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The Founder's Boulder
This boulder, one of the three on Tappan Square, was gifted to the college in 1933 by Edwin Hill, who found it on his farm. It honors the two founders of Oberlin, John J. Shipherd and Philo P. Stewart.
Class of 1882 Boulder
The Oberlin Class of 1882 gifted this boulder, taken from Plum Creek, to the college as their class gift. Today it sits in Tappan Square near the Memorial Arch off of North Professor Street.
Class of 1898 digging up the 1898 boulder
A photo of men from the Oberlin College class of 1898 digging up the boulder that now sits on Tappan Square across from the Conservatory.
Oberlin Monuments and Outdoor Sculpture: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
This 8-page guide offers a brief history of Martin Luther King Jr's visits to Oberlin, discusses the decision to erect a monument to him in 1987, highlights the work of local mason Burrell Scott and bricklayer Henry Young on the monument, and offers…
Oberlin Monuments and Outdoor Sculpture: World War II Memorial Garden
A 3-page history of the construction of World War II Memorial Garden, which was built in 1995 to honor Oberlin alumni who died in the war.
John Frederick Oberlin Monument
This granite monolith located on the Oberlin College campus commemorates Oberlin's namesake, who was a pastor in the France in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The monument incorporates an optical effect that Oberlin used in his pastoral…
Memorial Arch, 1990
The Memorial Arch, erected in Oberlin's Tappan Square in 1903, is the only monument to the United States that relates to the history of the Boxer Rebellion, an anti-imperialist uprising in China. In 1900, thirteen American missionaries and five of…
Co-education Centennial Memorial Gateway
In 1837, Oberlin became the first college to admit women on an equal basis with men. This memorial was erected in 1937 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of co-education. Inscribed with the text, "This gateway commemorates the enrance of women into…
Martin Luther King Jr. Monument
The city of Oberlin dedicated this memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. in 1987 at the same time as they changed the name of the park where it is located from Vine Street Park to Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. Famed civil rights leader Martin Luther…
Nichols Memorial Gateway
This gateway was erected as a memorial to John Herbert Nichols, a longtime director of Oberlin College's Athletic Department, on the occassion of his 1955 retirement. It marks the entrance to Oberlin's athletic fields.
Memorial Arch, 2004
A picture of Oberlin's Memorial Arch from September 27, 2004. The arch, erected in memory of American missionaries killed in the 1899 Boxer Rebellion in China, was built in Oberlin because most of those killed were Oberlin alumni or their families.…
Oberlin War Memorial
Erected in 1943 in the midst of World War II, the Oberlin War Memorial incorporated the marble tablets removed from an early war memorial that had been dismantled in 1934 in response to strong pacifist sentiment. Tablets on the monument's brick wall…
Oberlin Tuskegee Airmen Monument
One of the most recent monuments erected in Oberlin, this placque remembers nine men with links to Oberlin who served in the Tuskeegee Airmen during World War II. The Tuskeegee Airmen were the first black pilots allowed to fight in the US military;…
Oberlin-Wellington Rescue Monument
This monument, which was erected in 1990 and is located in Martin Luther King Park, commemorates the 1858 Oberlin-Wellington Rescue. In that year, slave catchers captured John Price, an escapee from slavery who was living outside Oberiln. A large…
Underground Railroad Monument
Created by then college senior Cameron Armstrong in 1977, this sculpture of train tracks rising out from the ground commemorates Oberlin's importance as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Originally planned as a temporary installation, the…
Soldiers Monument
The Soldiers Monument was erected in 1870 to honor the 96 Oberlin men who died in the Civil War. Of the fallen, 55 were students who had been enrolled in the college, and 41 were Oberlin residents. Once located at the corner of College and Professor…
World War II Memorial Garden
The World War II memorial garden commemorates the 75 Oberlin college alumni who were killed in World War II. Unusual for a war memorial, the Oberlin memorial lists the names of all alumni who died in the war--including Masura Nakamura, who fought for…