Marietta Restoration
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   2015 Pictorial Review


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      Lewis Leader House
              462 East Front Street


In 2007, Lillian Hill saw this home and called it "derelict".  Nevertheless, she had fallen in love with Marietta's charm and embarked on the mighty task of reclaiming the house.  The result is the product of her hard work and ingenuity stripping and painting woodwork and floors, plastering, replacing windows and installing a heating/cooling system, kitchen appliances and a bathroom.  This house was built about 1832 by Ludwig (later Lewis) Leader, a carpenter turned innkeeper.  (Leader was an avid Democrat who named the tavern he had built nearby (1826) The Hermitage after President Andrew Jackson's home; it was one of Marietta's best known early Front Street taverns.)  Interesting features of this house are the two sets of stairs and the 9-foot ceilings on the first floor and only 7-foot ceilings on the second floor.
 
Christmas decorations feature greens and dried flowers from the owner's garden.  A special feature, An Old Fashioned Tree Lighting, will take place twice at 6 pm and 7pm, when carols will be sung while real candles on the tree will be lit.  This home offers examples of  historic restoration and true Christmas spirit.  Owner Lillian Hill will be happy to share her experiences with tour goers.



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 Rectory of Saint John's
       Episcopal Church

           209 East Market Street

 
This Federal-style brick home was built in 1873 as a private residence.  In 1882, the congregation of St. John's Episcopal Church purchased it, and for the next 120 years it served as the rectory for the parish.  The home features a gracious central staircase with an oval stained-glass window on the landing.  The summer kitchen has a walk-in fireplace with a small seelen fenster or Soul Window, named for the age-old superstition that required a window to be opened after a person died so that the departed's soul could ascend to heaven.  Most of the original woodwork and hardware remain throughout the house.
 
Period furniture, both family heirlooms and items collected by them, are the type of decor chosen by the owners who enjoy both formal and informal living.  Traditional holiday decorations accent this aspect of their home.  A balcony off the master suite affords a view of the brick courtyard and gardens, a final touch for gracious living.  The owners recently purchased the former rectory and look forward to many years in this lovely, historic home.


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                 Samuel Hipple House
                             115 East Market Street

 
According to an article in the 24 July 1875 issue of the Columbia Spy, this home was built in 1875 by Samuel Hipple who came to Marietta in 1820 and became a man of considerable importance as a farmer and lumber dealer and who also served as chief burgess of the borough.  It is a classic example of a Victorian townhouse built at that period with straight wood lintels and large panes of glass in the windows and a square transom over the door.  Having been born and raised in Marietta, purchasing this house in 2014 fulfilled a lifelong wish of Willis' to own a home here.
 
The entryway, the attractive staircase and the original windows and hardwood floors are some of the interesting features of this house as is the curved wall on the second floor.  The primitive style decor chosen by the Boyles for their furnishings is carried over to their choice of Christmas decorations, making this home an example of continuity between furnishings and decorations.   A final treat as you exit the house is the garden at the side that is also decorated for the holidays.


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    John C. Kramer House
      -&-  Eagle Residence

           157 West Market Street

 
This is one of the four fine Federal homes on Marietta's Center Square.  It was built about 1813 by John C. Kramer who lost it when it was sold at sheriff sale during the depression of 1817.  It was purchased in 1848 by Stephen F. Eagle (1814-1899) who was one of Marietta's leading entrepreneurs in the latter half of the 19th century.  He was a leader in the development of the iron industry and was also prominent in the lumber business.  The home was owned by members of the Eagle family until 1920.  At that time, it was converted to both  residential and commercial uses.  The Marshes purchased the property in 2014 and are in the process of returning it to its original charm as a family residence.
 
The Marshes have lived in Marietta since 2006 and "were drawn to the rich character and solid craftsmanship of the homes" of which The Eagle House is so fine an example.  Classic Federal architecture is evident in the central hall with its graceful staircase that is open to the third floor, the eight-panel doors and fine woodwork, much of which is intact throughout the house.  Many years ago, the current kitchen, with is shallow fireplace for a stove, replaced the original kitchen in the basement with its large walk-in fireplace for cooking. The Marshes have chosen simple classic decorations and greens to celebrate the Christmas Season.


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             Benjamin Garman Home
                           251 West Market Street

 
Historical records indicate that this charming home was standing in 1814 and may have been built as early as 1812.  The earliest owner, and possibly the builder, was Jacob Nicholas who arrived in Waterford (West Marietta) in 1807.  He was an innkeeper turned lumberman and also a developer who speculated in rental properties.  Like many others who owned property in the borough, the depression that followed the War of 1812 caused him to lose his fortune, and this house was one of those put up for Sheriff's Sale in 1816.  This is a good example of a classic wood frame covered with clapboard modest town house of two hundred years ago.
 
As visitors enter the home, they may note the lovely semicircular fanlight over the door and the corresponding semicircular doorstep.  Traditional decor also features collections of glass bottles and glass insulators from the Weyland family.  The holiday decorations, both inside and outside, are gold to highlight the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes.  The setting for this early Marietta home is enhanced by two hundred-year-old trees, a Japanese maple tree and a majestic sycamore.


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     Theophilus Hiestand
                    House

           282 West Market Street

 
This charming home was built in 1866 by Theophilus Hiestand, a teacher who later turned politician and was the Treasurer of Lancaster County in the 1890's.  Although it was originally covered with vertical beadboard, the house was given a linear face-lift about 1915 when the exterior was covered with stucco, and a porch was added.  The interior features random-width pine floors, plaster walls and original woodwork.  The kitchen was added in 1998 with French doors looking out to a rustic deck surrounding a large shade tree with gardens beyond.
 
The Currans "live with the things they love".  The antiques and objets d'art that Tom and Valerie have collected are displayed with a flair for creative decorating that is her special talent. Period antique furniture, Tom's pewter collection in the library, and Valerie's collections of fine china are only several of the interesting items to be seen.  Several trees decorated for the Christmas Season are a treat to the eye as is the decorative shelf in the kitchen over the French doors that look out on a picturesque garden.  A walk through the Curran's  home is a rare treat, and be sure to look for the fox as you take the tour.



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 Charles O’Connor House
          281 West Market Street

 
Owners Freddy and Dani States were first drawn to Marietta in 2006 by McCleary's Pub, the restaurant they own on Front Street.  They fell in love with the town, and in 2007 they moved to this house that had been built in 1922 by Charles J. O’Connor, Sr. who owned a very successful coal and ice business.  It is an excellent example of an American Four Square home, also known as a Prairie Box, a style that became very popular early in the 20th century. It is two-and-one-half stories high, and the square floor plan provides a maximum amount of interior room space.  A hipped roof and a central dormer are also typical of this style as well as the sun parlor.  The lovely yellow brick lends an appearance of elegance.  The States' love for their home and the town was expanded in the last year when they acquired and have revived The Railroad House, a landmark Marietta restaurant whose reputation extends beyond the bounds of the borough.
 
The States have decorated the interior with antiques that have been handed down over generations in their family as well as furnishings from Riverview Mansion at the intersection of Routes 441 and 23.  Artwork includes paintings of homes and landmarks throughout Marietta and Lancaster County done by Dani’s grandmother, Dolores Hackenberger.  The home is beautifully decorated for the Holiday Season.



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             Old Hickories
   Barr Spangler Mansion

                 55 Fairview Avenue

 
Old Hickories, known as Early Dawn in its early years, has been owned by only two families in its 145-year history.  Barr Spangler had the brick main house built in 1870 on land that he bought in 1860.  This structure was incorporated with an earlier frame building which became the kitchen for the Spanglers.  Today, the original structure serves as a den for the Bakers.  This American Second Empire home features a mansard roof and porches on three sides.  Both the parlor and the music room display plaster crown moulding and rosettes, and in the central hallway can be observed the central ventilation system and an electrified entry "gaslight".  There are four fireplaces in the home: two in the parlor/music room that are faux marble, one in the kitchen that is wood, and in the den that is a colonial style hearth.  All are gas operated.  An early speaker system connects the kitchen with the master bedroom suite.  Outside, attached to the house are "his and hers" outhouses, and in sight from the kitchen window is the original pumphouse.
 
In celebration of the holiday season, Old Hickories has been decorated with greens and other natural elements, holiday ornaments and arrangements in a traditional style.  A number of trees adorned with ornaments of varying themes are scattered throughout the house and about the exterior.  Holiday lights and candles add to the ambiance of this home that was built for gracious living.


Site contents © Marietta Restoration Associates
2015
  • Home
  • About MRA
    • Meet the Board
    • Life Members
    • ​2022 Tour Committee
    • 2022 Tour Patrons
    • In Loving Memory
    • Contact Us
  • Places & Projects
    • Old Town Hall Museum
    • Musselman/Vesta Furnace
    • Union Meeting House
    • UMH Rental
    • Marietta Theater
    • The Marietta Traveler
  • Events
    • Haunted House
    • Christmas Candlelight Tour >
      • Tour Ticket Sales Locations
      • Become a Patron
      • 2021 Christmas Candlelight Tour
      • 2019 Christmas Candlelight Tour
      • 2018 Christmas Candlelight Tour
      • 2017 Pictorial Review
      • 2016 Pictorial Review
      • 2015 Pictorial Review
      • 2014 Pictorial Review
      • 2013 Pictorial Review
      • 2012 Pictorial Review
      • 2011 Pictorial Review
      • 2010 Pictorial Review
      • 2009 Pictorial Review
    • Annual Benefit Auction >
      • 2014 Pictorial Review
  • Join Us!
  • Store