A history of Marion,
then and now
Postcards, papers and photographs of Marion from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Marion College, a two-year Lutheran women's college, operated from 1873 to 1967. Marion Hall, constructed in 1968 and named in honor of Francis Marion, is a residence hall at Roanoke College.
Marion is also home to Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute, continuously operational since May 1887.
In December 1864, during the Civil War, it was the site of the Battle of Marion.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Marion’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
2 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewHaystacks and split rail fence ne…, 1940: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Marion
See all 14 →
Marion, decade by decade
LOCHaystacks and split rail fence near Marion, Virginia1940
LOCCornshocks and fences on farm near Marion, Virginia1940
LOCCornshocks and fences on farm near Marion, Virginia1940
LOCCornshocks and fences on farm near Marion, Virginia1940
LOCUntitled photo, possibly related to: Haystacks and split ra…1940
LOCUntitled photo, possibly related to: Cornshocks and fences …1940
LOCUntitled photo, possibly related to: Cornshocks and fences …1940
LOCHaystacks and shocks of corn in field near Marion, Virginia1941
1990s
10 historic places in Marion
Marion has 10 listings on the National Register, and they protect 368 historic buildings, because Marion Historic District (Boundary Increase) alone counts 204.
Where they are
When they were listed
Listed 2000Marion Historic DistrictListed 1989Marion Male AcademyListed 1990Henderson Building, Southwestern State HospitalListed 1992Lincoln TheatreListed 1995Norfolk & Western Railway DepotListed 1995Hotel LincolnListed 1997Greer, R. T., and CompanyListed 2011Marion Historic District (Boundary Increase)Listed 2015Smyth County Community HospitalListed 2023Southwestern State Hospital Tubercular BuildingThen & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Haystacks and split rail fence near Marion, Virginia (1940) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (3), the Library of Congress (8) and the National Register (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.