexation with a vote of 76 percent for and 24 percent against. Annexation of the neighborhood brought the total population of Worthington to over 5000, giving it enough residents to officially become a city.