FIND SPIRIT SLABS AT THE COLUMBUS WINTERFAIR!
The sidewalks throughout the Oval were designed based on the dirt paths that were worn down from the students walking across in all directions. The red sidewalk that runs down the middle towards the Library is nicknamed The Long Walk.
The Shoe slab is inspired by Ohio Stadium. The stadium is commonly referred to as “The Shoe” because of its resemblance to a horseshoe. It was constructed to replace the Ohio Field which could no longer accommodate the growing number of crowds coming to cheer on the football team. It was designed by architect Howard Dwight Smith in 1918 and was completed by E.H. Latham Company of Columbus in 1922.
The Victory Bell Slab is inspired by the Southeast corner of Ohio Stadium. The bell was a gift from the graduating classes of 1943, 1944, and 1954 and gets rung after Buckeye football victories.
The Oval slab is inspired by the street lights located in The Ohio State University’s Oval. Along the paths of the Oval are vintage, custom designed street lights, covered with layers of black paint from over the years. Each pole is inscribed with “The Ohio State University” around the thick band at the base.
The Library slab is inspired by the William Oxley Thompson Library on The Ohio State University’s campus. Construction began on the library in December of 1910. OSU’s first full-time librarian, Olive Branch Jones advocated building the new library separate from its original location inside University Hall. The library opened on January 6, 1913 and was named after the University’s fifth president.
The Hale Hall Slab is inspired by one of four buildings on The Ohio State University campus that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hale Hall was completed in 1911 and was formerly the student union until 1951.
In an effort to supply Mirror Lake with water, a memorial fountain was given as a gift for the classes of 1927, 1928 and 1930. The fountain pumped water from the Olentangy River into the lake. The fountain was relocated in the newly renovated lake in 2018.
The Faculty Club is one of the primary buildings on the Oval of OSU's campus. It's a popular venue for catered events such as weddings. The Faculty Club Spirit Slab is the new 2018 design in the OSU collection.
University Hall was the first building to be built on campus in 1873. Even though the building was demolished and rebuilt in 1976, it was a replica of the original. This slab is inspired by the clock tower that faces the Oval.
Hayes Hall Slab is inspired by the intricate “whispering arch” on the building facade facing The Oval. Legend says that a person can whisper into the wall at one side of the arch and a person standing at the opposite side can hear what is said.
Orton Hall is built from 40 different stones that are all native to Ohio. The stones used on the outside walls of the building have been laid from bottom to top in the order of their natural positions in the Earth’s bedrock. Today, Orton Hall is also home to a library and museum.
The Eagle Ohio slab is inspired by the emblem on The Ohio State University Marching Band’s visor style hat. In its early days the marching band wore military style, navy blue ROTC uniforms with additions such as cross belts and gloves. The hat included the “Peace Eagle” emblem with an Ohio banner added above the eagle. The emblem was nicknamed Eagle Ohio.
COLLECTION: CITY SLABS
COLLECTION: SPIRIT SLABS
The new Columbus Slab is inspired by an unlikely source. Many maintenance hole covers around town have the city's Coat of Arms engraved in them. This slab focuses on an intricate part of the cover.
The Statehouse slab is inspired by the view looking up from the center of the iconic rotunda. It is 120 feet from the floor to the Great Seal of Ohio, which is the centerpiece of the 29 foot wide skylight of the dome above. The Seal is hand painted, but it is not the original seal that was used in 1861 when the Statehouse was completed.
The Ohio slab is inspired by carvings on the side of the Supreme Court building in downtown Columbus. The design has elements of the State Seal along with the year Ohio became a state.
The Hope Memorial Bridge spans the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio. The bridge is flanked by two pairs of pylons decorated with eight Art Deco style statues called the Guardians of Traffic. Starting in 2022, Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team was renamed after the Guardians of Traffic.
The Cleveland Trust Building is a four-story Neoclassical and Renaissance Revival style building located at the corner of Euclid Avenue and E. 9th Street in downtown Cleveland. The building has long been appreciated for its unique shape because of the acute angle formed by the two streets.
The Seal of Cincinnati was first adopted in 1819. It includes a sword, caduceus and scales along with the Latin phrase Juncta Juvant. The phrase loosely translates to “unity assists” or “strength in unity.” The University of Cincinnati uses a variation of the design for its seal which was adopted in 1906. The Cincinnati Seal Slab is inspired by the university seal engraved outside the historic Nippert Stadium.
Inspired by the University's Seal design.
Bowling Green State University is located 15 miles south of Toledo, Ohio. The BGSU Slab is inspired by the college seal above the doorway of McFall Center.
The Ohio University opened in 1808, making it the oldest college in Ohio and the first in the Northwest Territory. It was also the first to be chartered by an Act of Congress. The university seal developed from the State of Ohio seal and can be found throughout the architecture of the campus.
The Miami slab is inspired by the Miami University Seal which is surrounded in tradition and superstition. This particular version of the seal is modeled after the engraved seals in the walls of Upham Hall.
The Seal of Cincinnati was first adopted in 1819. It includes a sword, caduceus and scales along with the Latin phrase Juncta Juvant. The phrase loosely translates to “unity assists” or “strength in unity.” The University of Cincinnati uses a variation of the design for its seal which was adopted in 1906. The Cincinnati Seal Slab is inspired by the university seal engraved outside the historic Nippert Stadium.