Soldiers Memorial Parkway and McKinley Memorial Parkway
Why it's listed
Two intersecting landscaped streets in Fremont, Ohio, form a cross-shaped memorial to Sandusky County's war dead. The Soldiers Memorial Parkway runs about a third of a mile, with brick lanes and sandstone curbs flanking grass islands lined with horsechestnut trees. The McKinley Memorial Parkway crosses it and runs east toward Spiegel Grove. Built in 1919 and 1920 to plans by county surveyor L. H. Wismer, the project began when Colonel Webb Hayes and a citizens committee decided that a living memorial would honor individual soldiers better than a bronze tablet. Eighty-five trees were planted for World War I dead, each originally labeled with a soldier's details. County, state and city funds supported construction, and the parkways opened in March 1921. The nomination places the design within the City Beautiful Movement and notes that it may be the first memorial of its kind. Today the shaded, brick-paved streets still serve a residential neighborhood.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues local significance under Criterion A because a local committee and civic leaders organized the project, reflecting community participation typical of City Beautiful civic efforts. It also qualifies under Criterion C for its formal axial plan, its use as transportation corridors and its date of construction, which place it in the City Beautiful context. It honors 85 Sandusky County soldiers of the 37th Ohio Division killed in World War I, and may be among the first memorials of its kind.
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 90002212, listed January 25, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Soldiers Memorial Pkwy. and McKinley Memorial Pkwy., Fremont |
|---|---|
| County | Sandusky County |
| Listed | January 25, 1991 |
| Reference number | 90002212 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1918-1920 |
| Architect / builder | L. H. Wismer, Surveyor |
| Architectural style | Other: City Beautiful Movement |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still serves as residential streets with mature trees and brick paving. Some trees have died and been replaced, and the original memorial tree plates were removed. |
| Acreage | 3.6 |
| Coordinates | 41.34123, -83.13339 (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 90002212.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7557401
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.