Second historic house in Marion is being moved from future library site

Another historic house in Marion is being moved to its new location Wednesday to make room for the new Marion Public Library.

The house, previously at 520 12th St., is sitting on a truck in the current Marion Public Library parking lot, but is scheduled to be moved at 9 a.m. Wednesday to its new lot at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street. The house will be joining its counterpart, which was moved last month.

A rolling road closure will be in effect as the house makes its move Wednesday west on Fifth Avenue, south on 10th Street, then east on Fourth Avenue.

The homes, built in the 1800s, will be redeveloped by Joe Hill, a private business owner, into a 19-unit apartment complex named Carriage Corner.

Hill, who is also in the process of reopening the Uptown Marion Maid-Rite, said he's looking forward to the next steps and getting the last move done.

'Now it's showtime to put it all back together,' Hill told The Gazette on Tuesday. 'There couldn't have been any more obstacles into moving these houses, but I do it because I just want to make a difference.'

The house moves were most recently delayed by the August derecho that devastated Marion. The houses, owned by the city, were supposed to be moved the week of the storm, but high winds caused some damage to the properties.

Even before the derecho, the houses faced numerous move delays. The houses originally were supposed to be moved by the end of 2019.

The Marion City Council voted to extend the deadline to June of this year, but the coronavirus pandemic caused another delay with the new deadline being before the new Marion Public Library broke ground on Oct. 1.

Comments: (319) 398-8255; gage.miskimen@thegazette.com