MARYSVILLE — Marysville is a living ghost town with a rich history that’s been preserved thanks to the hard work of many of its citizens. However, the historic mining town lost some of that history on Monday with the demolition of one of its iconic buildings.
On Main Street near the corner of Second Street was the old Lush Confectionery store, which was built in the late 1800s. The building and the adjacent old J. A. Shaffer Mercantile are privately owned. The old confectionery is being demolished due to safety concerns.
Marysville Pioneer Association President Tammy Bridges says it hurts losing the iconic building.
“You can’t replace what you have here, unfortunately when you don’t restore and maintain the structures they’re gone,” said Bridges.
Marysville was founded shortly after gold was discovered in 1876. At one time, thousands of people called the bustling mining town home, but now it’s down to around 70.
The current residents are fervently proud of the town’s heritage, with the Marysville Pioneer Association dedicated to preserving the area’s history.
Bridges says when a building goes down, it’s like losing a part of the community’s identity.
“So what you have is old pictures, old materials to tell them what was here, what went on but it’s really nice to have the structure there so people can view it because these buildings are so iconic to Marysville and unfortunately half of them are going to be gone,” noted Bridges.
The Marysville Pioneer Association has worked to preserve several historic locations such as the cemetery and old school house. They’re actively working to save the old Masonic Temple on Main Street from a similar fate as the Lush Confectionery.
Bridges says the biggest hurdle for the project is that the historic preservation of buildings is an expensive endeavor.
“And that’s unfortunately what it’s going to take is a lot of money,” Bridges said. “So I’m trying to work on some grants and we’ve done some local fundraisers for the masonic lodge itself. I went in there a couple of weeks ago and it’s going to take a heck of a lot more than what I’ve raised, but you know you’ve got to start somewhere.”
More information about the Marysville Pioneers and ways to help them preserve the Masonic Lodge can be found on their social media.
