Hidden Places, Secret Spaces

Each year, local historian Lynne Sturtevant of Hidden Marietta teams up with Marietta Main Street to host a very unique kind of tour. Hidden Places, Secret Spaces takes guests through normally off-limit sections of the buildings, such as basements that were originally the “first floor” before the town of Marietta raised the street level in an effort to combat flooding. “Hidden Places is popular because it appeals to everyone’s basic curiosity,” Lynne explains. “It shines a light on the mysterious aspects of ordinary, every day places.” This year’s stops included The Bosworth House — a mansion full of rich history, The Lock Keeper’s House on the banks of the Ohio River, an old antique store by the name of H. Rietz Company Antiques, American Flags and Poles the section of Tiber Way that once housed the former Marietta Sanitarium.

“People were very excited about seeing the upper floors of Tiber Way,” Lynne comments. “Most of us had never been inside and the interior was quite different than we expected. All of the buildings that have been included in the program, this year as well as the previous two years, have been fascinating. We really appreciate having access to these special places once a year.”