National Register of Historic Places

Inscription Rock

Kelleys Island, Erie County, Ohio
Listed
June 17, 1973
Type
Object
Period
Listed
Ref No.
73001432

About this property

Inscription Rock is a large slab of limestone measuring approximately 32 by 21 feet located on the south shore of Kelleys Island in Lake Erie in Erie County, Ohio. It is situated near the intersections of E Lakeshore Drive and Addison Rd under a large shelter structure with a viewing platform and is open to the public. The rock was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and was also located near a series of crescent shaped mounds thought to be created by Pre-Columbian peoples. More mounds were documented to be on the island and another rock with inscriptions was located on the north shore of the island. Unlike Inscription Rock, this boulder was granite - likely a glacial erratic - and engraved with two upside-down figures. However now only Inscription Rock remains since island quarry workers dynamited the petroglyph rock on the north shore. The site is owned by the Ohio History Connection.

Location

Kelleys Island, Erie County, Ohio
41.59284, -82.70698

Categories

PREHISTORICART
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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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Kelleys Island South Shore District
Listed
0.3 mi
Beatty, Louis, House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Clemons, Alexander, House
Industrial
3.6 mi
First Congregational Church
Industrial
3.8 mi
Marblehead Lighthouse
Early Republic
3.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Perry's Transfer from Lawrence to Niagara — Lake Erie Sub-action (Sep 10 1813)
1813Early Republic
5.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Inscription Rock listed on the National Register?

Inscription Rock was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 17, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Inscription Rock?

Inscription Rock is classified as a object in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Inscription Rock?

The period of significance for Inscription Rock is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Inscription Rock?

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