Julian and Kokenge Co.

National Register Description

The following text is courtesy of the National Register of Historic Places, a program of the National Parks Service. Minor transcription errors or changes in formatting may have occurred; please see the Nomination Form for official text. Some information may have become outdated since the property was nominated for the Register.

Julian and Kokenge Co. is significant under Criterion A at the local level in the area of industry for its association with Julian and Kokenge Co., a prominent shoe manufacturing company headquartered in the building during the historic period. Founded in Cincinnati by future United States Treasurer William A. Julian in 1893, the company would steadily grow into one of the largest manufacturers of women's shoes in the nation, and a significant contributor to the United States shoe industry. In 1932, the company consolidated its operations and relocated its headquarters to the Columbus factory at Front and Main Streets, where it constructed a large addition. The publically owned company would continue to grow and expand in the decades that followed, including acquiring and absorbing additional manufacturers in other states and establishing a national reputation for its products and business. The company's primary leaders during this period, Herbert N. Lape Sr. and his son Herbert Lape Jr., were both prominent national figures in the shoe industry as well as respected Columbus citizens. Julian and Kokenge Co. clearly represented an important industrial concern in Columbus during the historic period. The company remained headquartered at its Columbus plant until its demise in 1975, when it most likely fell victim to a massive industry shift toward foreign production. As its headquarters for over 40 years during a time of significant growth, the former Julian and Kokenge Co. factory in Columbus is the building most closely associated with the company and the only building with any such associations known to remain.