May 4, 1970, Kent State Shootings Site
Why it's listed
Near the center of the Kent State University campus in Ohio, this 17.24-acre site marks where Ohio National Guard members fired on student protesters on May 4, 1970. Thirteen students were shot and four died. The protest opposed the Vietnam War and the Guard's presence on campus. The area has three parts: the Commons, where the noon rally was held; Blanket Hill, topped by Taylor Hall, a 1967 New Formalism building; and the Southern Terrace, which holds the Prentice Hall parking lot and former practice field. Six resources contribute to the site, including Taylor Hall, the Victory Bell, Lilac Lane, the Pagoda, the Solar Totem sculpture with its bullet hole, and the parking lot. Much of the landscape looks as it did in 1970, and students still use it daily. The site was listed for its role in the shootings and for the national debate that followed, including a later fight over building a gym annex on part of the ground.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the site is nationally significant as the place where a confrontation between the Ohio National Guard and students protesting the Vietnam War and the Guard's presence on campus ended in four deaths and nine wounded. The surviving landscape features and buildings, such as Taylor Hall, the Pagoda, the Victory Bell and the Solar Totem, retain the 1970 setting. The text also covers the later Gym Annex controversy over the site's boundaries.
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). NRHP reference 100000879. 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 | — |
| Reference number | 100000879 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | Taylor Hall designed by Ward and Schneider; Gym Annex (noncontributing) by Richard Fleischman Architects, Inc.; Victory Bell housing designed by architecture student Arvid Johnson; Solar Totem by Don Drumm |
| Architectural style | New Formalism (Taylor Hall); no overall architectural classification (N/A) |
| Areas of significance | Social History, Politics/Government, Law |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated December 23, 2016 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still part of the active Kent State University campus, used by students and faculty for classes and recreation, with uses continuous with the 1960s and 1970s. |
| Acreage | 17.24 |
| Coordinates | 41.15009, -81.34335 (Wikidata) |
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 100000879.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives)
- Wikidata Q29858211
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.