Granville in Licking County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
"Alligator" Mound
Photographed by Christopher Busta-Peck, March 29, 2009
1. "Alligator" Mound Marker
On this bluff lies one of the two great animal effigy mounds built by Ohio's prehistoric people. Shown here, Alligator Mound is a giant earthen sculpture of some four-footed animal with a long, curving tail. Archaeologists believe the animal is perhaps an opossum or a panther, but not an alligator. The earthwork is approximately 250 feet long, seventy-six feet wide, and four feet high. Like the Great Serpent Mound in Adams County, Ohio, Alligator Mound is not a burial mound. The Newark Earthworks, built by the Hopewell people between 100 B.C. and A.D. 400, are three miles to the east. Scholars do not know who built Alligator Mound, but it may be the work of the Hopewell.
Erected 1998 by The Ohio Bicentennial Commission, The Longaberger Company, Licking County Historical Society, and The Ohio State Historical Society. (Marker Number 8-45.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Man-Made Features. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 100 BCE.
Location. 40° 4.21′ N, 82° 30.079′ W. Marker is in Granville, Ohio, in Licking County. It is on Bryn du Drive 1.1
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Columbus Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Welsh Hills Cemetery (approx. 0.7 miles away); Wallace Carpenter House (approx. Ύ mile away); College Town House (approx. Ύ mile away); Evan D. Evans House (approx. 0.8 miles away); Pen Coed (approx. 0.8 miles away); Utter House (approx. 0.9 miles away); Roswell Graves House (approx. 0.9 miles away); 223 East Elm Street (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Granville.
Regarding "Alligator" Mound. This site helps illustrate the importance of setting when viewing an historic structure. Much was lost when the subdivision was put in, for the sake of but a couple more lots. Historic photographs illustrate better the caliber of this site.
Also see . . .
1. Alligator Effigy Mound. Touring Ohio website entry (Submitted on July 7, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Alligator Mound. Ohio Exploration Society website entry (Submitted on July 7, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by Christopher Busta-Peck, March 29, 2009
2. "Alligator" Mound Marker and hilltop
Photographed by Christopher Busta-Peck, March 29, 2009
3. "Alligator" Mound
The mound shows the wear of decades of agricultural use.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 30, 2009, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,755 times since then and 71 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 30, 2009, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio.
