Second Grade Visitor Creates ‘Kid’s Historical Bike Tour’ Guide Through Marion

MARION — Town Administrator James McGrail and the Marion Historical Commission are pleased to share that a young visitor to Marion has created a bike tour through town that features many of Marion’s historical buildings.

Greta Agnew, a second grade student from Pennsylvania, visits Marion during the summer to visit her grandparents. During these visits, they enjoy biking around town and Agnew noticed a lot of unique homes in Marion. She became interested in the homes and started to research their history. She decided for a summer project, with the assistance of her family, to create the “Kid’s Historical Bike Tour of Marion, Massachusetts” guide so that other kids and people could use it to learn about local landmarks as they bike around town. 

Agnew’s tour also includes a description of the history along with unique facts about each stop. The full bike tour is available here as a printable guide. They also created an interactive website with photos of each stop, a description and facts at kidsbikemarion.wixsite.com/mysite.

“Marion has many historic buildings and sites with unique histories and architectural styles,” Town Administrator McGrail said. “We are excited that Greta took an interest in our town and its history. We appreciate the time she took to learn about and share information about these sites by putting together this guide so others can enjoy biking in Marion while learning about its rich history.”

The tour begins in the garden next to the Sippican Historical Society on Main Street. It continues through 19 stops which includes old homes in many different traditional styles that were built as far back as 1680. The tour is scenic and includes stops at the site of the Sippican Hotel, Marion Art Center, Marion Town House, Elizabeth Taber Library, the Music Hall, Marion General Store, a stop to view Bird Island Lighthouse and many other unique locations throughout town known for their character and landscapes.

Marion was a major summer destination in the early 1900s. Many people who would vacation on the seashore would buy summer homes, many of which remain. Some famous summer visitors included President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President Grover Cleveland, Mark Twain and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Richard Watson Gilder, editor of the popular nationwide Century Magazine, purchased the now Old Stone Studio where he and his wife also hosted musicians, writers and theater stars.

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