Historic Spaghetti Warehouse trolley to become learning center honoring Granville T. Woods
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Two months after its dramatic extrication from the old Spaghetti Warehouse building, the historic red trolley that once housed the restaurant's special dining area is waiting for the next phase in its more than 100-year existence.
In February, the iconic trolley was removed from the former 1800s ice house-turned-eatery at 397 W. Broad St. in Franklinton before the building was demolished due to safety concerns related to a roof collapse. According to Michael Aaron, Executive Director of the Rickenbacker Woods Foundation, which organized the removal and storage, the streetcar will eventually be used as a learning tool honoring central Ohio transportation inventor Granville T. Woods. See the story about the trolley's removal in the player above.
RWF is now raising funds to transform the trolley, which will be placed on the grounds of the foundation's headquarters, the boyhood home of World War I fighter pilot Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker. Located at 1334 E. Livingston Ave. in Columbus, the Rickenbacker house is a registered National Historic Landmark. The trolley's addition to the RWF campus will go beyond sustaining its nostalgia for former Spaghetti Warehouse diners by adding an inspiring, interactive exhibit and classroom featuring Woods's life and inventions as the “Granville T. Woods Institute.”
According to historian and RWF board member Doreen Uhas Sauer, Woods was born in Columbus in the mid-1800s and made his mark on railroad and trolley systems with electrical patents during the Industrial Revolution. Woods, described as “one of America’s greatest unsung Black inventors,” is responsible for the 1893 patent for the third rail that powers streetcars and subways to this day.
“We didn’t only save a trolley — we’re giving it a second life as a place where history lives and young people dream,” said Aaron. “The Granville T. Woods Legacy Exhibit will connect students to one of the most brilliant inventors of the 19th century and remind them that innovation and greatness can come from their own city, their own community, and maybe even their own story.”
Currently, RWF is working with the Columbus Foundation to make public donations go even further.
“The Columbus Foundation gave us a powerful boost with a $10,000 contribution — and now we’re asking the community to match that generosity with their own,” said trolley restoration fundraising chair Maryellen O'Shaughnessy. “Every dollar donated in April is matched. It’s a chance for everyday people to be part of something lasting: The transformation of a Columbus icon into a space that teaches, inspires, and honors legacy.”
Additionally, supporters of the effort will be able to show others their patronage with a wearable keepsake. Trolley lapel pins will be available as a thank-you gift for donors.
“This isn’t just a commemorative pin — it’s a symbol of what we’ve saved and what we’re building together,” said Aaron. “For so many people, the Spaghetti Warehouse trolley holds memories. We wanted to honor that legacy with something people could wear and be proud of.”