LOGAN COUNTY, Ohio — It’s been nearly four months since a deadly tornado ripped through Logan County, and while the community continues to rebuild, there’s a plan to replace one of the region’s most recognized landmark.

What You Need To Know

• The Our Lady of Fatima Shrine was destroyed by the EF-3 tornado that tore through Logan County on March 14th


• It took weeks to find the 20-foot iconic shrine


• The American Society of Ephesus started a statewide design competition to design a new shrine

Bill Quatman’s grandfather built the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine that used to loom over Indian Lake, but it was destroyed by the EF-3 tornado that tore through Logan County on March 14. It took weeks to find the 20-foot iconic shrine.

"The statue itself was fiberglass, and it flew all the way from the place it was to about 100 yards in the lake,” Quatman said.

Quatman remembers the day it was finally found, but the storm left the 60-year-old statue in pieces, and Quatman decided it was time to build a new one.

"We had planned to replace it in 15 years anyway,” he said.

As president of the American Society of Ephesus, he started a statewide design competition to get people's ideas on how the next shrine should look, especally since it's been part of the community for a long time.

"We have 10 members in our board,” he said. "Five live outside of Ohio. Five live in Ohio. I thought, you know, it's not right for people outside of Ohio to determine what Ohioans should have here. So, let's have a competition among Ohioans and let them decide what to do." 

Though the new shrine won't be restored to its original splendor, Quatman is excited to see what people come up with, hoping to make his grandfather proud from above. 

"We got to build it back for them, not just for us, but for them and for my grandfather, for his vision,” Quatman said.

And it’s not to late to submit a proposal for what the new shrine should look like. Submissions are due by Aug. 15.

The plan is to have the shrine rebuilt in two years.