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Photograph of Lorain County Courthouse
Photograph by Derek Jensen ( Tysto ), CC BY 2.5. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Lorain County Courthouse

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. A historic map-sheet match is not published yet. The record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary.

From the record

one of 113 National Register listings in Lorain County · listed in 1975 · category: Building · one of 2 National Historic Landmarks in Lorain County.

Sources: the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

  • What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
  • Address. 308 2nd St., Elyria, 44035
  • When was it listed? 1975-06-18
  • Category. building
  • Township. Elyria city
  • Architectural style. Renaissance Revival architecture
  • National Register reference number. 75001463 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Specimens collected near this property

12 of 2,071 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 2,071 specimens collected within 10 miles of Lorain County Courthouse between 1853 and 1975: 1,090 Animalia, 776 Fungi, 167 Plantae, 17 Protozoa, 13 Chromista, 8 Unrecorded. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by ?, A. A. Wright, A. E. Recksecker and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.

Image SpeciesYear Collected by Where, as recorded
Specimen of Cantharellus minor PeckCantharellus minor Peck1896F.D. KelseyNear Oberlin
Specimen of Coniophora byssoides (Pers.) P.Karst.Coniophora byssoides (Pers.) P.Karst.1896F. D. KelseyOberlin.
Specimen of Polyporus arcularius (Batsch) Fr.Polyporus arcularius (Batsch) Fr.1896F.D. Kelsey
A photograph of the species Ammocrypta pellucida, not of this specimenAmmocrypta pellucida (Putnam, 1863)1853Baird, Spencer FullertonBlack River, below falls at Elyria, Ohio
A photograph of the species Etheostoma blennioides, not of this specimenEtheostoma blennioides Rafinesque, 18191853S. BairdBlack River Elgria Ohio (above falls)
A photograph of the species Etheostoma caeruleum, not of this specimenEtheostoma caeruleum Storer, 18451853S. BairdElyria, Ohio
A photograph of the species Etheostoma maculatum, not of this specimenEtheostoma maculatum Kirtland, 18401853S. BairdElyria, Ohio
A photograph of the species Accipiter cooperii, not of this specimenAccipiter cooperii (Bonaparte, 1828)1894Dawson, W. L. (William Leon)Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, USA
Aecidium nesaeae W.R.Gerard1894Kelsey, F.D.Lorain County, Ohio
Albugo candida (Pers. ex J.F.Gmel.) Roussel1894F.D. KelseyOberlin
A photograph of the species Ammodramus savannarum, not of this specimenAmmodramus savannarum pratensis (Vieillot, 1818)1894Jones, L. (Lynds)Oberlin Field W of Athletic Park, Lorain, Ohio, USA
A photograph of the species Aulacomnium palustre, not of this specimenAulacomnium palustre (Hedw.) Schwägr.1894F. D. Kelsey

All 2,071 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Mines and quarries near this property

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Lorain County Courthouse: 1 producer. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Stone. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Lorain Cnty Hwy Dept. Stone QuarryStoneProducer

Every working recorded in Lorain County

Storms near this property

60 of 74 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Elyria, the town this property stands in, in 74 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 45 thunderstorm wind, 19 hail, 3 flash flood, 3 lightning. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 1999LightningElyria1 hurtA 40 year old woman working inside was injured when electricity from a lightning strike traveled through the fan she was using. The woman was taken to a local hospital and treated for minor injuries.
March 2007Tornado (EF0)Elyria$400,000A weak tornado briefly touched down along Griswold Road. The tornado traveled east toward the Midway Mall and created an intermittent damage path approximately two miles long. The tornado caused damage to several structures along its path. A florist/greenhouse suffered extensive damage as much of its roof was torn off. A garage was destroyed, and the car inside sustained severe damage. Newspaper articles also indicated that vinyl siding was torn from the side of an office supply store, and a shopping cart was blown and shattered a window of a store. Numerous trees and power lines were also taken down. No injuries were reported from this tornado.
July 1999LightningElyria$225,000A church was struck by lightning and caught fire.
January 2007FloodElyria$200,000Runoff from heavy rains on January 5th caused the Black River in Elyria to go above the flood stage of 9.5 feet during the evening hours of January 5th. The river crested at 15.21 feet around 4 a.m on January 7th and went out of flood during the early morning hours of January 8th. Significant flooding occurred in the Cascade Park area in Elyria. Several roads and streets in the area had to be closed because of flooding.
September 2005LightningElyria$110,000Lightning struck a transformer and caught it on fire. The fire spread to an industrial building nearby catching the building on fire. There was major structural damage as a result of the fire.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindElyria$100,000Thunderstorm winds downed trees throughout Lorain County.
June 2011HailElyria$100,000Hail the size of hen eggs was reported. Several vehicles were damaged by the hail.
March 2017Thunderstorm WindElyria$75,000Thunderstorm winds downed several trees and a couple of power poles. Scattered power outages were reported.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindElyria$75,000Thunderstorm winds downed many trees in Elyria. One home lost a large section of roof and two others were damaged by fallen trees.
May 2009Thunderstorm WindElyria$60,000A thunderstorm downburst caused damage in Elyria. Winds estimated to be at least 60 mph tore a large section of roof off of a church. Several trees were knocked near the church as well.
August 2007FloodElyria$50,000Heavy rain fell across the area during the morning hours of the 20th. Rainfall reports across the area ranged between 2.0 and 4.0 inches throughout the Black River basin that day. While some locations across the county had some locally high water in places, water was able to drain into streams and rivers. With that, runoff from streams and rivers quickly filled that afternoon. With so much water draining throughout the basin, the Black River at Elyria rose above flood stage of 9.5 feet that evening. The river continued to rise through the early overnight hours, then leveled off at around 10.9 feet. The river remained steady at that level for about twelve hours. Then, during the afternoon of the 21st, the river started rising again. This trend continued through the evening hours, and crested at 13.3 feet at 5:30 am on the 22nd. The river began falling through the day on the 22nd, but didnt go below flood stage until 11:00 pm on the 22nd.
July 2002Thunderstorm WindElyria$40,000Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated at 70 mph. Many trees and large limbs were downed. A car was heavily damaged by a fallen tree.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindElyria$35,000Lorain County Emergency Management and broadcast media confirmed multiple trees down in the Elyria and North Ridgeville areas. The homes were damaged due to falling trees. A gazebo was also damaged.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindElyria$35,000Thunderstorm winds downed several trees across Lorain County. A couple roads in the Elyria area were blocked by fallen trees.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindElyria$35,000Winds were estimated at 60 mph as severe thunderstorms moved through the area. Also, a trained spotter reported several trees down. A tree was also reported to have fallen on a house causing structural damage.
May 2004Thunderstorm WindElyria$35,000Thunderstorm winds downed several trees and large limbs. At least one home and one garage were damaged by fallen trees.
June 2005HailElyria$30,000Half dollar size hail was observed. Other trained spotters in the area also reported hail which ranged from penny to quarter size at that same time.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindElyria$25,000Thunderstorm winds downed many trees across the county.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindElyria$20,000Severe thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated to be around 60 mph. Numerous trees were reported down in the area.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindElyria$15,000Thunderstorm winds downed some trees in Elyria and Sheffield Townships.
July 2003Thunderstorm WindElyria$15,000Thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs. A car was damaged by a limb on the west side of Elyria.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindElyria$12,000Thunderstorm winds downed a tree and an utility pole.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindElyria$10,000Photo of downed large tree branch that went through a ceiling in a house in Elyria.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindElyria$10,000A tree fell down on a house on Concord Ave. The tree fell with damaging wind gusts from the outflow ahead of the thunderstorms.
June 2004Thunderstorm WindElyria$10,000Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindElyria$6,000The Sheriff's office relayed reports of trees and limbs down across Elyria.
May 2019Thunderstorm WindElyria$5,000A few trees and power lines were blown down.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindElyria$5,000Several trees were reported down.
August 1997Thunderstorm WindElyria$3,000Numerous large tree limbs were downed.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindElyria$3,000Trees were downed, some on power lines.
July 2003HailElyria$2,000Nickel size hail was observed.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindElyria$2,000Trees were downed.
June 1996Flash FloodElyria$2,000no account filed
June 2016Thunderstorm WindElyria$1,000Thunderstorm winds toppled a couple small trees.
October 2012FloodElyria$1,000The Black River at Elyria reached moderate flood stage during this event. The river rise was more gradual compared to climatology for this river due to the slow rainfall rates. The river came out of its banks and inundated Cascade Park, reaching some of the maintenance facilities. Damage was minimal.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindElyria$1,000Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindElyria$1,000Thunderstorm winds downed a couple large tree limbs.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindElyria-Several trees downed about two-miles SSE of Sheffield.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindElyria-Extensive tree damage in Elyria.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindElyria-Healthy tree snapped in Elyria.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindElyria-Several trees damaged in the Spring Valley section of Elyria. Damage was related to an outflow-dominant line of thunderstorms.
May 2024HailElyria-Hail up to quarter-size in Elyria.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindElyria-Tree limbs downed in Elyria.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindElyria-Tree limbs downed about two-miles southeast of Elyria.
April 2023Thunderstorm WindElyria-Trees downed along Ohio Turnpike about 1.24 miles NNE of Elyria.
August 2023HailElyria-Hail up to golf ball-size about two-miles northwest of Elyria.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindElyria-Tree downed onto house along Loyola Drive in Sheffield. Unsure of any damage to house.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindElyria-Trees downed just southeast of downtown Elyria.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindElyria-Numerous trees snapped and blocking roadways in Elyria.
April 2020Thunderstorm WindElyria-Tree fell onto house near downtown Elyria and another tree fell onto another home one mile SSE of Elyria. 18 trees were downed at OH routes 10 and 57, four miles WNW of Eaton Estates.
January 2019HailElyria-There were several reports of quarter-sized hail in the Elyria area from trained spotters and social media. Quarter-sized hail was reported near the Lorain County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security building.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindElyria-Thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs.
May 2011HailElyria-Penny sized hail was observed.
May 2011HailElyria-Quarter sized hail was observed.
May 2011Flash FloodElyria-Multiple thunderstorms move over Lorain County between the 25th and 26th of May. The storms on the 25th saturated the ground, allowing for rapid runoff from storms on the 26th. A storm moved over Lorain County late on the 26th with rainfall rates over an inch per hour. Numerous roads were flooded and several were closed. In Elyria, water several feet deep was reported over Poplar and Olive Streets.
June 2011HailElyria-Nickel to quarter sized hail was observed for several minutes.
May 2011HailElyria-Penny to quarter sized hail was observed.
May 2009HailElyria-Penny size hail was observed.
May 2009HailElyria-Nickel size hail was observed.
January 2008Thunderstorm WindElyria-A trained spotter measured a wind gust of 60 mph. No damaged was noted during the wind gust.

Every storm recorded in Lorain County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

From the nomination file

1,845 words on record

When this property was proposed for the National Register, someone wrote the case for it: what the building is, and why it matters. That document is a federal record in the public domain. It is quoted below word for word, never summarised. The text was read off the scanned case file by machine, so the occasional stray character is the recogniser's and the 1970s typewriter's.

Description of the property

and second stories, effectively dividing the elevation into two layers. peristyle, but this has been taken down. with modern ones, some of the offices remodeled with so-called CONDITION NATIONAL REGISTER RECEIVED The upper stories are defined by Corinthian pilasters. The second Four original chimneys rise above the balustrade.There are entran- lateral pavilions, a surprisingly unclassical touch. main story are rusticated, the main story having segmental-arched story windows are pedimented and the third story ones are square and framed.There is a balustrade around the entire roof cornice. functions have been transferred to a new county office building windows.There isa pronounced horizontal band between the first The main floor contains offices and the second floor the court rooms.

ces on each side of the building, the original main entrance being At the cross axis is a small rotunda formerly beneath the dome. This is a large four-story public building of sandstone construc- on the north end facing the public green and reached by a wide ior and more in conformity with late Victorian taste, similar to An unusual architectural refinement is the curved corners of the across Middle Avenue. (Check One) flight of steps.All four of the main pediments contain circular eyes. Originally the building had a central dome on a drum with a On the interior a corridor extends the length of the building. The design of the original woodwork is less classical than the exter- side elevation and an open portico at each end.The basement and MAY 2 that in the Ohio State Capitol.

Some of the doors have been replaced building is at that delicate balance point when its interiors could be Excellent MAY21975 Fair completely altered or still restored.

Read the complete 1,845-word case file.

Statement of significance

the first half of the nineteenth century well into the late Victorian other courthouse in Ohio was being erected in the High Victorian references was certainly the U. S. Capitol in Washington, and this Italianate or Second Empire styles.This is so unusual that a first donated $2,0oo toward the first permanent courthouse.That red having 12,500 acres. Ely gave the land for the public park and AREAs OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check.One or More as Appropriate) was even more apparent when the dome and peristyle were extant. impression of the building places it in the turn-of-the-century

The whole case file for this property - 1,845 words, 11 pages, reproduced complete.

Quoted from the National Register nomination for reference 75001463, 11 pages, held by the National Archives in Record Group 79. See the catalogue record.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph PropertyDistance Listed
Elyria Elks Clubunder 500 feet1979
St. Andrew's Episcopal Churchunder 500 feet1979
First United Methodist Churchunder 500 feet1979
Commercial Buildingunder 500 feet1979
Old City Hallunder 500 feet1979
Redington Blockunder 500 feet1979

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 75001463 in Record Group 79.
Lorain CountyAll 113 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

  • Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
  • Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
  • How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
  • Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.