The historic Ravenna flagpole was erected in 1893 by Ravenna Township, replacing a tall wooden flagpole erected during the Civil War. Van Dorn Iron Works of Cleveland fabricated the 150 foot flagpole for $800 using riveted iron technology similar to the 1889 Eiffel Tower, and when built it was one of the tallest structures in the State of Ohio. In 1923 it was moved 15 feet south from its position in Main Street, where it obstructed traffic, to its present location in a twelve-minute operation by jacking it up on rails, pulling it to its new location, and lowering it onto a new foundation. In 2014 it was dismantled in sections, completely restored to its original appearance, and re-erected in a manner similar to its 1893 construction. The 100 foot tall lattice iron structure supports a 62 foot tall flagpole, of which 12 feet is supported inside the lattice structure, and the gold-leafed ball on top is about 12 inches in diameter. The structure sits on an octagonal concrete base installed in 2014 that matches the original, and in 2014 the Ravenna Township Trustees installed an ornamental iron fence around the flagpole. The octagonal base rests upon a concrete foundation 48 inches deep installed in 1923. The original steel flagpole could be extended up and retracted down inside the lattice iron structure via a pulley and cable, and the pulley is still visible on the west side of the structure. The 2014 restoration was undertaken by Friends of the Flagpole and supported by hundreds of private donations from all over the world.
