Soldiers and Sailors Monument
Why it's listed
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.
Significance in brief: 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.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79002722, listed August 13, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Elyria Square (Downtown), Elyria |
|---|---|
| County | Lorain County |
| Listed | August 13, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002722 |
| Resource type | Object |
| Architectural style | Classical |
| Areas of significance | Art |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior condition is listed as very good; the property is still used as a monument and is open to the public. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Elyria Downtown-West Avenue Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.36743, -82.10729 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79002722.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.