The Elevator Restaurant

The OES visited the Elevator Brewery & Restaurant on August 7, 2004. Originally known as the Bott Brothers Buffet and Billiards, and later The Clock Restaurant, the Elevator Brewery & Restaurant is located on North High Street in Columbus. It is home to twelve handcrafted brews, two billiard tables from the 1800s, an excellent dining menu, and at least two legends. The first legend is the most well-known of the two. On a cold February night in 1909, an infamous womanizer named Col. Randolph Pritchard was at the Bott Brothers Saloon, as he often was. He was called into the street and was stabbed by a woman, who was presumably one that he had abused. Col. Pritchard stumbled back into the saloon and collapsed on the floor, bleeding to death. At the exact moment of his death, the large clock in front of the saloon stopped, marking 10:05. The only thing that was left of his killer was her fresh footprints in the snow. The clock stood for many years, stopped at 10:05 for eternity, or at least until it was replaced. The ghost of Col. Pritchard is said to roam the restaurant, but has been seen only on rare occasions. His killer, who is said to have frozen to death the night she killed him, is also said to make her presence known. Mysterious footprints have appeared in fresh snow where no one had yet walked. There have been several witnesses who have claimed to see the footprints appear right before their eyes. The lesser known legend of the Elevator Brewery & Restaurant involves the tunnel system that supposedly runs beneath Columbus. Numerous reports say that the Bott Brothers had access to these tunnels in their basement. We were able to gain access to the basement thanks to Dick Stevens. There appears to be three separate doorways that could have lead in to the tunnel system at one time, but they have all been cemented in. There is a possibility that we could one day drill through the concrete to see what is on the other side, but for now, it remains a mystery.

Location Information: Active Business

The Elevator is located at 161 North High Street in Columbus, Franklin County.

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