Downtown in Columbus in Franklin County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Birthplace of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 10, 2008
1. Birthplace of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Marker
On the evening of September 29, 1899, thirteen recently returned veterans of the Spanish-American War met in a tailor shop that once stood on this site. These men, all veterans of the Columbus-based 17th Infantry Regiment that had fought in Cuba, shared their memories of the conflict, honored their fallen comrades, and discussed issues of concern to all foreign service veterans. The organization that they formed that night, the American Veterans of Foreign Service, was the nucleus of a nationwide organization that became the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in 1914. The oldest continuing national organization for veterans' affairs, the VFW traces its birth to this site in 1899.
Erected 2000 by The Ohio Bicentennial Commission; The Longaberger Company; Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Ohio; The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 32-25.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Military • Patriots & Patriotism • War, Spanish-American. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical date for this entry is September 29, 1871.
Location. 39° 57.426′ N, 82° 59.497′ W. Marker is
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Scioto Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. 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: Holy Cross Church (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Holy Cross Rectory (about 800 feet away); Hartman Hotel Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Crossroads of Commerce (approx. 0.2 miles away); American Federation of Labor (approx. Ό mile away); Starling Medical College and St. Francis Hospital (approx. Ό mile away); Loving Lived Here (approx. 0.3 miles away); Topiary Garden (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbus.
More about this marker. Formerly missing marker has been replaced.
Also see . . . Veterans of Foreign Wars. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on June 28, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 10, 2008
2. Birthplace of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Marker
Fisher Hall, Franklin University, in background.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 10, 2008
3. James Romanis, A Founding Father of the VFW
1878-1954, 17th United States Infantry, Spanish American War. Section 81, Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 10, 2008
4. James Romanis, A Founding Father of the VFW
April 16, 1878-December 7, 1954. Ohio, Private, Company G 17th Regiment Infantry, Spanish American War.
Photographed by Craig Doda, April 17, 2026
5. Birthplace of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on April 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,241 times since then and 32 times this year. Last updated on March 1, 2025, by Grant & Mary Ann Fish of Galloway, Ohio. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 13, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 5. submitted on April 19, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
