Historic building of Ohio’s first lesbian bar defaced

Watch surveillance footage of when the summit station marker was damaged in the video player above.

Columbus, Ohio (WCMH) — A historic sign erected a month ago to commemorate Ohio’s first and longest-running lesbian bar has been removed after a passerby was videotaped damaging the sign.

Surveillance video shows signs at Summit Station were defaced on Saturday after a man walking his dog slammed into the sign, causing it to snap at the base and fall to the ground. A former lesbian bar commemorated by the dedication of the monument on June 10 From History Connection, Ohio, where the bar used to be, it is now a permanent fixture in front of Summit Music Hall.

Ohio History Connection spokesman Neil Thompson said organizations across the state were aware of the incident and had begun the process of restoring the sign and returning it to its original location.

“We don’t have a schedule at the moment, because we need to determine what exactly happened, and it can take some time,” Thompson said. “However, we are investigating what happened to this marker and will endeavor to arrange repairs and payment for them.”

The cost of replacing damaged markers is generally covered by the organization listed on the site’s original application, not by the Ohio History Connection. However, liability may be redistributed if part of the damage is caused by a manufacturing problem. Marietta’s Sewa Studio has been manufacturing Ohio historic signs since his 1957.

Summit Station, located in the university district, was one of the nation’s first lesbian pubs, serving regulars for nearly 40 years before closing in 2008.

“This was a really special place, open to anyone who respected the lesbian community,” says Julia, a senior lecturer at Ohio State University and documentary writer who led the establishment of the bar. Applegate previously told NBC4.

The Summit nameplate is one of them. Over 1,800 markers statewide It’s the third to honor the LGBTQ+ community and the first in Central Ohio. A marker was installed in Dayton in 2009 to commemorate Ohio-born lesbian author Natalie Clifford Burney, who hosted a literary salon in Paris, and a marker near Cleveland’s first lesbian-gay community service center in 2017. has been installed.

In addition to the plaques, the team behind the Applegate and Summit signs is producing a documentary film detailing the bar’s history, including interviews with patrons over the decades.Learn more about Summit Station and upcoming documentaries here.