The Old West End (population 7,200) is a historic neighborhood in Toledo, Ohio, located minutes northwest of the downtown commercial district. It boasts what is considered to be the largest remaining collection of late Victorian and Edwardian architecture in the country.
Once home to the Ottawa Indians, the land was developed throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries using a variety of architectural styles including Second Empire, Queen Anne, Stick, Shingle, Richardsonian Romanesque, and Folk Victorian, as well as Arts & Crafts, Neo-Classical and Italian Renaissance. Most of the construction took place between 1875 and 1915.
Housing Toledo’s most wealthy and successful residents, many of the homes are mansions. They are often three stories high and typically include such amenities as hardwood floors, stained-glass windows, ornate woodwork, and large fireplaces.
The Old West End Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and the boundaries of the district were enlarged in 1984.
The Glass Pavilion Center for Glass, part of the Toledo Museum of Art, is located in the Old West End. Toledo has a long history of glass manufacturing, and the pavilion features gallery space and glassmaking studios.
Each year, the Historic Old West End Festival features house tours of Victorian homes, a parade, art fair, and neighborhood-wide yard sales. Tours de Noel, held the first Sunday in December, give visitors a peek at this historic neighborhood decked in holiday finery.
Designated a Preserve America Community in November 2008.