Plans are being made to officially mark the North Royalton City Green for history. The marker will be located on the City Green at Ridge Road, directly across the street from the North Royalton Historical Society Museum & Home, in the area where the old City Hall was located until 2017.
The North Royalton City Council adopted a resolution in May that authorizes the Mayor to accept the donation of the historical marker as a location worthy of identification as a historical site. The resolution states that, “North Royalton became a township in 1818 and soon thereafter established the ‘City Green’ at the intersection of Ridge Road and Bennett Road as a public space used over two centuries for many different public purposes, including for a town hall, a cemetery and gathering space.” In recent years, it annually hosted the Community Festival, Harvest Festival and Pet Carnival.
The marker is the product of efforts of the North Royalton Historical Society and the Ohio History Connection. The North Royalton Historical Society has received a grant for up to $3,040 to place the historical marker on the Green. They will pitch in the remainder of the cost. This will be the second marker that has been installed in North Royalton. The first was installed to honor John Shepherd, a North Royalton resident who fought in the Revolutionary War. That marker is located on Royalton Road near the North Royalton Cemetery. It was installed in 2010.
The Ohio History Connection (OHC), which was previously known as the Ohio Historical Society, is a statewide history organization that promotes the discovery of Ohio history. Its service is focused on preserving and sharing the state’s history. “This includes housing the state historic preservation office, the official state archives, local history office and managing more than fifty sites and museums across Ohio,” according to OHC officials. “Connecting people to the stories of Ohio is part of our daily work and it’s accomplished in part through educational efforts such as sponsoring Ohio History Day and Ohio As America, an online textbook and curriculum for teaching the history of our state. Overseeing the Historical Markers program and the Local History Office are additional ways we connect people to Ohio history.”
The OHC’s Historical Marker program has been responsible for placing more than 1,800 markers that share our state’s history. The program began in the 1950s. “Partnering with community sponsors, we help tell the unique stories of the people, places, things, or events that helped shape individual communities as well as Ohio and the nation. Approximately 20-30 new markers are accepted into the program each year.” The way the program works is a local sponsor, which is usually a historical society, submits an application. The sponsor is responsible for the cost of the marker production, installation and upkeep after it is installed. Once the application is submitted, the OHC confirms the historical significance of the subject, ensuring that it is historically accurate. It then collaborates with the sponsor to finalize the text as it will be written on the marker.
According to North Royalton Historical Society President, Don Harris, the sign is expected to arrive this month. He will work with the Mayor to have the sign installed. The original plan was to have the sign installed during the city’s annual Community Festival, but, unfortunately, the festival has been cancelled, due to the COVID-19 virus.
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer