#marionnc

Then and Now- November 1991 and March 2025.

Fred and JoAnn Hammond were the new owners of the “Carolina Motel” on N.C. 226 South in Marion in McDowell County, NC. The Hardee's near the Love’s Truck Stop is located at this site today.

This motel had been remodeled and the Hammonds were looking forward to "maintaining a high standard for cleanliness and neatness."

Then and Now- 1960’s and 2025.

The Blanton House Restaurant & Venue at 239 South Main Street in Marion in McDowell County, North Carolina.

The house was built in 1915.

Blanton House Restaurant & Venue features a Charleston style restaurant, beautiful courtyards and fountains, outdoor entertainment, and a large venue.

This beautiful old home is located next to the post office. It was built in 1915. Albert Blanton (1874-1917) commissioned Asheville architect Richard Sharp Smith to design this impressive home.

The beautiful staircase inside of the Blanton House Restaurant & Venue at 239 South Main Street in Marion in McDowell County, North Carolina.

The house was built in 1915.

Blanton House Restaurant & Venue features a Charleston style restaurant, beautiful courtyards and fountains, outdoor entertainment, and a large venue.

This beautiful old home is located next to the post office. It was built in 1915. Albert Blanton (1874-1917) commissioned Asheville architect Richard Sharp Smith to design this impressive home.

Then and Now- Circa 1970’s and 2024.

Pictured is the old building for West Court Baptist Church on West Court Street in Marion in McDowell County, NC sometime before 1978 when the new chuch was built.

What is now known as the West Court Street Missionary Baptist Church had a humble beginning. In the Spring of 1939, Evangelist Herman Martin began a tent revival where the present church is located today.

Services were held in the tent until the latter part of 1940. In need of a better place to worship, the tent congregation erected a wooden building, calling it the “People’s Gospel Tabernacle”. This building was very crude; with handmade benches, shavings from a nearby sawmill on the ground and two coal burning stoves for heating. Worship services were held on Sunday afternoon to not interfere with services at surrounding churches.

The people that attended the tabernacle loved God and each other. They had a great desire to have a better place to worship and to have an organized church; so it was decided that a cement block building would be erected. The work began on building the church in 1943.

On February 9, 1947, the congregation voted to become an organized church and voted to change the name of the “People’s Gospel Tabernacle” to “West Court Street Missionary Baptist Church”.

Dots Dario in the Pleasant Gardens community in McDowell County, North Carolina. Since 1970, Dot’s Dairio has been a favorite destination. Since then, generations of loyal customers haven’t missed getting an ice cream cone, a milkshake, a sundae or a banana split at Dot’s Dairio.

Located at the intersection of U.S. 70 West and Lake Tahoma Road (or N.C. 80), Dot’s Dairio is instantly recognizable with its familiar big ice cream cone and sign. Charlie McMahan started the business in 1970 with just a single-wide trailer and two windows for orders. He named the ice cream business after his wife Dottie and then put her name on the iconic sign.

•30 Lake Tahoma Road

Then and Now: 1923 and 2025.

The first picture is the new McDowell County Courthouse on Main Street in Marion, North Carolina as it appeared shortly after it was brought into service in 1923.