Written in Stone: Ohio Women, Public Memory, and the Statehouse Monument

Public monuments tell us what a community chooses to remember — and who it chooses to see. For generations, the Ohio Statehouse grounds have honored presidents, governors, astronauts, and statesmen — but not real women.

That will change in September 2026, when the new Ohio Women’s Monument is unveiled on Capitol Square, becoming the first monument on the Statehouse grounds to depict real women and their role in shaping Ohio’s history.

Ahead of the unveiling, we explore the story behind this landmark project: the women it honors, the artist bringing it to life, the public-private partnership making it possible, and the larger question of who gets remembered in the civic spaces we all share.

As Ohio and the nation mark America’s 250th birthday, we ask what it means to finally place women’s courage, leadership, and fight for equality at the center of Ohio’s public memory.

Featuring Brenda Councill, Ohio Women’s Monument Artist and Sculptor; Stephanie Kunze, Original Member of the Ohio Women’s Monument Commission, Capitol Square Foundation Board Member; Charley Moses, Capitol Square Foundation Board Chair, and Former Ohio Statehouse Representative with moderator Charlene Brown, Host, WOSU Public Media’s Columbus Neighborhoods TV Series.