What a cool place to spend a couple of hours. On a whim we stopped to check out the the Sharp…read morefamily farm and view the art gallery they had on the property. The tour of the house was guided and it was just two of us and the guide. The guide had a wealth of knowledge and we appreciated what she had to say about the house and the Sharp family. One interesting and impressive fact, their well was inside the house. This way they didn't have to go out in Michigan winters to get their water. My daughter is a big fan of old homes especially Victorian style homes. While it's a Victorian style house it also had Italian influences in the structure. The art gallery had a World War I exhibit (100 year anniversary), sculptures and a quilt exhibit.

This is a nice museum! Free admission on Saturdays. Individual galleries that feature world…read morerenowned artists on a rotating basis, plus permanent displays which highlight local innovators, artists and such. Art from the local Jackson County Artist Association is prominently displayed (boy, do they have some great artists here!). I was fascinated by the displays of pendulum clocks - and they have quite a few. A must visit, everyone will enjoy the displays. Check their website for additional information.

They have really fast computers and enough to serve the community. Although some of the patrons are…read morevery talkative and loud, I was able to get some work done.

There movies are great for renting out, except the fact they don't clean them and I ended up having…read moreto clean them and take better care of them then they do. I understand many people Rent out these dvds, and they get used a lot. What this means is Clean them better and care for them better. Change out old dvds for new ones, so that people can enjoy the movie without it pausing many times, so stopping mid show and not continuing on.

Over an hour here, though I did have to plug in my headphones. The library is an after-school…read moredestination for a few of the local kiddies and they like to play video games. They don't quite have "library voices" but it wasn't too bad and they are, after all, kids. So some noise and talking is excused. The library is quite large with workstations, study carrels, lots of comfy seating and a number of stacks loaded with fiction, non-fiction, periodicals and reference. Wifi worked very well. Oh, and a bathroom that was clean. [Review 11089 overall, 862 of 2019.]

The library is just amazing. I go weekly, for books and take my granddaughter for the play area and…read moremany activities. They have something for everyone. The play activities are so well planned she begs to go. I have taken Tai Chi and also heard talks by local TV personalities there. The tech support staff are life savers. I have been to both open sessions and private help, with every form of technology. They sponsor classes for technology also that has helped me become proficient with iPads, Macs, PCs and more. It is such a resource for the community and the staff are the nicest.

Not far from downtown and the main traffic circle on Michigan Avenue is this beautiful home. It's…read morevery striking and should be part of any architectural tour that you might make of Marshall. It's not open for tours but you can see quite a lot of it from the outside. The marker reads: "Erected in 1843, this house is among the oldest in Marshall. It came to be known as "Hillside", a named derived from its prominent location. The house was designed in the fashionable Gothic Revival style. Its architecture and landscaping were likely influenced by the design for a "Cottage in the English or Rural Gothic Style" in Cottage Residences, a popular book of house plans by landscape gardener Andrew Jackson Downing that was published in 1842." And on the other side, "This house, built for local attorney Henry W. Taylor and long owned by the Schuyler family, was also home to Mary "Mazie" Miller (1871-1941) and her husband, Craig. An outspoken suffragette and Republican political activist, Miller was an early president of the Michigan League of Women Voters. She resided here from 1905 until her death. During that time, Miller hosted many political luminaries, including future U.S. president William Howard Taft, as well as state legislators from Lansing." [Review 11101 overall, 874 of 2019.]

This is with a stop in Jackson! Do NOT drive by! This is an original Carnegie library and it is…read morestunning! The staff were amazing and in every room they shared some history of this incredible national gem. The marble and architecture is beautiful. Thank you for showing our group such kindness!

This historic marker is mounted in front of the Grand Army of the Republic Hall along the main…read morestreet of downtown Marshall. On one side, "In 1866 northern Civil War veterans organized the Grand Army of the Republic to fight for veterans' pensions and other benefits. Michigan's first chapter was formed the next year. National membership peaked in 1890 with 409,489 men, while Michigan's rolls crested in 1889 with more than 21,000 members. In its heyday, the G.A.R. was a powerful political pressure group. The society also provided food and clothing for indigent widows and orphans. The last state encampment was held in 1948." On the other side: "Marshall's Civil War veterans organized a Grand Army of the Republic chapter in 1883. They built this handsome red brick structure as their headquarters in 1902. It was named for Marshall's Corporal Calvin Colegrove, color-bearer for the Michigan First Infantry, who was killed at the first Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861. The memorial hall, built at a cost of three thousand dollars, served C. Colegrove Post No. 166 until the late 1930s. In 1977 the Marshall Historical Society purchased it for one dollar to house its archives." [Review 11174 overall, 949 of 2019.]

This small marker is located high on the pole near the traffic circle that has the Brooks Fountain…read moreand is in front of the Marshall City Hall building. The City Hall doesn't really look like a stone barn, though. The marker reads: "Built by William Prindle in 1857, this landmark served as a livery stable for over sixty years. It also saw brief use as a stagecoach stop for the lines connecting Coldwater with Lansing. By 1928 it had become an unsightly gas station. Purchased through the efforts of Mayor Harold C. Brooks, its conversion into a city hall by architect Howard Young was completed in time for Marshall's centennial celebration of 1930." [Review 11087 overall, 860 of 2019.]

Quite a lot of history in Marshall Michigan and this house just off the main street near the…read moreroundabout is some of that history. It reads: "Samuel W. Hill, legendary figure of the northland, surveyed the Great Lakes' harbors in 1840-44 and worked with Dr. Douglass Houghton on the first geological survey of the Upper Peninsula in 1845. He was later involved with the sale of land and the building of roads and canals in the area. For many years he directed some of the most successful copper mines of the Lake Superior region. Twice elected to the state legislature, Hill retired to this house in 1875. He died in 1889." [Review 11099 overall, 872 of 2019.]