Pictured above is 235 West Third Street, the Levi Phelps House, which is one of the stops on the 2019 driving tour of historic Marysville homes.
(Photo submitted)
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Many of Marysville’s places matter.
That’s the message behind a local campaign to bring awareness and support to local historic sites. For a fourth year, Team Marysville has organized a driving tour of “interesting homes and buildings in Marysville that will serve as a sample of some of the town’s history, heritage and architecture.”
This year’s tour has 26 buildings — a mix of homes, businesses, churches and other structures.
Officials have said that younger generations are just used to seeing the old structures and new residents don’t know their history.
“The purpose of the driving tour is to provide a look at some of those stories, with the goal that it might help encourage an appreciation for the older structures and help understand the importance of preserving these local landmarks,” according to information from the tour.
One of the homes on the tour, the Levi Phelps House at 235 West Third St., is one of those historic homes that is often overlooked.
Like many of the homes on Third Street, the Phelps house was not originally built there. The Phelps house was built in 1828 and 1829 at 218 North Main St., by Connecticut native Levi Phelps. In 1810, at 21 years old, Phelps came to Ohio, serving in the Ohio Militia during the War of 1812. After the war, Phelps and his brother came to Union County and built a woolen mill in Union Township. The mill was destroyed by fire. Phelps became a school teacher and later took up surveying.
He built the home three years after he married Sarah Cooper. Phelps died in 1863 and at that time, the property consisted of the house, which had been added to several times, two garden lots and several barn lots.
In 1905, Earnest G. McCann purchased the property with the plan to redevelop it as a lumber yard. In April 1906, McCann moved the Phelps house to 235 W. Third St. The house was placed on the lot but turned so what was formerly an end of the building became the front. The building was remodeled and an addition constructed on the back.
In addition to the Levi Phelps House, structures on the tour include:
215 S. Maple St. – Joshua Marshall House
245 W. Seventh St. – Reuben L. Partridge House
122 – 124 S. Main St.– Dr. James M. Southard Home
325 W. Sixth St. – Belle Woods Home
705 W. Eighth St. – Dr. Carpenter Medical Office
110 S. Main St. – John H. Wood Block
116 – 120 S. Main St. – J.J. Morelock Block
215 W. Fifth St. – Union County Courthouse
209 S. Main St. – Marysville City Hall and Hyland Fire Station
508 – 510 E. Fifth St. – Thomas M. Peacock House
210 W. Fifth St. – First Presbyterian Church
128 S. Chestnut St. – William Bancroft House
311 S. Main St. – George W. Court House
303 S. Main St. – Gray Court Building
130 Second St. – Early Log House
310 Oak S. St. – Early Log House
302 S. Main St. – Michael Gunderman House
310 S. Court St. – John S. Fleck House
323 W. Seventh St. – William P. Beightler House
263 W. Third St. – Philip Snider Dry Goods Store
111 S. Main St. – Henry W. Morey Block
240 W. Fifth St. – James W. Evans House
305 N. Walnut St. – Marysville Foundry
270 W. Seventh St. – Michael Forry House
331 W. Sixth St. – Frank Z. Ballinger House
Those interested in the tour are invited to go to Team Marysville’s website, www.visituptown.org. Under the Explore tab is a link to the History Tour. From there, the 2019 Marysville Tour of Homes and Buildings can be downloaded.
Each of the structures included in the driving tour has a photo as well as a history of the building. The buildings and homes included on the tour are marked with “This Place Matters” signage.
Officials said that once they identify a potential building for inclusion on the tour, they speak with the owners to get permission, then begin researching and compiling the history.
Since 2016, 78 buildings have been included in historic driving tours.
Officials have said that in addition to providing education about the age, architecture and story of the buildings, they want to motivate participants to help preserve the community’s historically significant structures.
Marysville’s This Place Matters is part of a national campaign that encourages people to celebrate the places that are meaningful to them and to their communities.
According to its website, the National Trust for Historic Preservation created This Place Matters because it hopes, “to encourage and inspire an ongoing dialogue about the importance of place and preservation in all of our lives.”