Ohio Historical Marker Application

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SPECIAL CALL FOR AMERICA 250: “Ohio Originals”

Application Deadline: noon on May 1 of the current year

Please complete this electronic application to apply for an Ohio Historical Marker. For additional assistance and information on completing this application, please refer to the Marker Application Handbook found on the Propose a Marker page. Be sure to visit our FAQ page as well as the Propose a Marker page.

All information is required. Missing information will eliminate your application from consideration.

  • Once you begin to fill out the application, you can save your work by clicking “Save and continue later” at the end of the form. Each time you “Save and continue later", the form software will provide you with a new URL that refers to the most recent draft. Please make sure you copy or write down the new URL! Click "Save and continue later" at least once before submitting. Once you are completely finished with the form you can hit “Submit” and your application will be sent to the marker program.
  • Note that once you begin the electronic application you have 30 days to complete it before your working link expires. We suggest using the paper form to gather your information BEFORE you begin this application.
  • Please have all text completed, and all uploads scanned and ready to upload BEFORE starting this application.
  • Research files and final marker text will be considered public record and made available to the public upon request. All other information on this application is confidential and for program use only.
  • Please carefully read the "Criteria of Significance" and our statement on pages 9-10 of the Marker Handbook about the names of living people on markers. We cannot accept an application about or naming a living person. There is no exception to this program rule.
  • Due to the increased popularity of Ohio Historical Markers, we can only entertain one application from an individual or organization in any given round of applications.
  • While submission of an application does not guarantee that a marker will be awarded, the Ohio Historical Markers program appreciates your efforts to provide the requested information.
  • Please submit your completed application, upload supporting materials, by noon on May 1 or earlier.
  • Should you need to send additional materials, please email or snail mail to Laura Russell. To be considered, all submissions or additions must be emailed or postmarked noon on May 1 or earlier.
  • During a SPECIAL CALL only applications relating to the requested topics will be considered. All topics will be considered the following year during an OPEN CALL.

MAILING ADDRESS:
Laura Russell, Historical Markers Coordinator
Ohio History Connection
800 East 17th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43211
EMAIL:
lrussell@ohiohistory.org
OFFICE PHONE:
614-297-2360

Request Funding

Additional Funding (application must be made now)
For more information about available funding, please refer to grant criteria documents found on the Price List & Grant Info page.
PLEASE NOTE: Applicants may only apply for one of these grants. If you wish to have your marker application put into consideration for grant funds please check now. Really, that is all you need to do! We cannot, however, add your name to this pool after the noon, May 1 deadline.

Mitigation Settlement

Is this application is part of a mitigation settlement with the State Historic Preservation Office?
Such applications are not eligible to receive the grant funds above. To determine the amount of the “mitigation fee” to be added to the cost of your marker, please contact Kristen Koehlinger in SHPO.
AMERICA 250
“Ohio Originals: Highlighting Points of Pride and Unity.”
 
America 250 Ohio Logo

1. Title(s) of Marker

This title or an edited version thereof will appear at the top of the marker and be used to identify it once erected. Keep titles short and interesting. It is recommended that you finalize the title after you draft your “Statement of Significance” and “Suggested Marker Text.”
This title or an edited version thereof will appear at the top of the marker and be used to identify it once erected. Keep titles short and interesting. It is recommended that you finalize the title after you draft your “Statement of Significance” and “Suggested Marker Text.”

2. Subject

It is suggested that you fill in this blank after you draft your “Statement of Significance” and “Suggested Marker Text.” Briefly summarize the subject of the marker with five terms or less. Examples: “Biography,” ”Architecture,” “Religion,” or “Transportation.”

3. Location of Proposed Marker

Marker Location Address
Extra guidance that will help people find the marker, e.g. "In the small playground beside the Village Police Department."
e.g., 38.7949720
e.g., -83.547336
Include a written description, a marked map showing proposed placement of marker, and a photograph of the location. Be sure to note the relationship of the location of the marker to the subject matter.
Map and Photograph Method of Delivery

4. Owner(s) of Property upon which marker is to be erected.

Please upload a signed letter of permission from the owner of the property with this application. Please use this template for the required permission letter.
Property Owner Address
Ownership Of Property
(Check one)
Signed Letter of Permission Method of Delivery

5. Type of Marker

OHIO HISTORICAL MARKER
OHIO CORPORATE LIMIT MARKER
CHOOSE ONE OF THE TWO TYPES OF MARKERS

6. Funding Sponsor of Marker

The funding sponsor is responsible for funding the marker. This includes the purchase of the marker and all costs associated with the installation of the marker.
Address (Primary Sponsor)
Tax-Exempt (Primary Sponsor)
Note: the organization indicated above will be listed on the bottom of the marker as its lead sponsor, unless you receive funding from the William Pomeroy Foundation or the Lucas Regional Marker Fund. If more than one organization is to be credited, please list the names and contact information. NO MORE than 4 sponsors lines will appear on any marker. The bottom sponsor line will always be OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION.
0 of 51 max characters
0 of 51 max characters

7. Maintenance of Marker

Please upload a signed letter from the organization committing to long-term maintenance of the marker. Please use this template for the required maintenance agreement.
Maintenance Organization Address
Signed letter of maintenance agreement method of delivery

8. Shipping Address

The shipping address must be a commercial address open between 8 am – 5 pm, Monday – Friday. It is the responsibility of the receiver at the shipping address to inspect the marker prior to accepting delivery.
Shipping Address

9. Statement of Significance

The “Statement of Significance” should explain why the person, place, event, or thing to be marked deserves recognition on an Ohio Historical Marker.
  • Support all statements of fact with creditable sources.
  • Document every fact in your “Statement of Significance” with endnotes.
  • Sources from the time of the topic being commemorated (primary sources) are strongly preferred over those that describe the topic years after the fact (secondary sources).
  • Limit your statement to two-three typed 8.5 x 11 pages if possible.
NOTE: The “Statement of Significance” must be typewritten on a separate sheet of paper and UPLOADED with your application.
Statement of significance method of delivery

10. Suggested Marker Text

Here is where you tell us what you would like your historical marker to say. All suggested marker texts are subject to revision at the discretion of the Ohio Historical Markers Program. Such editing may be done to ensure historical accuracy, to tighten meaning, or to bring the text into a uniform marker “voice.”
  • DRAFT the historical marker text of between 90 to 125 words per side.
  • Remember texts for Ohio Corporate Limit Markers should not exceed 15 words.
  • The text must be historically accurate, informative, and concise.
  • Document every fact in your “Suggested Marker Text” with endnotes. Follow each fact with a number in parentheses, for example "(1)", "(2)", etc. and use the Endnotes section to document the fact.
  • Although your endnotes will NOT be included on the finished marker but they will be held on file at the Ohio History Connection.
  • • Add a word count to the bottom of your page. Do not count the title or sponsor lines.
  • • If your text continues onto Side B, please add and count the 4 words per side: (A) “continued on the other side” and (B) “continued from the other side.”
  • Remember, you can opt for two different titles on your marker.
0 of 1000 max characters
Follow each fact with a number in parentheses referring to the corresponding endnote below.
Precede each endnote with a number corresponding to the number in the Marker Text (Side B) section, e.g. "(1)", "(2)", etc.
0 of 1000 max characters
Follow each fact with a number in parentheses referring to the corresponding endnote below.
Precede each endnote with a number corresponding to the number in the Marker Text (Side B) section, e.g. "(1)", "(2)", etc.

11. Bibliography

Please create a formal bibliography by listing all publications, manuscripts, or other references cited in your endnotes for both the “Statement of Significance” and “Suggested Marker Text” in the space below. If there is a reference that you found useful but did not cite, please include it in the bibliography as well.

12. Sources

Please create a formal bibliography by listing all publications, manuscripts, or other references cited in your endnotes for both the “Statement of Significance” and “Suggested Marker Text” in the space below. If there is a reference that you found useful but did not cite, please include it in the bibliography as well.
  • UPLOAD a legible copy of every source listed in your bibliography.
  • Please note, we do not need the entire book or original document, just the relevant pages and publication/location information.
  • If a website is cited, please upload a copy of the pages cited. Web links frequently break and we want to both see and preserve your research.
  • The Ohio Historical Markers Program will carefully check every source you used in your research and must be able to access all sources cited.
  • The markers program reserves the right to conduct their own research or ask for further information to be verified by the applicant.

Applications missing sources and/or the bibliography will be returned as incomplete.

Source documents method of delivery

13. Tentative Dedication Date

To help the marker program plan, what date do you hope to hold a marker dedication? Is it around a special event? PLEASE NOTE that markers take 4-6 months to fabricate AFTER text has been finalized and approved by both the marker program and sponsors. Few markers will be finalized before late spring or summer of the year following application.

14. Application Submitted By

By completing this section, I agree that:
  • I have verified that the above information is accurate and correct to the best of my knowledge.
  • I, or the organization I represent, am authorized to commit the person(s) or organization(s) named above to fund and maintain the marker.
  • For the purpose of creating this marker, I will serve as the contact person between the local sponsor(s) of the application and the Ohio History Connection’s marker program staff. If I cannot serve in this capacity, I will inform the Historical Markers Program Coordinator who is so authorized and share that person’s contact information at the time of transfer.
Submitter Address
Clear Signature
MM slash DD slash YYYY
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.