Historic marker of birthplace of Heisman Trophy namesake moved to correct location
The Ohio City birthplace of John Heisman has been incorrectly marked for almost a half a century.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Starting Saturday, when you see the Ohio City marker commemorating the birthplace of John W. Heisman you will actually be standing in from of the house where Heisman was born.
Forty-two years ago, a marker was placed at 2825 Bridge Ave. in Ohio City. But that’s not where Heisman was born.
Fans, historical buffs, and met Saturday to unveil the historic marker - now in the correct location at 3928 Bridge Ave., according to a media release.
As #Cleveland welcomes the world for the #NFLDraft2021 next week, we kicked off the festivities today in #OhioCity with the dedication of the accurate @OhioHistory Marker for the birthplace of John #Heisman! Thank you to everyone who made this possible! 🏈🏈🏈 pic.twitter.com/WeiQ1Lg6XW
— Kerry McCormack (@KerryMcCormack1) April 24, 2021
John William Heisman, the grandnephew of the famous athlete, spoke at the unveiling.
“Through the advocacy efforts of many, the actual house where Heisman was born is receiving the recognition it deserves,” said Christopher Busta-Peck, a Cleveland preservationist.
Cleveland architectural researcher Craig Bobby discovered the error, according to a media release.
Ohio City resident and activist Fay Harris took up the effort to move the marker. He enlisted a number of people to move the marker to the correct location.
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