Trending
The front lawn of the Armory at 241 Front St. has provided a convenient spot for Mariettans to gather since the building was constructed. It was true in 1914, and it is true today. If you look at enough old photos of Marietta, and I have looked at a few million, you will repeatedly run across photos of different people posing on the steps of the armory for a picture.
The oldest photo of the steps that I have found was a picture shot during construction of the armory in 1914. A pair of workers were taking a break on what would become the top step while a parade for the Ringling Brothers Circus passed on Front Street. A wagon full of tigers was a good reason to stop working then, and it would still be a good reason today.
Some photos are a bit haunting, like the pictures of young recruits, likely drafted into service, standing on the top of the steps before heading off to basic training and service in World War II. Many of the men boarded a bus shortly after and headed off to places like Camp Atterbury, Indiana for basic training. After training they would head out to Europe or the Pacific to fight in the war; some would never return.
Many of the photos of soldiers on the steps show men in uniform. The soldiers on this page were members of Ohio National Guard Company A and they stood on the steps in 1920 to be photographed.
The armory also served as a departure point for soldiers leaving for service in World War I, World War II, and Korea.
The largest crowd before the steps of the Armory that I have found was in a photo from 1930. The crowd was huge, and the steps were filled with people trying to see one special guest. The visitor was not a politician or Hollywood actor. The crowd was there to see Santa Claus. At the top of the stairs, sporting a red suit, neatly trimmed beard and a hearty wave, was the jolly old elf himself.
Politicians have used the steps to speak to both large and small crowds gathered on the front lawn. I was there to see John Edwards speak when he ran for vice president with John Kerry in 2004. They lost the race to George Bush. Much earlier, in the run up to the 1960 presidential race, Richard Nixon spoke from the steps on October 25, 1960. The then vice-president spoke from the steps to a large crowd. In the center of the crowd two people hold signs for the Kennedy-Johnson ticket, which would defeat him in a very tight race a few weeks later. Nixon of course later became president in 1969 and became the only president to ever resign in 1974.
From the steps he acknowledged both the Marietta High choir and the debate club who were near the edge of the stage "I guess everybody is thinking about debates these days. Out of that group are going to come Congressmen and Senators, I can assure you, and others as well. And then over here is the high school band. Certainly, this has been a welcome we will never forget." Nixon had debated John Kennedy in New York a few days before coming to Marietta and his weak performance was likely still on his mind. During his speech he thanked the crowd for showing up so early to hear him speak, he was at the start of a multi city tour that also included Parkersburg a short time later.
Conveniently located with a large parking lot, the Armory, and the large grass lawn in front of it has become a popular spot to hold community events. Since being renovated in 2015 the space has been used for everything from First Friday events; River, Trails and Ales registration, ice sculpting displays and a large Marietta Christmas Tree, surrounded by gingerbread men, one of which can be seen near the steps on Page 2 of today's Times.
The steps have not only served as a convenient stage, but also a spot to sit and watch the world go by. It was true in 1914 and it is still true more than a century later.