The origins of the neighborhood date back to the 19th century when freed and escaped slaves from across the Confederate South began to settle in Columbus. Originally settled more southward by the Scioto River, many Black families moved eastward in search of employment in domestic service work and industrial factories. Over the course of the next century, the community expanded to the boundaries of the current day district. The Black population grew as a result of the Great Migration after World War I, restrictive housing covenants in other areas, and White flight, leading Bronzeville to become the most populated African American neighborhood of the city.[3]

By the 1930s, the neighborhood had become a self-sustaining community centered on Black businesses, services, and life. Bronzeville developed into an active entertainment district with four theaters (Lincoln, Empress, Cameo, and Pythian), and multiple jazz establishments. As the community developed, it grew to provide its own hospitals, schools, churches, and commercial establishments. The district would later serve as a congregational site for many civil rights activists in the 1950s and 1960s, including Martin Luther King Jr.

Having remained a self-sustained community for nearly half a century, Bronzeville started to decline in 1962 with the construction of I-71. The highway segmented the district and now serves as the westernmost boundary of the district. Additionally, the lifting of many housing covenants and restrictions encouraged many middle and upper class Black families to leave the district and move to the suburbs of Columbus. Many business owners left the district and it quickly developed into a neighborhood ridden by unemployment, poverty, and crime.

In partnership with community organizations and associations, the City of Columbus initiated the King-Lincoln District Plan in 2001, a comprehensive revitalization plan aimed at improving the economic well-being and quality of life in the district. The plan was responsible for the renovation of the King Arts Complex (formerly Pythian Theatre), the Long Street bridge, and businesses in the district. The neighborhood has become a focus of the city's revitalization efforts which include renovation of the historic Lincoln Theatre and construction of new condominiums and expansion of retail space along Mt. Vernon Avenue and Long Street,[5] which hosts the annual Long Street Tour cycling event.