Historic preservation is a critical tool for economic development, especially in small towns like Marietta where the history is rich. Not only does historic preservation ensure that Marietta’s story can still be told for generations to come, but it has a significant impact on tourism, job creation, economic investments, and beautification.
In an effort to uplift historic preservation as a priority for our community – to save our historic buildings – Marietta Main Street has partnered with The Castle to bring forth a new program, Historic Preservation: A Series. This 8-month program features talks once a month from experts across the state of Ohio on topics like funding, ADA compliance, building codes, the benefits of historic preservation, and the steps to becoming a Certified Local Government through codified ordinance. Speakers will be featured from Heritage Ohio, Young Ohio Preservationists, Campus Martius Museum, Ohio History Connection, Pickering Associates, German Village Society, and more.
“We are proud to sponsor the Historic Preservation Series - this series will provide a wealth of resources for our local business and building owners. It's important that we continue to preserve and restore our historically significant buildings, like the Peoples Bank Theatre, for example,” says Sarah Arnold, Director of Marketing & Sales of Pickering Associates.
The Castle’s Education Director, Kyle Yoho, shares, “Winston Churchill once said ‘A nation that forgets it's history has no future.’ What drew me to Marietta as a young undergrad and currently as a museum professional is its history. The physical representation of that history is what makes downtown Marietta unique. It fuels an essential tourism industry that promotes our local economy. Once a historic structure is lost (by neglect, lack of vision, or disaster) it cannot be rebuilt. We shouldn’t forget our history because in Marietta our history and our future are intertwined.”
“Once a historic structure is lost (by neglect, lack of vision, or disaster) it cannot be rebuilt. We shouldn’t forget our history because in Marietta our history and our future are intertwined.””
The first talk in this series is “Enjoying Old Marietta,” where Jessica Wielitzka, Hidden Marietta Tour Co., and Kyle Yoho, The Castle, will share about what makes Marietta’s history so special. This talk will feature an overview of historic buildings that have been lost to time, buildings that have been saved through historic preservation efforts, and those that are on the edge of extinction.
This series is free and open to the public, but a passing of the hat will occur in each talk with a suggested donation of $10 to supplement the historic preservation efforts of The Castle & Marietta Main Street.
