Baughman Memorial Park
Why it's listed
Baughman Memorial Park is a 65-acre site west of Frazeysburg in Muskingum County, Ohio, where undertaker and quarryman Daniel Brice Baughman carved large sandstone statues from native rock. Born in 1874, he began carving figures in quarry outcroppings in the 1880s and made full statues from the 1890s. The park holds ten larger-than-life figures, among them McKinley, Lincoln, Grant, Garfield, Sherman, Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Harding and the American Doughboy, plus smaller carvings. Most were dedicated by fraternal or veterans' groups, and Baughman never charged for his work or took commissions. Crowds visited from across the state; 3,640 autos entered the park on the day the Harding statue was dedicated in 1927. Early farm buildings also stand on the grounds, including a log house, a log crib and a barn converted to a funeral parlor and later a residence. The park was listed as the work of a self-taught folk artist, with local significance.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the park as the open-air gallery of a local folk artist whose work has been known in this part of Ohio for over sixty years. Baughman had no formal training and carved statues of presidents, Civil War figures and the Doughboy for fraternal and veterans' groups. The park drew large crowds, including 3,640 automobiles on the day the Harding statue was dedicated in 1927. It is rated locally significant.
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 79001909, listed August 27, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | W of Frazeysburg on OH 586, Frazeysburg |
|---|---|
| County | Muskingum County |
| Listed | August 27, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001909 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | c. 1899-1927 |
| Architect / builder | Daniel Brice Baughman (sculptor) |
| Areas of significance | Art |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good, fair, altered and unaltered. The old Baughman log house is described as vacant. The owners intend to preserve the statues and buildings as an outdoor sculpture museum. |
| Acreage | 85 |
| Coordinates | 40.11089, -82.17978 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
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 79001909.
- 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.