Meandering around Main Street Marion, Virginia
Located in Southwest Virginia, Marion projects the small town pride and vitality that is typical of many communities in our region. Named after General Francis Marion, the legendary Swamp Fox of the Revolutionary War, the town also serves as the birthplace of Mountain Dew. But there’s more to this jewel than just its namesake and a soft drink’s circa 1960 creation. In fact, we spent nearly two days in the town, all on its Main Street, and found plenty to do. Here’s what we encountered when we meandered around Main Street Marion.
Francis Marion Hotel
We decided to use the General Francis Marion Hotel as our base. There we met owner Joe Ellis, who purchased the 1920s-era building, (closed and in disrepair) in 2000.
“The only heat was a hot water radiator system, there was one light bulb per room, the roof was leaking, and mold was a problem,” Ellis recalls. “The downtown area was dying and businesses had been lost.”
With the help of historic tax credits, Ellis and now general manager Brittany Hughes began the arduous restoration process. The Francis Marion reopened in 2006 with much of its Roaring Twenties splendor restored. Ellis also went on to play a major role in the restoration of other buildings that eventually housed businesses such as his restaurant 27 Lions, the Lincoln Theatre, and the Henderson School of Appalachian Arts. Furthermore, Ellis was a major force behind the establishing of the PBS show, Song of the Mountains.
“I believe in Joe’s Magnetic Theory of Tourism,” Ellis says. “Basically, it says that tourism creates a magnetic attraction to draw people to an area. These magnets are powered by history, unique architecture, and natural beauty. The more unique something is, the more powerful its attraction.”
The Wooden Pickle
After we checked in, it was lunchtime, so we walked across the street to the Wooden Pickle. There we met manager Bryan Sword who we asked how the establishment earned its name. Was it a play on the phrase “a wooden nickel?”
“Actually, no,” says Sword. “In the 1920s, there was a single-story brick building here and a wooden framed building owned by a Mr. Pickle. In 1932, the wooden building was damaged by fire. After the rebuilding, there was a new building encompassing the original brick building and the adding of a second floor.”
So the Wooden Pickle was reborn and after many iterations, it is now a popular lunch and dinner destination.
“I’m a classically trained chef—that is classically trained by my grandmother and the Food Network,” Sword laughs. “Seriously, I love what I do and the small town atmosphere here. The town’s been revitalized with the Lincoln Theatre just across the street from us; and with the opening of the Emory and Henry College School of Health Sciences, there’s been an influx of young people.”
Sword says the restaurant’s most popular entrées are the Mahi Mahi Street Tacos, the Baja Shrimp Street Tacos, and Southern Fried Chicken Tenders.
Henderson School of Appalachian Arts
Fortified, we ambled up Main Street to the Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts. There we met Executive Director Catherine Schrenker and Program Director Tracy Thompson.
“First and foremost, my job is to create a community resource where people feel comfortable to come and access traditional Appalachian arts,” Schrenker said. “We bring in craftsmen, artisans, musicians and others to teach, perform, and mentor. The mentoring especially is so important to preserving Appalachian culture.
“You can’t learn these arts from a book. It has to be in a creative arena. For example, our young musicians don’t need to learn musical theory. They need to learn ‘one lick at a time.’”
Schrenker said that one of Henderson’s most important programs is Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM), which is designed for local students. Students receive instruction in playing the guitar, banjo, fiddle, and mandolin.
“One of our favorite success stories is Jakob Thomas, a student at Glade Spring Middle School,” Schrenker said. “Jakob is losing his hearing and wanted to learn how to play the guitar before he became totally deaf. Our instructor, Steve Kilby, noticed that Jakob didn’t feel comfortable playing with the others, so Steve took him to another room so he could learn by himself how to play one lick at a time.
“I’ll never forget the day when the kids came and said that Jakob had something to show me. Steve had taught him how to play ‘You Are My Sunshine’ which is my favorite song.”
Tracy Thompson says another one of JAM’s success stories concerns Logan Thompson (no relation), a Glade Spring middle schooler.
“Logan lives and breathes playing the banjo,” she says. “He plays by ear and learns by watching the fingers of his mentor Michael Brewer. One day, we had a silent auction for a banjo that Logan really wanted, but he lost the bid. Steve Kilby went to the winner and explained how much Logan wanted that banjo. So the man removed his bid, and Logan now owns the banjo of his dreams.”
Besides music, some other classes that Henderson offers include woodworking and turning, lutherie (stringed instrument making), quilting and fiber arts, letterpress, pottery, painting, and mosaics.
Lincoln Theatre
We continued to explore Marion’s artistic world at our next sojourn, the Lincoln Theatre. There we met Ken Heath, the town’s community and economic development executive director and Brian Tibbs, executive director of the Lincoln.
“Of course, the Lincoln’s most noteworthy events are the monthly, national broadcasts of Song of the Mountains,” Heath says. “The show appears nationally on 170 PBS stations and reaches some 20 million people a month. Joe Ellis and others came up with the brilliant vision of a live, nationally syndicated Bluegrass show as a sustaining part of the Lincoln.
“The Lincoln is one of only three Mayan Revival movie theaters that has been restored in the country. The theatrer features Mayan masks, trim, ceiling medallions, and Mayan inspired quilts.”
Tibbs says that as a child when he lived in Marion the theater was closed and there was nothing in the way of arts to stimulate young people.
“Now at the Lincoln, we have implemented programs to bring students in to participate in performances or be part of the audience,” he said. “Those experiences are very impactful to young people.
“Local high school theater and drama clubs are given the opportunity to perform here. We give them a professional stage and help fund them. We also have yearly residencies for young people where they can participate in activities and perform. There are performances by outside touring companies as well.”
Shops and More Shops
Next, it was time walk to Highway 81 and meet owner Meghan Bohannon, one of several millennial entrepreneurs we encountered.
“My husband and I moved here so that he could attend Emory’s medical school,” she says. “I saw there were no boutiques, and I’ve always loved fashion. So I opened a shop, mostly offering young, contemporary woman’s clothing and shoes, jewelry, and accessories. I enjoy helping women pick out clothes and feel good about themselves. Marion is really becoming a place for young people.”
Then it was on to Critters, which owner Jean Palfrey describes as a natural, holistic, organic pet supplies and pet-themed shop. Great Britain native Palfrey herself might be described as a character. Although she’s lived in America for over 10 years, she still displays her English accent.
“I’m a Brit broad abroad, yep,” she says with a laugh. “I’m also a bit off the wall. But I do love animals and have been a dog trainer since I was four. I want to offer more service than people can receive when they go to a big box pet store. I like to help people learn about pet first aid and nutrition and how to better care for their dogs, cats, and small companion animals.”
Just a few yards away from Critters is Jackson Handmade Designs and owner Sarah Jackson.
“I’m proud to be one of many new shops young people have opened in Marion,” she says. “We are so supportive of each other. I like being part of this community.”
Jackson said that leather themed goods, such as handmade tote bags and earrings, are a major focus of her establishment. “If you take care of leather goods, they’ll last a lifetime.”
Once again, we only had to stroll a few yards before reaching our next destination, Downtown Boutique and owner Kathy Cobbs.
“I’m turning my place into an emporium,” she said. “I like going out and thrifting—traveling to other places and stores, seeing what treasures you can find, and then bringing them back here. Recently, one of the most interesting things I’ve found is a mink coat from the 1920s. It’s also nice for people from the town to bring me things they’ve found in their attics.”
Cobbs said that she mostly concentrates on hats, clothing, and jewelry for ladies, but also offers blazers and Hawaiian shirts for men.
Yet another character we met was Joshua Powers, manager of Past Time Antique Emporium.
“You’d expect a man who works at an antique store to either drive a 1949 Plymouth Deluxe Coupe or ride an 1880s-era bicycle to work,” he says. “Today, I rode the bicycle, and yes people stared at me as always.”
Powers said the store is an eclectic mix of memorabilia: vintage non-fiction books, soda pop machines, gas station signs, early auto parts such as hubcaps, and Depression era glass.
“Young folks today want 1950s’ and 1960s’ things,” he says. “The Mad Men TV show caused an interest in that era. It’s amazing how much the young people want old LPs from those decades. But you can’t give away a 45 from then. Who knows why?”
We needed something sweet, so later we stopped at Hester’s Country Store where we met Dani Moore.
“People often come in here before they go to the Lincoln Center,” she said. “They buy our nuts, ice cream, and locally made fudge. We also offer a lot of Virginia-themed items such as mugs, flags, pillows, and t-shirts.”
We opted for ice cream: lemon cheesecake and cherry vanilla.
27 Lions for Dinner
We saw nothing wrong about going out for dinner after eating ice cream, so we ambled across the street to 27 Lions. General Manager Blake Forrester said the restaurant offers 27 beers, 20 of which are craft variety. It is also known for its wraps (try the Roaring Lion made with local beef) and pizzas from a brick oven (the Italian Stallion and Hakuna Matata Build-Your-Own are favorites).
Day Two
The next day we walked across the street from the Francis Marion to Sisters Café and Gifts. There we met sisters Beth Graham and Jenny Bolt, whose family has operated the business since 2000.
“It started out as a framing store, but now we’re more of a breakfast and lunch café and coffee bar,” Graham said. “Our breakfast specialties are omelets, French toast and crepes. For lunch, it’s our homemade soups, especially potato, and desserts like chocolate peanut butter pie.”
We were particularly enamored with the fresh fruit parfait and the Parmesan-rosemary grits.
We only had time to visit two shops before eating lunch and heading home. The first was the Laurel Springs Farm store. Seth and Courtney Umbarger operate the namesake shop and farm (just eight miles from Marion), supplying natural, pasture raised beef to numerous restaurants in the region. Courtney opened the store so that she could increase their presence in the region.
“Our farm and store are a real family affair,” Courtney said. “Addie loves the retail side of our business and often runs the register here. Corbin enjoys tinkering with mechanical things, and Henry loves all animals.”
Besides beef, the store offers pork, eggs, jerky, olive oil, cast iron cookware and more.
Oanya Jennings, owner of Just Believe Boutique, is yet another millennial.
“I’ve always been an entrepreneur and come from a family of entrepreneurs,” she said. “I’d run the boutique as an online business, but in 2018 I decided to open the shop. I specialize in women’s clothing and accessories in limited edition boutique styles, plus personalized, limited editions of clothing.”
We ended our visit at Wolfe’s Barbecue where we met owners Junior Wolfe and his son, Brett.
“We smoke all the meats and make all the sauces here,” Junior said. “We have both Texas and Carolina style barbecue so we can appeal to a wide group of people.”
Before we left, we had to ask Ken Heath why Marion is flourishing.
“We have the firm belief that if the younger generation doesn’t love the downtown, then the town is just one generation from disappearing,” he said. “Most people who have opened up new shops are Generation X or millennials. That’s a model for a sustainable, vibrant downtown.”