Marietta Historic District (Boundary Decrease)

Marietta's historic district was trimmed in 2001 to remove three areas that no longer retained their historic character, while extra documentation was added to support the remainder. The removed parts include Block 68 along the Ohio River, portions of Blocks 58 and 51 near Third Street, and a tract by the Muskingum River. They now hold condominiums, a bank completed in 1999, an auto parts store, a state employment office, altered houses and trailers. The district itself follows the Original Plat surveyed by Rufus Putnam in 1788 and records the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory, founded April 7, 1788. Its significance covers the planned town, early courts, churches and schools, commerce, German immigration, river and rail transportation, and industries such as boatbuilding and oil. Rufus Putnam is credited with founding and sustaining the settlement. The buildings, dating from 1788 to 1910, include Federal houses, Renaissance Revival commercial blocks and many Queen Anne residences.