 In addition to the Kent State Shootings Site near the center of campus , there are also a number of additional sites and districts in Kent on the National Register of Historic Places , some of which are open to the public . The Kent Industrial District is a historical district along the Cuyahoga River adjacent to downtown that includes an area and structures that were important in Kent 's early history . On the northwestern part of the Kent State University campus is the Ohio State Normal College At Kent district , which includes the school 's five original classic revival buildings dating to 1913 . There is also the West Main Street District just west of downtown that includes 20 private homes of architectural and historical significance from the post @-@ Civil War and early 20th century periods . The district includes the Kent Masonic Center , which was originally built in the early 1880s as the home of Marvin Kent and his family , and the former residence of Martin L. Davey , who served as Governor of Ohio . Buildings in Kent listed on the register include three private homes noted for their architecture styles : the John Davey House for the Second Empire style , and both the Aaron Ferrey and Charles Kent Houses as examples of Gothic Revival . Other buildings include the 1869 Kent Jail , now used by the Parks and Recreation Department , and the 1837 Franklin Township Hall , the site of eventual U.S. President James A. Garfield 's first nomination for public office in 1859 . As part of its renovation and redevelopment , the former Franklin Hotel , first opened in 1920 , was added to the NRHP in 2013 for its local historical significance and its connections to notable people . 
