Lorin Sports Hall of Fame Ready to Reopen

The Lorain Sports Hall of Fame Museum (LSHOF), has been an influential part of the community for over 40 years. Two years ago the LSHOF was forced to closed but on Thurs., Oct. 20 will mark the reopening of the newly renovated museum, located in the lobby of the St. Joseph Community Center on the corner of 20th St. and Livingston Avenue. The LSHOF will celebrate the reopening with a reception and open house from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The event is open to the public and appetizers and beverages will be served.



LSHOF co-chairmen Ted Driscol and Ron Feldkamp are happy to have the museum open again. “It’s really great,” said Feldkamp, who been involved with the LSHOF for 16 years. “We really like this location. We put a lot of hard work into this and we’re glad to be back here.”

Driscol, who’s been involved with the LSHOF for 12 years, credited South Shore Community Development Corporation and Ohio Realty Advisors for making it possible for them to reopen at St. Joseph Community Center. “We feel great about being a part of the revitalization of the St. Joseph Community Center,” Driscol said.



Driscol added he is very grateful for the donations that people sent, and said people we be surprised by their new look. “We had enough funds to improve the appearance of it and it will look different to people who have been here before,” Driscol said. “My favorite part of the museum are the new arrangements and identification of the plaques.” The LSHOF has over 300 plaques of individuals and teams, and Driscol said their new format will be user friendly. “The manner which they are displayed will make it easier for visibility and access to finding information,” he said.



Feldkamp said he likes the displays of the trophies from all the high schools in Lorain.
The city once had five high schools, which included Lorain High, Southview, Admiral King, Lorain Catholic and neighboring Clearview High School in Sheffield Township. Today Lorain High and Clearview are the only high schools that remain. “It’s great to see all those trophies from the different high schools, because we down to two and it’s great to see all that history,” Feldkamp said.



Both agree that the LSHOF is vital for the city and they hope it will remain open for a long time. “Our town has a very long and rich history of sports, and people of Lorain are very passionate about sports on a local basis,” Driscol said. “And consequently our assignment is to display that history, whether it’s through the induction plaques, or through memorabilia.”

“I think it’s really good for Lorain,” Feldkamp said. “It’s a lot of hard work and we do our best to have a great induction class every year, and we’re glad we can showcase all these great athletes.”



The museum is filled with all sorts of Lorain sports memorabilia and information that dates back to the 19th century, according to Driscol. Plaques honor the outstanding local athletes who have been enshrined in the Lorain Sports Hall of Fame over the past 40 years. Free and open to the public, the museum hours are Mondays and Thursdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesdays noon to 3 p.m.