COMMUNITY PROFILE

Welcome to Marion

Marion is the seat of Perry County, AL and centrally located in Alabama’s Black Belt region. Marion’s historic downtown embodies a classic small-town feel with big connections centered around the traditional courthouse square. The downtown is the heart of the Marion community and includes locally-owned anchor businesses filled with history and character. Poised for economic growth in agriculture, forestry, and tourism and situated between three major metropolitan areas—Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Montgomery— Marion is waiting to be discovered.

Known as “College City,” Marion has historically been the cornerstone of education in Alabama. The birthplace of Samford University and as well as the current home of and Marion Military Institute, Marion has helped to progress the state through education even prior to the 1840s. Marion is also the home of Lincoln Normal School, a historic African- American school with graduates such as and other Civil Rights leaders. Prominent individuals from Marion have included Coretta Scott King, Mary Ward Brown, Albert Turner Sr., Jimmie Lee Jackson, Porter King, and James Hal Kemp. From the Civil War to Civil Rights, citizens of Marion have shaped the world we know today.

Downtown Marion is a public space everyone calls their own. The historic Perry County Courthouse is one of only four Alabama antebellum courthouses still in active use today; and is surrounded by the traditional small town square. Historic buildings, Civil Rights markers, including those for Jimmie Lee Jackson, and others fill the downtown with historic character. The Square in Marion is the hub of the community with businesses such as College City Drugs, Lottie’s Restaurant, and public resources such as the Marion-Perry County Library, Marion City Hall, and the Post Office all located within an easy walk of the courthouse steps. The surrounding areas in Marion include active historic churches, and an abundance of historic homes and neighborhoods, all within easy walking distance of the Square.

Marion’s people are the driving force behind the community’s Main Street designation and progress being made to improve downtown. In June 2017, Marion was designated as a Main Street Alabama community with the purpose of community-driven economic revitalization centered around the historic downtown.

The spark lit by Main Street Marion has helped to implement several projects, big and small, aimed at improving the community and to encouraged the growth of our downtown businesses. Initiatives such as filling empty windows and the hashtag #OneMarion, collectively, have resulted in enhanced levels of community pride and engagement with the downtown district. The community has started to see Marion in a new light, thanks to the collective interest and work to move Marion forward. Collaborative efforts are driving positive changes and progress to build a thriving downtown in the heart of Marion.

Downtown Marion Market Study and Strategies | 2018 2