Just for fun
A group of volunteers annually plans the Marion FoxTrot Festival, set for the third Saturday in May. You won’t want to miss this year’s event!
Historically Speaking
By 1979, the City of Marion had preserved and had declared on the National Register a large historic district of about 1,150 acres, containing some 90 buildings and several monuments. Thirty of those buildings and one monument is viewable on the National Register of Historic Places web site.
In 2001, the old Marion High School, at 719 N. Main Street, was added to the city’s historic district and was restored. The historic district contains the county’s 1853 Courthouse, among other prominent government buildings. The City owns the Old Town Hall & Opera House, a brick multi-purpose community building, originally built in 1892. The building served as a police station, jail, fire department, meat market and town council meeting room with a large auditorium upstairs. The two-story rectangular brick structure is a simple classic-revival design.
Additionally, in the city’s center is the Marion County Archives & History Center in the Old Records Building on the Square. With its entrance on Godbold Street, research of original documents may be made from noon-5 p.m., Monday – Thursday. The building was constructed in 1903 and is fireproof. It housed the offices of the Clerk of Court and the Judge of Probate, and functioned as such until 1979.
In 1997 an effort to establish a county archives was launched by Pee Dee Genealogical Chapter, S.C. Genealogy Society, Archivist R. Maxcy Foxworth Jr., and the Archives and History Center subsequently opened on November 29, 2000. All early County records, which begin in 1800, through the early 1900’s are available here, along with the books, files, charts, etc. comprising the Pee Dee Chapter archives, offering a uniquely comprehensive research center.
The Marion County Museum, found in the city on Willcox Avenue, is in a building originally built in 1886 as a school. The museum houses a display of fine furnishings, Oriental rugs, local antiques and rotating exhibits. This two-story building was the first public grade school in the district and is also on the National Register for Historic Sites.
The Marion Chamber of Commerce occupies the city’s Historic Train Depot. The one-story, brick passenger depot was built in 1908 for the Atlantic Coastline Railroad. The first railroad through Marion was the Wilmington & Manchester Railroad. After completing renovations, the site erected its historic marker in 2009. Visit http://www.marionscchamber.com for more information.
The City of Marion’s Historic Main Street Revitalization Association, renamed “Main Street Marion” showcases businesses, services and entities in the historic district. Visit HMRA for information about this group’s efforts regarding maintaining the historic flavor in Marion.
City of Marion Hike and Bike Trail: A two-mile trek running through the city beginning at the City’s Historic Train Depot and running to the Catfish Creek Canal that is west of town. The wonderfully landscaped paved trail features a fountain and benches. Officials in Marion County and the City of Marion began collaborating on a Rails-to-Trails project in 1986, when the county acquired the Marion-to-Mullins segment of an abandoned railroad line, then deeded the portion within city limits to the city.
In 1987, the city turned their segment into a greenway. The City has since acquired two additional miles of the line as a fitness trail and in 1992, it opened the first quarter-mile section, calling it the Marion Hike and Bike Trail.
City of Historic Churches and Homes: View some of the historic homes in the city. To learn more about the history of Marion, purchase the Marion Chamber of Commerce’s booklet entitled Marion, South Carolina. Contact the Chamber at 843-423-3561 to learn how to order your copy.
Marion County Library, was built in 1905, thanks to the Carnegie Foundation, which was requested to help with funds to construct “a modern library building.” In 1905 a grant of $7,500 was made with the stipulation that the town should contribute toward the support of the library and that a suitable site be provided for the building. The site chosen is a beautiful one, adjacent to the town square.
The City of Marion is home to one of the state’s oldest continually operating weekly newspapers. With a history that dates to the 1850’s, copies of the newspaper are on microfilm in the county library. Additionally, the newspaper has an online presence and maintains many bound copies of its old issues at its 211 E. Bobby Gerald Boulevard office.
Recreation
The City of Marion has several recreational and nature parks. Learn more about them.
One of the area’s finest resources is its natural beauty. Marion County is bounded on the west by the Great Pee Dee River, which begins as the Yadkin in North Carolina and ends in the Winyah Bay at Georgetown, and to the east by the Little Pee Dee River, which has been designated a scenic river. To better explore our rivers, Marion-based Betwixt the Rivers offers open, private and group river tours.
Private and group tours are designed to the customers’ requests and needs. Betwixt the River staff can provide meals, cooked along the river, while you relax. For folks with limited time, catered meals are offered as well. Contact Giles Page at 843-423-1919 and plan your river adventure today.
The Little Pee Dee State Park, a picturesque 25-minute drive from the City of Marion center, “through the country” will lead you to a complete outdoors experience on one of the nation’s more scenic rivers. Visitors can enjoy camping, fishing and other water sports.
For more modern entertainment, visit the area’s premiere amphitheatre off U.S. Highway 501, The Swamp Fox Entertainment Complex, visit their website here to see what events are on the schedule.
