Marion County Historical Society

1931:

The cell is barely 4 feet wide. The bars in front of me keep me from a hallway completely enclosed with bars.The bars don’t end. They never end. There is no leaving.

The bathroom— the toilet— is right next to me, the sink is above that and my bed is not a foot from them.  The guard unlocks my cell and I walk the hallway, bars on both sides. I take my shower. There are walls, the only walls I get to see. And then I’m led back to my cell. There is no leaving.

     Present day:

The cells are not in use. The bars still enclose the cells, the hallways, the stairs. They’re only bars now, not jail. But it’s not freedom. It doesn’t end; and there is no leaving.

I never left.

Tis the season for adventure!

The 21st Annual Holiday Historic Homes Tour offers a day of exploration of local houses, jails, mansions, funeral homes and churches.

This is the 1 day a year which can satisfy all curiosities: architecture lovers, interior designers, history buffs, nosey people, aspiring real estate agents, etc.

Experience Marion County, the holidays and homes in a whole new way:

 

• Nov. 29

• 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

 

• Self-guided tour
• Nine different homes (including churches, funeral homes and businesses)

 

• Tickets purchased in advance: $16

• Day-of-tour tickets: $18

• Live music, refreshments and holiday decor galore!

The Gatherings

The height of the ceiling is taller, the staircase is grander, the space is more luxurious than any other. Window after window has possibly the most original stained glass in the county. The history, the weddings then and now, the love built within and pouring out can be felt from the first step inside of this gorgeous church where the first Governor of West Virginia used to attend.

     Watson Mansion and Ross Funeral Home

You stand there, elated for adventure but terrified. You look at the whole of the structure, or as much as your eyes can take in of it. A beautiful mansion, a compound from The Godfather, and      an ominous gate. I could get lost, you think. But you’ve forgotten about the funeral home.

It’s not only a mansion. The adventure goes beyond that. Do you?

How else can you see all the influences of the world on Marion County in just 1 day? You can read history books, short stories, watch the news. But how can you see it, feel it, and know it?

Only on the Historic Homes Tour do you experience Italian character, the 19th century, ghosts, local business now and then, Christmas, and local history.

So what world experience will you get with the Historic Homes Tour?

See the possibilities here!