OneMarysville
Photos Courtesy of Marshall County Historical Society
Marysville’s downtown tells its history in brick, stone and storefronts. From pre-1900 commercial buildings to early 20th-century facades and the 1859 Pony Express Barn, the district still shows how the community grew over time.
Now that historic core is moving through the formal process for recognition.
OneMarysville has been working with Brenda Spencer of Spencer Preservation Group in Wamego on the nomination. A complete draft of the Marysville Downtown Historic District nomination, along with required maps and photographs, was submitted Feb. 13 for review as part of the National Register of Historic Places process.
In Kansas, nominations are submitted through the State Historic Preservation Office, considered by the state review board and then forwarded to the National Park Service for final consideration.
OneMarysville will host a free public lunch session Friday, March 20, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the 809 Broadway event space to provide an update on the nomination process and explain the benefits of historic district designation. Everyone is invited, and lunch will be provided at no charge.
The March 20 session will give property owners, business owners and community members a chance to hear where the nomination stands, what happens next in the review process and why historic district designation matters.
Spencer said one of the most remarkable things about Marysville is how much of its historic downtown remains intact.
“It is amazing how often people, knowing that I have been working on this for the past couple of years, just assume Marysville has a historic district,” Spencer said. “It’s a pretty incredible collection of historic buildings.”
She said Marysville stands apart from many communities because the downtown still reflects distinct eras of development.
“One of the unique aspects of downtown Marysville is the large number of buildings constructed before the turn of the century, beginning with the Pony Express Barn in 1859,” Spencer said. “Buildings from that period and from the first three decades of the 20th century make up 75% of the buildings in downtown Marysville. That’s pretty incredible.”
Spencer said downtown Marysville shows that history not only through construction dates, but through changing architectural styles.
“The dates of construction are one thing, but what correlates to that is the architectural styles,” she said. “You can see the more ornate detailing of the upper facades in the older buildings. Then, in the one- and two-story buildings from 1910 to 1932, there is a rejection of ornament that uses the brick itself, maybe with a little ornamentation around the windows or bricks across the top.”
That contrast gives downtown Marysville unusual visual depth, she said.
“There is a lot of visual interest in downtown Marysville that is different from a lot of communities,” Spencer said. “The mix of building patterns and architectural styles, from more ornate commercial buildings to more modern ones, is pretty incredible. To have that side by side within a single block tells the story of Marysville’s history and development.”
She pointed to the 500 block as one example of that story.
“Think about the south side of the 500 block,” Spencer said. “The laundromat is the oldest building east of Seventh Street that still exists, and it was the only building there for a long time. Then the automobile came to town, and that is really when you see all the different businesses it spurred — auto shops, dealers, garages and gas stations. That block is the perfect example of that transition happening in Marysville.”
Spencer also said Marysville’s early commitment to physical improvements remains visible today.
“A fun tidbit is that Marysville paved its downtown streets with brick before Highway 36 and Highway 77 were paved,” she said. “Even when many local residents were still using horse and buggy, Marysville was paving streets in the business district. The mayor pushed for it, and there was a major debate over whether to use asphalt or brick. The impact of that decision can still be seen today.”
Spencer said Marysville’s location gives downtown unusual visibility. With Highway 36 and Highway 77 meeting in the heart of town, she said, thousands of people pass through Marysville and see its historic core every day. That visibility, she said, fits well with OneMarysville’s efforts to promote the town’s distinctive character and gives Marysville even more opportunity to build on its collection of historic buildings.
Spencer said that connection matters because communities with authentic places have an advantage in attracting visitors.
“One of the points I make is that the physical atmosphere connects directly to the economic side,” she said. “So much of the visitor economy is built around people looking for authentic experiences. Communities like Marysville have a step up because they already have that. You are not recreating it. You have it.”
She also said the district reflects a long tradition of civic pride and promotion.
“Whether it’s the brick streets or Pony Park, you can see the impact of the city’s commitment to physical improvements,” Spencer said. “That same sense of tradition shows up in the way Marysville has promoted itself over time. Even the black squirrel, first promoted in 1912, is part of that story.”
The March 20 lunch session is designed to help community members better understand both the nomination process and the long-term value of historic district designation.
Another public meeting is planned for May 7. Tyler Holloman of Frontier Development Group, which is working on the apartment project in the 900 block of Broadway, will discuss how he has utilized historic tax credits in rehabilitation projects, and Michelle Spencer will share some fun historic aspects of downtown Marysville.
No registration is required for the March 20 lunch session.
For more information, contact OneMarysville at 785-562-3101.
