Written by Jack & Trisha Ries
In the last issue, we set a challenge to all Marietta residents and visitors to get out and about exploring our little borough in search of twelve local landmarks. All of us here at The Marietta Traveler were overwhelmed by the level of participation. So many of you decided to play our little game that we had to empty the submission box every day or two. Thank you all so much. Before we announce our winners, let’s learn a little about the answers. If you would like to see the pictures again, they can be found on MariettaTraveler.com. 
#1 – Marietta American Legion – The William Brenner American Legion Post 466 sits at 19 S Gay St. As implied, it is named for Pvt. William Brenner, a resident of W Walnut St in Marietta who served in the US Army during WWI. Private Brenner was killed in action near Courmont, France on July 30, 1918. His final resting place is in the Marietta Cemetery.
#2 – The Poppy House – Located at 20 South Mulberry, this building now operates as an AirBnB, and the poppy mural has done a wonderful job of brightening the alley on which it stands. Our hats go off to owner/host Laura for her help in beautifying our little borough.
#3 – Bethel AME Church – Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest continuing church in the borough, with the congregation having been established in 1819. It was the first church for African Americans in Marietta. The current building, constructed in 1969, is located at 128 West Fairview Ave and is surrounded by a cemetery that contains 36 veterans, including 20 who fought in the Civil War.
#4 – Marietta Borough Hall – This is the side entrance to Marietta Borough Hall along South New Haven Street. The building was erected in 1900 as a replacement for the aging Old Town Hall and has served the people and civil servants of the borough very well ever since. The building’s roof is also the home of the song of Marietta’s people, the fire whistle.
#5 – Marietta Old Town Hall – As the plaque denotes, Marietta’s Old Town Hall is number 144 on Lancaster County’s list of Historic Preservation Trust Sites. Built in 1847, this building was the political center of the borough of Marietta. The building housed the local government, the Grand Army of the Republic Post 226, and the schoolhouse. The clock at the top of the tower, added in 1853, keeps accurate time to this very day, thanks to its antique weight-driven clockwork which gets rewound weekly. Today, the Old Town Hall is operated and maintained by the MRA, and functions as a museum.
#6 – Musselman-Vesta Iron Furnace – Musselman-Vesta was the last operating anthracite furnace in the Susquehanna floodplain, having gone out of production in the 1920’s. It was built in 1868, and at its peak of production in the late 1800’s, it produced 22,500 tons of pig iron per year. The item in the photo is a stationary steam engine designed by the renowned late-1800’s industrial engineer George Frick.
#7 – War Memorial Park – Marietta War Memorial Park covers an area of 7.6 acres, and features a playground, softball fields, a tennis court, and is a wonderful spot for walking. The memorial that stands at the corner of E Walnut St & N Pine St was dedicated in 1946 and rededicated in 2006 by the Sons of the American Legion, Squadron 466.
#8 – Marietta Post Office – Although there’s not much historical significance to the post office building, built in 1950, it’s unique brickwork on the entryway façade was enough for it to make our list of interesting things to see in Marietta.
#9 – Footbridge on East Prospect Avenue – You will have to leave the beaten path to find this item and you’ll have to go on foot, as this tiny stone arch bridge over Evans Run is closed to vehicle traffic. It is located on East Prospect Avenue, between North Locust Street and Lumber Avenue.
#10 – White Swan Hotel – The original house that stood on the property was in various stages of construction up until about 1810. Since then, the White Swan has served as an inn and tavern, a pub, and now a private residence. It has been featured on the Candlelight Tour and is considered a local historical landmark by many.
#11 – Swedish Motors – Swedish Motors, located at 7 North Decatur Street, is the only car dealership in the borough, and specializes in European car maintenance, especially (you guessed it) cars from Sweden, such as Volvo and Saab. They’ve been at it for over 40 years, so if you need good service for a European import, give them a look.
#12 – Marietta Center for the Arts/Susquehanna Stage – Located at 133 West Market Street, the stage company occupies the former English Presbyterian Church, which closed its doors only a little over a decade ago after merging congregations with Columbia Presbyterian Church. As the cornerstones suggest, the church was originally constructed in 1853, and later added onto in 1909. Susquehanna Stage Company took over ownership of the building in 2018.
Now that you have all the answers, along with some new knowledge about them, let’s see who our winners are! Since the response was so overwhelming, and so many of you sleuthed out all the clues without getting any wrong, all submissions that had zero incorrect answers were drawn at random to receive prizes.
Stan Kauffman – 3 books on historical homes from Curio Decorative Painting & Restoration
Joyce Drager – $35 gift card to Glazing Sun
Darlene Pruett – Coffee cup and $10 gift card to The Copper Cup
Austin & Becca White – $150 service package from Exclusive Power Wash
Chris Saberin – Candle, soap, & 10% off coupon from The Artful Nest
Kim Knapp – Mary Kay gift basket valued at $150
Stacey Brinkman – Tote bag from Premier Linens
Missy Roeser – Hat, t-shirt, & $25 Sheetz gift card from Love’s Tree Service
Scott Nagle – $35 gift card to McCleary’s courtesy of Columbia Organ Works
Robin Gilmartin – $10 gift card to Kristen’s Katering
Katrina Hostetter – Two season passes to Susquehanna Stage Company
Alaina Bernhardt – $20 gift card to Shank’s Tavern
Katie Jeffries – McCleary’s gift basket
Rob Goshen – Railroad House Inn gift basket
Cheryl Koos – Jenna Carroll Collective photo session worth $250
Thank you to everyone for playing along, and congratulations to all our winners! Look for our next scavenger hunt in next year’s spring edition of the Marietta Traveler.
And remember as you continue to explore our wonderful borough through the warm months, keep an eye open. You may just find a few photo-worthy landmarks yourself.