{"nrhp_refnum":"79002722","name":"Soldiers and Sailors Monument","other_names":[],"category":"object","location":{"address":"Elyria Square (Downtown)","address_restricted":false,"city":"Elyria","county":"Lorain County","state":"OH","lat":41.367425782000055,"lon":-82.10729176999996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-08-13","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Civil War memorial in Ely Square (Ely Park) in downtown Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio, built in 1888 of sandstone in a Classical style. It is publicly owned and square in plan.","why_significant":"The nomination calls the monument typical of Civil War memorials in many ways, yet remarkable as an original creation with many thoughtful details, made of stone rather than cast iron. It argues the design is unique in the country and among the largest in the area, and that it has been a major visual element of downtown Elyria since 1888. It also reflects local support for the Union cause, since Elyria was an anti-slavery community.","narrative":"Standing in Ely Park in downtown Elyria, Ohio, this Civil War memorial was built in 1888 to honor soldiers and sailors. It is made of sandstone and has a square plan in a Classical style. Funds for it were raised locally, and the community's support reflects Elyria's long anti-slavery history, which made the Union cause popular there well before the war. Although the monument is in many ways typical of Civil War memorials, the nomination describes it as an original creation with many thoughtful details. It is built of stone instead of the cast iron used for many similar monuments. The nomination calls the design unique in the country and among the largest in the area. It has been a major visual feature of the downtown setting since its construction. The listed property includes the monument and fifty feet of surrounding land in the park. The city owns it, and its exterior is in very good condition.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Classical","criteria":[],"status_note":"Exterior condition is listed as very good; the property is still used as a monument and is open to the public.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:12.557156-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/79002722.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"00001663","name":"Elyria Downtown-West Avenue Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/ohio/elyria-downtown-west-avenue-historic-district-00001663/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71985786","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/lorain-county/soldiers-and-sailors-monument-79002722/"}