Lakeview Park (Lorain, Ohio)

Lakeview Park is a public beach park located along Lake Erie in Lorain, Ohio. Established in 1917 by the City of Lorain, the park is divided into north and south sections by U.S. Route 6 / West Erie Avenue.[1] Both sides of the park were managed by the City of Lorain until 2006 when management was split between the City of Lorain and the Lorain County Metro Parks. The north beach side is managed by the Lorain County Metro Parks and Lakeview Park South is managed by the City of Lorain.[2]

The north side of the park includes the public beach, Bath House (with event space with a restaurant and concession stand in the summer), rose garden,[3] fountain, lawn bowling, gazebos and picnic areas, and several historical monuments including one of the Lorain Easter Baskets.[4][5][6][7] Since 2020, the Lorain Public Library System operates a converted shipping container as a "Little Library on the Lake" which lends beach and sports equipment to library card holders.[8]

The south side consists of ball diamonds, concession stand, playground, picnic area, tennis and pickleball courts, and parking lot. The tennis and pickleball courts are converted into a temporary ice skating rink in the winter.[9][10][11]

History

The Sandusky-Lorain Tornado first made landfall in Lorain at Lakeview Park in 1924,[12] destroying the bath house.[13] The bathhouse was rebuilt after the tornado, but went through massive renovations by the Lorain County Metro Parks in 2007 to become the Lakeview Park Bathhouse and Visitor Center.[14]

Monuments and historical markers

The Easter Basket monument inside Lakeview Park was created by David Shukait in 1937.[15] The basket is seven feet and two inches tall and ten feet and 3 inches wide.[16] Shukait was employed by the City of Lorain Parks Department as a mechanic and created the sculpture by weaving concrete. The City began and Lorain County Metro Parks have continued the tradition of painting the Easter basket and added eggs to the basket for the Easter season. Families getting their photographs taken by the basket at Easter time has become a Lorain tradition.[17]

Lakeview Park War Memorial, dedicated in 1942 by Admiral Ernest J. King, is dedicated to the men and women from Lorain who served during the first and second World Wars.[18]

Birdwatching

Lakeview Park is a location on the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Huron & Lorain Loop which is a trail of birdwatching sites along Lake Erie.[19] Migratory birds can be spotted in the park especially near the beach.[20][21]

Since 2024, there has been an active eagles nest at Lakeview Park South.[22][23]

References

  1. ^ Mollenkopf, Jim (1998). Lake Erie sojourn: an autumn tour of the parks, public places, and history of the Lake Erie shore. Toledo, Ohio: Lake of the Cat Publishing. pp. 84–85. ISBN 9780966591002.
  2. ^ Editorial Board (29 July 2023). "Lorain is correct to explore shedding less used parks | Editorial". The Morning Journal. Retrieved 9 May 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "Lakeview Park Rose Garden". Pulse: Lorain County's Magazine (Summer 2019).
  4. ^ Glaser, Susan (10 June 2017). "Top 10 beaches for activity lovers on Ohio's Lake Erie cost (plus one in Pennsylvania)". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 9 May 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "Lakeview Park Beach". Lake Erie Paddler. Retrieved 22 April 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ Isaac, Skylar. "Make Plans: Visit Lakeview Rose Garden". The Collegian: A Student Publication of Lorain County Community College.
  7. ^ "Pay a Visit to Any of These Four Parks in Lorain, Ohio". Horizon Education Centers. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "By the Numbers: Teens and Libraries". American Libraries. 51 (11/12): 15. 2020 – via jstor.
  9. ^ City of Lorain. "Facilities". Cityoflorain.org. Retrieved 22 April 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ Payerchin, Richard (10 January 2022). "Lorain: Cold temps lead to opening Lakeview Park South ice skating rink". The Morning Journal. Retrieved 9 May 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ Hoffman, Lauren (20 May 2022). "Revitalized tennis courts to open at Lorain's Lakeview Park South". The Morning Journal. Retrieved 9 May 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Lorain, Ohio: A Collection of Historic Snapshots of One of Cleveland's Neighbors". Cleveland Memory. Retrieved 2 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Papoi, Jean-Marie (14 June 2024). "A century later, Lorain remembers resiliency after 1924 tornado". Ideastream Public Media. Retrieved 8 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ Giammarise, Kate (29 November 2007). "Newly Renovated Lakeview Park Bathhouse ready to make its debut". The Morning Journal. Retrieved 8 May 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ "Lorain, Ohio: Big Easter Basket of David Shukait". Roadside America. Retrieved 22 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ "Easter Basket filled with fond memories". The Morning Journal. 29 April 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ "Lorain Easter Basket Tradition". The Chronicle Telegram. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ Prats, J.J. (10 December 2019). "Lakeview Park War Memorial". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 17 June 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "Lakeview Park (Huron & Lorain Loop)". Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 8 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ "Lakeview Park". Birding Hotspots. Retrieved 8 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ "Birding at Lorain Harbor". Ohio Ornithological Society. Retrieved 8 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ Woytach, Carissa (20 April 2024). "Lorain's Lakeview Park south now home to eagles nest". The Chronicle Telegram. Retrieved 8 May 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ Sackor, Mercy (1 August 2024). "Lorain bald eagle's recovery continues at rehabilitation center in Castalia". News 5 Cleveland. Retrieved 9 May 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

41°27′40″N 82°11′40″W / 41.4612°N 82.1945°W / 41.4612; -82.1945

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.