Oxford Township in Butler County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Ernst Nature Theatre

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 31, 2025

1. Ernst Nature Theatre Marker

Inscription. Ernst Nature Theatre was designed by the internationally acclaimed landscape design firm the Olmsted Brothers of Brookline, Massachusetts. It was built into the landscape as an outdoor performance space in 1921. The brothers were co-founders of the American Association of Landscape Designers. Local craftsmen, including Cephas A. Burns, African American master stonemason, built the theater under the direction of President William Waddell Boyd. The inaugural play was presented at the Tree Day celebration in 1922, a tradition fairly initiated by President Leila McKee in 1890. On June 8, 2024, upon completion of improvements funded by Western donors, the Western College Alumnae Association, Inc. (1974-2024) rededicated the theater during the organization's final reunion on the Western Campus.

Erected 2024.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical year for this entry is 1921.

Location. 39° 30.08′ N, 84° 43.498′ W. Marker is in Oxford, Ohio, in Butler County. It is in Oxford Township. It can be reached from Western College Drive east of Wil Haygood Lane. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 751 Western College Dr, Oxford OH 45056,

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United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cincinnati

and in the Miami Valley.

It is also in the American Midwest.

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: Western College (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Freedom Summer (about 400 feet away); Alumnae Hall (about 400 feet away); Freedom Summer '64 Memorial (about 400 feet away); Freedom Summer 1964 (about 400 feet away); Langstroth Cottage (approx. half a mile away); Langstroth Cottage / Lorenzo Langstroth (approx. half a mile away); The Verlin L. Pulley Tower (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oxford.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 31, 2025

2. Ernst Nature Theatre Marker

The marker is located on the pathway to the outdoor theater.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 31, 2025

3. Ernst Nature Theatre Marker

A secondary marker dedicates the theater to its donor and namesake, Senator Richard P. Ernst.

Ernst Nature Theatre image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 31, 2025

4. Ernst Nature Theatre

A view of the amphitheater from street level.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 26, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 123 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 26, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.