The Marion Historical Commission is pleased to announce that Phase 2 of the Marion Historic Survey Update has recently been completed. Work on this project included updating and expanding the Historic Inventory in much of the Marion Village area in order to make it more accessible, more easily usable and fully compliant with current state standards. Work began in the fall of 2021 and has now been completed.
For this project, our historic preservation consultant, Lynn Smiledge, reexamined the existing survey forms for three distinct areas of the Village: the Water Street Area, George Bonham Nye Area (at Pleasant Street and Converse Road) and the Upper Main Street Area. Maps and Data Sheets for each building were clarified and improved, and individual Building forms were completed for a large number of properties in and near these Areas.
The information will soon be accessible to the public on the Marion Historical Commission’s website, as well as in hard copy in repository at the Sippican Historical Society and the Elizabeth Taber Library. We will also be sending copies of the Building forms to owners of properties that were individually surveyed. It is our hope that this information will make Marion residents increasingly aware and appreciative of the Village’s very special historic and architectural significance. Properties in the survey range from the grand Shingle-Style homes in the Water Street Area to more modest 19th-century Cape Cod Cottages and Greek revival homes. Also represented are several good examples of the Queen Anne period, Gothic revival cottages, Colonial revival and Bungalow-style homes.
The results will benefit individual property owners interested in the history of their homes as well as being a useful planning tool available to local boards to assure development decisions are in keeping with goals for preservation of the Town’s historic resources in accordance with the Marion Master Plan.
The survey work continues with our next project: Update and Expansion of Marion’s Historic Inventory – Phase 3. This project is funded with 2021 Community Preservation funds. Its focus will be the Old Landing Area, Old Depot Area, Rev. Oliver Cobb Area and other areas of town where early historic properties remain extant and are worthy of further research to better understand and appreciate the Town’s historic growth and the significant 18th, 19th and early 20th century architectural properties that survive as reminders and reflections of our history and culture.