Remarkable Ohio

Counties

Below is a complete listing of all Ohio Historical Markers. To find a detailed marker listing including text, photographs, and locations, click on a county below. Our listing is updated by the markers program as new markers are installed and older markers are reported damaged or missing.

13-76 Lillian Gish (1893-1993) & Dorothy Gish (1898-1968)

Side A: Stars of the silent screen, Lillian and Dorothy Gish enjoyed long and distinguished careers both in film and on stage. They began their careers as child actresses, performing in touring theater companies. Although Lillian was born in Springfield, Ohio, and Dorothy in Dayton, the Gish sisters considered Massillon their home, often staying here with relatives between plays and films. In 1912, Lillian and Dorothy went to New York and made their first film, An Unseen Enemy, with famed director D.W. Griffith.
Side B: Relocating to Hollywood, the Gish sisters made many films for Griffith’s Biograph Company, including such silent masterpieces as The Birth of a Nation, Intolerance, Hearts of the World, Broken Blossoms, and Orphans of the Storm. Lillian was the quintessential silent screen heroine with an ethereal, emotionally powerful presence. Dorothy developed a more down-to-earth image, excelling in light, comedic roles. Their stage and screen careers spanned the 20th century. In 1984, Lillian received the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award. They are remembered today as legendary pioneers in the motion picture industry.
Sponsors: Ohio Bicentennial Commission, City of Massillon, and The Ohio Historical Society
Address: 1 James Duncan Plaza, 
Massillon, 
OH, 
44646
Location: Duncan Plaza, Massillon City Hall Park, 1 James Duncan Plaza
Latitude: 40.7962320
Longitude: -81.5212633