{"nrhp_refnum":"74001494","name":"Ohio Stadium","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"404 W. 17th Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Columbus","county":"Franklin County","state":"OH","lat":40.01073164050007,"lon":-83.01971658399978,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1974-03-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Ohio Stadium is a double-decked, horseshoe-shaped reinforced concrete football stadium at 404 West 17th Avenue in Columbus, Ohio, built in 1921-1922 for Ohio State University under University Architect Howard Dwight Smith.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the stadium's design was unique for its time and place: it was the largest stadium west of the Appalachians and the first horseshoe-shaped, double-deck stadium in the United States. Smith received an American Institute of Architects gold medal for the design. The fundraising campaign and publicity around its construction also symbolized the growth of intercollegiate sports into big business and the rise of Ohio State as a nationally known institution.","narrative":"Ohio Stadium, on the Ohio State University campus in Columbus, is a double-decked horseshoe of reinforced concrete completed in 1922. University Architect Howard Dwight Smith drew on the open-ended Harvard Stadium and the curve-sided, closed-ended Yale Stadium, and the result was the first horseshoe-shaped, double-deck stadium in the United States and the largest west of the Appalachians. It was built to seat 63,000, with 56 stairways, 12 ramps and 112 aisles serving the two decks. The bowed sides give a sweeping view of the field, and the open end holds a circular track. Plans were announced in 1919, a public fundraising campaign followed, and construction began in August 1921. The stadium was dedicated on October 21, 1922, before the Ohio State-Michigan game, with 71,385 in attendance. Smith received an American Institute of Architects gold medal for the design. Later changes include a press box, an elevator, artificial turf and lighting, yet the basic structure remains essentially original.","period_of_significance":"1921-1922","architect_builder":"Howard Dwight Smith, University Architect; built by the E.H. Latham Co. of Columbus","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in excellent condition and occupied; the basic structure and exterior are described as essentially unchanged, with later additions such as a press box, an elevator, artificial turf (1970) and lights (1972).","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:10.286277-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/74001494.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74001494/02ddd50af4-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74001494/02ddd50af4-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Lectrician2","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ohio_Stadium_Overhead.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Lectrician2</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ohio_Stadium_Overhead.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71988440","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_Stadium","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q774694"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/franklin-county/ohio-stadium-74001494/"}