Marion County Museum — Marion, South Carolina
SC Picture Project | Marion County | Marion County Museum
This historic building served as a school long before it became the Marion County Museum. Located at 101 Wilcox Avenue in Marion, the building was constructed in 1886 by the Marion Academy Society, which ran a private school here for about 70 years. The Society eventually gave the school to Marion County, and it became the first public school to operate in this rural county.
The school was named Marion Graded School, and it served students for 90 years before closing in 1976. The old school bell still hangs in the cupola, and the rope that rings it drops down to the main level of the museum!
The Marion County Museum opened in 1981 and houses a variety of exhibits ranging from local interest to traveling exhibits. Their permanent collection includes antiques from the Aiken-Rhett House in Charleston, an old classroom, a farm room, and lots of Marion County history and artifacts.
Marion County Museum Info
Address: 101 Wilcox Avenue, Marion, SC 29571
GPS Coordinates: 34.178974,-79.403464
Website: http://www.marionsc.org/Musem
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2 Comments about Marion County Museum
October 3rd, 2018 at 11:16 am
Lovely picture! This is where I had 2nd grade with Mrs. Sarah Cantey. There was a wooden staircase outside our upstairs window. We would practice “fire drillS” by going through the open window, down to the ground. We were always quiet, orderly, quick. Mrs. Cantey would have it no other way. I don’t think it would be allowed today because it would be considered “too dangerous” to take 30 children, 7 years old, out an enlarged window to a wooden stairs to the ground. Mrs. Cantey descended last.
April 29th, 2016 at 9:39 pm
Even though it's not TBT, I came across a picture of my first school online… now a museum. I'm starting to feel old.