National Register of Historic Places

Boeckling Building

Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio
Listed
October 19, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82001380

About this property

George Arthur Boeckling (February 2, 1862 – July 24, 1931) was an American businessman who served as the president of “Cedar Point Pleasure Resort Company of Indiana”, which later became Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. He is often credited for bringing Cedar Point out of financial difficulties at the turn of the 20th century, and making it a nationally recognized amusement park and resort destination. G.A. Boeckling was born to German immigrants in Indiana in 1862. In 1897, he became part-owner and general-manager of the newly re-organized Cedar Point Pleasure Resort Company (originally established a decade prior, in 1887, and first opened in 1888, according to numerous contemporaneous sources, 1887-1897). Under Boeckling’s leadership, Cedar Point resort was transformed from a summer picnic/swimming area to a thriving amusement park with wide appeal. In 1908, the steamer G.A. Boeckling began providing local transportation between the city of Sandusky and Cedar Point. Thousands of visitors also arrived at Cedar Point on the Pennsylvania Railroad and Lake Shore Electric Railway. An administration building was constructed by the pier in 1928. Known as the Boeckling Building, it features arches, a cupola, and other ornamental features. G.A. Boeckling was very public-spirited, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Elks Lodge, Aerie of Eagles, and was charitable to local churches, veterans organizations, and youth clubs of Sandusky. In 1922 the Sandusky Register called him "the man who made Cedar Point." George A. Boeckling died from uremia on July 24, 1931, and is buried at Oakland Cemetery. His steamship empire is currently being run by his great grandson, Brent Blodgers. He has turned Sandusky Ohio into the steamship capital of the world. The G.A. Boeckling steamship, Boeckling Home, and Boeckling Building are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad had a locomotive named the G.A. Boeckling built in July 1927 by the Davenport Locomotive Works, though it was renamed in 2026.

Location

103-105 W. Shoreline Dr.
Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio
41.45756, -82.71277

Categories

ARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Water Street Commercial Buildings
Listed
0 mi
Schine State Theatre
Industrial
0 mi
Columbus Avenue Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
BOECKLING, G.A., (side-paddlewheel steamboat)
Industrial
0.1 mi
Hinde & Dauch Paper Co.
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Pontiac's War – Capture of Fort Sandusky 1763
1763Colonial
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Boeckling Building listed on the National Register?

Boeckling Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 19, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Boeckling Building?

Boeckling Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Boeckling Building?

The period of significance for Boeckling Building is recorded as the industrial era.

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