Monday (July 30) provides a rare opportunity to visit and walk throughout one of Ohio’s most historically important and architecturally significant sites, the Octagon Earthworks near Newark and just east of Columbus. Because the earthworks site is part of a golf course, there are only four days a year when the state suspends golf and opens the site up to people to walk freely.
Part of the Newark Earthworks, the Octagon Earthworks were built by the Hopewell Culture between 100 B.C. and 500 A.D., according to the Ohio History Connection website. The Octagon Earthworks consist of eight walls, each measuring about 550 feet long and from 5 to 6 feet in height. The Octagon Earthworks are joined by parallel walls to a circular embankment enclosing 20 acres.
The overall Newark Earthworks are the largest set of geometric earthen enclosures in the world and a National Historic Landmark. In 2006, Ohio designated them "the official prehistoric monument of the state." The state has also included them in a serial nomination to declare its earthworks a World Heritage Site.
The Octagon Earthworks will be golf-free and open for visiting from 7 a.m.-8:30 p.m. on Monday. There will be guided and self-guided tours. The site is located at 125 North 33rd St. on the grounds of the Moundbuilder's Country Club in Newark. For more information, visit ohiohistory.org
