Codger’s Closest Relative Removed From Otterbein Cemetery - East College Closed Friday - Middlefield Bank Canopy Set For Removal
The elm, estimated to be more than 200 years old, was considered dangerous because of its age and previous storm damage
The nearly 400-year-old white oak known as Codger, believed to be Westerville’s oldest tree, stood for centuries as a landmark in Otterbein Cemetery before falling in a June storm. On Thursday, its closest relative met a similar fate when arborists removed the elm beside it after the city determined the aging, storm-damaged tree posed a danger.
The elm stood immediately east of Codger and was estimated by the crew leader to be slightly more than 200 years old. Codger fell June 8 when storm winds swept through Westerville and was removed the next day, with its largest sections placed in storage for possible future use.
Removal began early in the morning as arborists cut away the tree’s limbs and trunk. By midafternoon, the tree was gone, and all that remained was the stump, which a grinder reduced to mulch.
Although younger than Codger, the elm had grown beside the white oak for generations. Together, the two trees towered over the headstones and cemetery roads as Westerville developed around them.
Codger had become a familiar landmark and a source of comfort for generations of cemetery visitors. Residents gathered at the site Sunday evening, June 28, to share personal stories, music and reflections about the tree. One speaker described the oak as a close friend, while others recalled the quiet companionship it offered during visits to the cemetery.
As the ceremony ended, those attending were encouraged to remember the remarkable trees in their own lives and offer a personal farewell to Codger.
The elm never received the same attention or affectionate nickname as its older neighbor. But its removal leaves another opening in the Otterbein Cemetery canopy and ends the long relationship between two trees that stood within steps of each other for more than two centuries.
A Columbia Gas crew searches for older gas line connections at East College Avenue and Vine Street ahead of paving scheduled for Friday. East College Avenue from State to Summit will be closed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the work.
Old Bank Drive-Through Coming Down as Uptown Lot Renovation Planned
Removal of the canopy Monday will make room for additional future parking and a simpler, single-lane traffic pattern behind the city-owned former Middlefield Bank.
The drive-through canopy behind the former Middlefield Bank in Uptown Westerville is scheduled for demolition Monday, beginning the first visible changes to the city-owned property.
After the overhang is removed, the rear lot will be renovated next year to provide additional parking and replace the two former drive-through lanes with a single traffic lane.
The canopy has been partially damaged since September 2025, when a rented box truck struck the low-clearance structure. No injuries were reported in the crash.
Its removal also closes a chapter in the property’s long history as a banking center.
The Bank of Westerville built the original building at the site in 1911. After the bank failed during the Depression in November 1931, local businessmen organized Citizens Bank, which opened there in April 1932. The property was expanded and modernized in 1951, when a two-story addition and a drive-in banking window were added.
Middlefield Bank eventually operated the branch after acquiring Emerald Bank. It announced plans in 2024 to move from Uptown following its acquisition of Liberty National Bank, which also operated a Westerville branch at Cleveland Avenue and West Main Street.
Westerville City Council approved an exchange in which Middlefield transferred the Uptown property to the city and received about one acre of city-owned land in Westar. The properties in the no-cash transaction were valued at $1.45 million.
Middlefield constructed a new banking center at 450 Altair Parkway, with the land-swap agreement finalized in April 2025. The branch opened that October, completing the city’s acquisition of the Uptown building.
When the new branch opened, Westerville Economic Development Director Rachel Ray said the former bank property could become a new business or amenity that adds to Uptown’s activity. The city has not publicly announced a buyer or a final long-term use for the building.
Westerville has previously transferred city-owned Uptown buildings for private redevelopment. The former post office and police detective bureau at 28 S. State St., for example, was sold through a partnership with a developer and reopened in 2024 as High Bank Distillery. City officials have also said they will explore sale and redevelopment opportunities for municipal property at 64 E. Walnut St. after city departments move into the renovated City Hall.
For now, the work behind the former bank is focused on removing the damaged canopy and reshaping a lot designed for an earlier era of banking into additional Uptown parking.
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