Marietta Restoration Associates, Inc.

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Marietta Restoration Associates, Inc. In 1965 civic-minded individuals formed Marietta Restoration Association to promote restoration and preservation of the town’s history and architecture.

In our 48th year we continue to restore and maintain a variety of public buildings, orchestrate the county’s longest, continuous Candlelight Tour of Homes, and coordinate a fun, entertaining Benefit Auction.

Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes Preview115 East Market Street - Samuel Hipple HouseWillis, Kiersten, and Kassidy Boyl...
10/11/2026

Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes Preview
115 East Market Street - Samuel Hipple House
Willis, Kiersten, and Kassidy Boyles

According to an article in the 24 July 1875 issue of the Columbia Spy newspaper, this house was built in 1875. This home is typical of the vernacular brick Victorian homes with Italianate embellishments being built during the 1870s when many Mariettians were enjoying a period of extraordinary prosperity. The reporter gives credit for the sturdy construction of the house to Samuel Hipple (1798-1879) and his wife, Ann Rinehart Hipple (1804-1886). Hipple was a native of Chester County who relocated in Marietta in 1820. He was a farmer and lumberman and a gentleman of considerable capability, having served as Chief Burgess of the borough. He passed his later years in quiet retirement. The home was totally refurbished between 1995 and 1998. 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 hardwood floors are some of the interesting features of this house as is the curved wall on the second floor. The primitive style decor for the furnishings is carried over to the 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.

Event Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1372145261168175/

Stop by Old Town Hall Museum Today! Open from 12:00-4:00 during the Blues and Brews Festival.
10/10/2026

Stop by Old Town Hall Museum Today! Open from 12:00-4:00 during the Blues and Brews Festival.

Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes Preview132 West Front Street – Annie Fairfax HouseFreddy & Dani StatesBuilt in 1807 b...
10/05/2026

Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes Preview
132 West Front Street – Annie Fairfax House
Freddy & Dani States

Built in 1807 by Philip and Mary Ranck, this charming Federal-style home is one of the earliest houses in Marietta. Constructed in Flemish bond brickwork, the home features five fireplaces and beautifully detailed Adam-style mantels. During Marietta's early history, the house was home to Judge Jacob Grosh (1776-1860) and his family. Grosh served as a representative in the Pennsylvania legislature, presided over the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas, and captained a company of Marietta volunteers during the War of 1812. From 1833 to 1853, Jacob Graybill (1777-1852) – a local businessman and longtime Justice of the Peace – resided here. The house now bears the name of Annie Fairfax (1882-1967) in recognition of Annie and her family who were longstanding members of Marietta's African American community and who contributed to the life and character of the town. Her father, Josiah Fairfax (1850-1929) was a barber. In 1925, he purchased the house and made his barbershop here. Josiah loved to regale his customers with stories - especially recalling the occasion on which he was once summoned to the elegant Duffy mansion to shave Ulysses S. Grant during one of the President’s visits to Marietta. Following Josiah's death in 1929, his daughter Annie Fairfax continued to live here. Annie is remembered as one of the area's few African American women to own her own home, and she lived here until her death in 1967 at the age of 85 years. Throughout its long history, the house has survived eight major floods—in 1832, 1847, 1865, 1875, 1889, 1936, 1972, and 2011. Although it was condemned following the devastating 1972 flood, extensive restoration work saved it in 1976. Today, the Annie Fairfax House stands as a reminder of the many lives, stories, and generations that helped shape Marietta's history.

Event Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1372145261168175/

Happy October! Join us October 23 for a Pumpkin Carving Contest during Haunted Marietta!
10/01/2026

Happy October! Join us October 23 for a Pumpkin Carving Contest during Haunted Marietta!

Join us this Sunday, October 4 at 1:00 for a special event at Old Town Hall!
09/30/2026

Join us this Sunday, October 4 at 1:00 for a special event at Old Town Hall!

Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes Preview55 Fairview Avenue - Old HickoriesThe Baker FamilySixty years ago, James and H...
09/30/2026

Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes Preview
55 Fairview Avenue - Old Hickories
The Baker Family

Sixty years ago, James and Hazel Baker – parents of the present owner – opened this magnificent home for the first Candlelight Tour. Old Hickories, originally named Early Dawn, has been owned by just two families in its 165-year history. Marietta businessman Barr Spangler (1822-1922) built the brick main house in 1870 on land that he purchased in 1860. This structure incorporated an earlier frame cottage which became the kitchen wing. Today, this original frame structure serves as a den. According to articles in the Columbia Spy newspaper, the firm of Bachman and Dehuff of Columbia was contracted to build this Second Empire style domicile which features a mansard roof and porches on three sides. Little expense was spared in the home's construction. Both the parlor and the music room display plaster crown molding and rosettes, and the central hallway reveals 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 one in the den that is a colonial style hearth. All are gas operated. Outside are "his and hers" outhouses and the original pump house. Mr. Spangler died at the advanced age of one hundred years, and the house remained in Spangler family ownership for a total of 95 years. Since 1956, it has been home to two generations of the Baker family, who have taken great care to preserve the grandeur of Old Hickories named for the hickory trees in the garden. Old-growth shrubbery and shade trees surround this stately home and includes a white oak begun as a seedling from the Donegal Witness Tree. 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 various themes are scattered throughout the house and about the exterior. Holiday lights and candles add to the ambiance of this historic home that was built for gracious living.

Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes Preview402 West Market Street – Erinton Cottage / Musser HomesteadSusan & Danielle Ki...
09/27/2026

Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes Preview
402 West Market Street – Erinton Cottage / Musser Homestead
Susan & Danielle Kirchoff

This picturesque home represents the ideal in nineteenth-century suburban living. It was built in 1870 by Israel Goodman (1824-1903), a carpenter, general contractor, and self-trained architect who was born and raised in the borough. At the time, Marietta was experiencing the great economic booming that followed the Civil War. Goodman designed the house in the Italianate style and featured a unique ornamental rooftop railing that encircles a walkway, typically referred to as a widow's walk. The lower level has three floor-to-ceiling windows that were used to ventilate the house. There is a veranda that wraps around the front to a door on the side of the house. The staircase in the front hall has a solid walnut banister, balusters and newel post with painted risers and steps. The servant's staircase in the rear of the house is sharply curved where a late 19th century tapestry is hung. All the floors in the home are yellow pine and have been finished with plant-based hard-wax oil instead of polyurethane to keep the vintage feel of the house. The walls are plaster and lath, and there is decorative wood molding throughout. There is a middle room in the rear of the home that was the original kitchen and still has the working, wood-burning fireplace with a period crane that has the 1851 patent date from which pots were hung for cooking. There are 4 fireplaces in the home and two of them are black marble with carved, black marble pillars. The library at the front of the house has built in bookcases designed by the architect, Dwayne Hahn. None of the original molding was disturbed when the bookcases were installed. The home is listed on the National register of Historic Places as the first structure in the first National register Historic District established in the Marietta Borough in 1978.

Event Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1372145261168175/
Tickets: https://www.mariettarestoration.org/store/p18/Marietta-Candlelight-Tour-Tickets-2026.html

Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes Preview246 West Front Street – Samuel Zuch HouseRyan & Abby ClevelandThis house was b...
09/23/2026

Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes Preview
246 West Front Street – Samuel Zuch House
Ryan & Abby Cleveland

This house was built about 1865 by Samuel W. Zuch (1828-1907), a native of Prussia who immigrated to the United States in 1853. Zuch was a shoemaker, and this residence became home to him, his wife, and their eleven children. The present parlor served as Zuch's shoe shop. Following a devastating fire in 1877, the home was rebuilt and incorporating some salvaged timbers. Charred wood believed to have survived the fire can be seen in the attic. The house eventually passed through four generations of the Zuch family until 1996. The last descendant to own the house was Jesse C. Wagner II, the great-grandson of the original builder. The Clevelends purchased their home in June of 2009. Over the decades, the house evolved to accommodate changing lifestyles. Its distinctive two front doors provide architectural symmetry while separating everyday living space from the formal parlor. The house was originally heated by a centrally located stove and chimney, and a reproduction gas fireplace was added many years later. The current kitchen was added in the early 1900s, and a former side porch was later enclosed and incorporated into the living space. The open winder staircase seen today is a reproduction of the original stairway, which had been enclosed in the early twentieth century.

Event Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1372145261168175/
Tickets: https://www.mariettarestoration.org/store/p18/Marietta-Candlelight-Tour-Tickets-2026.html

Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes Preview426 East Front Street – Daniel Grosh HousePhilip & Jenna CarrollThis Federal s...
09/17/2026

Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes Preview
426 East Front Street – Daniel Grosh House
Philip & Jenna Carroll

This Federal style house was built in 1827 by Daniel Grosh (1774-1847) and is an example of the substantial type of home that was being built on Front Street by successful businessmen in the early 19th century. The Groshes were early settlers in Marietta, and this section of town was laid out by Daniel's younger brother, Jacob, and was called "Grosh Town". The home's second owner was Jacob K. Stibgen (1801-1879), a prosperous lumber merchant, who built the almost identical house next door (another stop on this year's tour). In 1853, Stibgen sold his residence to Abraham Summy (1827-1902), another lumber merchant, and Summy's descendants lived here for the next 85 years. It was purchased in 2012 by Philip and Jenna Carroll. The Carroll Family has lived in Marietta since 1830 and are devoted Mariettians. Philip and Jenna have furnished their home with antiques and heirlooms from the Carroll family. Their collections illustrate their interest in this area and in their children's art. Their holiday decorations compliment their home that is so representative of early Marietta when it was a bustling river town. They have decorated for the holidays using fresh greenery and creative materials to present visitors with a nostalgic children-themed Christmas.

Event Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1372145261168175/
Tickets: https://www.mariettarestoration.org/store/p18/Marietta-Candlelight-Tour-Tickets-2026.html

Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes Preview151 West Market Street – Dr. H. A. Mowery ResidenceThe Snider FamilyThis prope...
09/09/2026

Marietta Candlelight Tour of Homes Preview
151 West Market Street – Dr. H. A. Mowery Residence
The Snider Family

This property was purchased in 1890 by Dr. Henry A. Mowery (1849-1924) and his wife, Isabelle B. Weaver Mowery (1846-1931). At that time, the lot had two small frame buildings standing on it, and tax records refer to these buildings as the Carpet Hall Tenements. Dr. Mowery had these rental buildings demolished, and in 1892, he built this fine residence in Queen Anne design. Between 1914 and 1964, the house was owned by John P. Schock (1881-1967) and his wife, Mary Haldeman Schock (1883-1979), two highly respected persons in twentieth-century Marietta. This house is a fine example of a large and comfortable, but not overly elaborate, four-bay Queen Anne townhouse from late 1890s. The three-story brick home features bracketed cornice; a wraparound porch with pillars and balustrade; wood shingles in the gables; multiple polygonal framed bay windows and original hardwood floors. Also noteworthy is the tall, paneled chimney; stair landing arched window with stained glass and etched front door transom. A two-story back porch was added in the 1930's of which the second story has found a new life as the home's cozy primary bedroom. To the rear of the house is a brick terrace, and an in-ground pool added in the 1980's. The original two-story brick carriage house was extended in the 2000's to incorporate a garage and a workshop. This multi-generational home will be dressed for the season using fresh, fragrant evergreens, hand-tied bows, and warm candlelight. The Snider family is excited to share some of their favorite vintage treasures with visitors.

Event Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1372145261168175/
Tickets: https://www.mariettarestoration.org/store/p18/Marietta-Candlelight-Tour-Tickets-2026.html

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3 W Walnut Street
Marietta, PA
17547

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