May 4, 1970, Kent State Shootings Site
Why it's listed
On the Kent State University campus in Ohio, a 17.24-acre area marks where the Ohio National Guard confronted student protesters on May 4, 1970. The crowd was demonstrating against the Vietnam War and the Guard's presence on campus. Thirteen students were shot, four fatally. The site has three parts: the Commons, a grassy gathering space; Blanket Hill, topped by Taylor Hall; and a southern terrace that includes the Prentice Hall parking lot and former practice field. Six resources contribute to its character, including Taylor Hall, the Victory Bell, Lilac Lane, the Pagoda, the Solar Totem sculpture with a bullet hole, and the parking lot. The area remains in everyday university use, and the exterior of Taylor Hall and the main landmarks appear as they did in 1970. The shootings drew a presidential commission's condemnation of the Guard's tactics and prompted changes in rules for guardsmen on civil-disturbance duty. A later dispute over building a gym annex raised the question of the site's boundaries.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the site as nationally significant as the place of a confrontation between the National Guard and students protesting the Vietnam War and the Guard's presence on campus. The shootings led to a presidential commission that condemned the Guard's tactics, and to changes in how guardsmen are armed for civil disturbances. The site's landmarks, including Taylor Hall, the Pagoda, the Victory Bell and the bullet-pierced Solar Totem sculpture, remain largely as they were in 1970.
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 10000046, listed February 23, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | .5 mi. SE of the intersection of E. Main St. and S. Lincoln St., Kent |
|---|---|
| County | Portage County |
| Listed | February 23, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000046 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | Taylor Hall: architects Ward and Schneider; Gym Annex (noncontributing): Richard Fleischman Architects, Inc.; Victory Bell housing: architecture student Arvid Johnson; Solar Totem: Don Drumm |
| Architectural style | Taylor Hall is New Formalism; the site itself has no architectural classification (N/A) |
| Areas of significance | Social History, Politics/Government, Law |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still part of the active Kent State University campus, used by students and faculty much as in the 1960s and 1970s; the ROTC building burned on May 2, 1970, and the Gym Annex was added in 1978-1979. |
| Acreage | 17 |
| Coordinates | 41.15181, -81.34401 (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 10000046.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q29858211
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.