Downtown Elyria has a new way to see what's missing from its skyline. The Elyria Community Partnership unveiled its second Historic Looking Glass in Ely Square during the August Third Thursday event, positioning a clear panel at the northwest corner of Second Street and Court Street so visitors can line up the view and see the original 1881 dome once again perched atop the historic Lorain County Courthouse.
The looking glass uses archival and historical imagery to layer the past over the present, according to the Morning Journal. Steven Rice helped plan and design the project, as reported by the Chronicle Telegram. The image draws on archival photographs.
A Dome Lost to a Windstorm
The courthouse itself dates to 1881, designed in the Renaissance Revival style by Philadelphia architect Elijah E. Myers and built from local Amherst sandstone, according to the Supreme Court of Ohio. Its massive dome was removed in 1943. The courthouse's future was later discussed in terms of demolishing or remodeling the structure.
Ely Square was chosen for the project's proof of concept in part because most of the courthouse building remains intact aside from the missing dome, giving visitors a clear before-and-after comparison. The city of Elyria partnered with the Elyria Community Partnership to identify that best location, and Elizabeth Rigo, who is affiliated with the partnership, said the addition gave community members an opportunity to gather and celebrate public history when it was unveiled during the Third Thursday event.
Second Marker, Different Story
This is not the neighborhood's first brush with the concept. The project's original Historic Looking Glass went up in August 2025 at the southeast corner of Ely Square, overlaying a 1935 photograph of First Baptist Church onto a building in the square. That initial installation, according to the Chronicle Telegram, was partially funded by the America 250-Ohio Commission and took more than three years of development to bring to life.
While the other looking glass location features a completely different building, officials say both markers tell the same broader story of preservation in downtown Elyria. Mone't Roberts, executive director of the Elyria Community Partnership, said the project is a collaborative effort, and that communities nationwide are pursuing similar projects to reconnect residents with lost landmarks.
Who Paid for It, and Who Built It
The approximately $6,500 estimate for the Elyria Historic Looking Glass project included another looking glass, installation, prints, consultant time and a concrete footer. The Lorain County Visitors Bureau sponsored the project as part of its broader countywide tourism and heritage promotion work, a role the bureau confirmed in its own February meeting records. Alexis Exhibits handled the printing and Schramm Signs executed the installation, with the Elyria Community Partnership crediting both firms for their work.
Elyria city administration also collaborated with consultants and historians, including the Lorain County Historical Society, to guide the installation and make sure it complied with safety and city protocols. Officials involved in the project said the partnerships between the city and the historical society helped ensure the stories behind each landmark were told properly and that the physical installations were done correctly.
More Than Just a Landmark
Elyria, founded by Heman Ely, serves as the Lorain County seat, and Ely Square is the central public square where both looking glasses now stand. Ely himself named the county after the Province of Lorraine, and he visited the area, according to the Supreme Court of Ohio. The historic sandstone courthouse, built in 1881, is also part of the county's history.
Primary county judicial proceedings moved on from the 1881 building after the 2005 completion of the modern seven-story Lorain County Justice Center nearby at 225 Court Street, which now houses the common pleas, probate and domestic relations divisions, per American Courthouses. The Elyria Community Partnership, a nonprofit developed to revitalize the city, says understanding that layered history is central to its mission. Roberts said the looking glass project can engage residents with Elyria's unique history, and the partnership has said its broader goal is ensuring the city remains thriving, racially equitable, vibrant and economically growing — work it pursues by supporting quality affordable housing and a vibrant downtown alongside efforts like this one.
