It’s known as “the gateway to Marion” and once upon a time there might have been a CVS on the Captain Hadley house property at the corner of Route 6 and Front Street if Marion residents hadn’t fought as hard as they did to stop it. Today the historical yellow Greek revival house still sits where it has for centuries and, through another community effort, instead of a CVS sign there now stands a black shiny one with bold golden letters that reads: “Welcome to Marion, Massachusetts.”
On September 20, Elizabeth Hatch, on behalf of the Marion Garden Group and the Town of Marion, unveiled the welcome sign to dozens of residents gathered around the sign’s newly created garden bed tastefully landscaped with a variety of shrubs and ornamental grasses. As part of a beautification effort first proposed to the Board of Selectmen back on June 19, the sign was ordered and installed by the garden group and funded by the Town with the support of the selectmen and the Finance Committee chairman.
“Based on the positive response and great interest from the townspeople, there seems to be strong support for the beautification effort for Marion,” said Hatch, the vice president of the garden group. “To date, the governing bodies of the Town have also shown their strong support.”
The garden group also broke ground in three other areas in town with fresh landscaping of the road islands on Spring Street and Converse Road and the half circle turnaround coming into Marion from Mattapoisett at the welcome sign on Route 6. A fundraising effort, said Hatch, will fund further projects next spring, such as flower plantings for road islands located between the Route 195 junction and Route 6, and landscaped areas at the Route 6 entrance from Wareham.
“It will continue to be a work in progress as long as we have support,” said Hatch. “This beautiful sign is an example of things to come that will enhance and be reflective of our incredible slice of heaven called Marion.”
Hatch encourages Marion residents and building owners to take an active role in beautifying Marion however they can with little cleanups here and there and especially by eliminating weeds on the curbs and roads in front of their houses.
“It can make a world of difference,” said Hatch. “This in itself could be transforming. Let’s all make an effort!”
By Jean Perry
