Dodds Monuments - Xenia, OH

123 W. Main Street,  Xenia, OH 45385

http://www.doddsmonuments.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dodds-Monuments/143663775665356

Located in southwestern Ohio, Xenia is the only city in the United States starting with the letter "X" that has a population of more than 5,000. It’s here that one will find Dodds Monuments, one of the largest memorial companies in the country.

In 1864, Scottish immigrant brothers George and Andrew Dodds were stone masons who established the company just 60 years after Xenia was founded. As current company president Neil Fogarty explains, “George was a man with a vision.” He went from a simple mason to owning three stone quarries and having shops in every major market in the country, including Boston, St. Louis and New York. In fact, George had offices in the Pershing Building, directly across the street from Grand Central Station in New York City.

However, it was in Xenia that Dodds set up the central hub for his business. The main office building on Main Street was created from repurposed lumber and materials from the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904.  Fogarty says that when, on April 3, 1974, an F-5 tornado tore through the city, killing 33 people and injuring more than 1,300 others, those who returned “believed things would be okay because the Dodds Monument building was still standing.”

Forty years later, Xenia is still struggling to get back to what it once was. More than 1,400 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Dodds Monument is one of the last destination retailers along Main Street. Most of the city’s commerce is now done on the west side of town.

But in this space, more than 150 years after the company began, Dodds employees still hand etch, laser etch and custom sandblast designs for their customers. Many of their clients are third or fourth generation family members who return because of the customer service their family has received at Dodds Momuments.

“We put caring into the product,” says Fogarty, “People come back because they know we really care. We listen to what they say about their family member and we help create a memorial that puts [into stone] what they are expressing.”

Fogarty notes the importance of his company’s role is in the emotional process for clients. “Studies show that a memorial allows for finality. It allows a grieving family to express love. A memorial is a lasting piece of love…such permanency allows for families to return [for anniversaries, birthdays, etc.] and grapple with the grieving process. You never get over a death, but [having a memorial] helps you deal with it.”

Each year, hundreds of families turn to Dodds Monuments to create these memorials. This includes Marcus Hanna and other friends of William McKinley who called on Dodds in the early 1900s. The company created the 25th President’s memorial in Canton, Ohio. 

In addition to the home office, Dodds has branches in Dayton, Lebanon, Middletown, Milford and Springfield, Ohio.