In The Late Nineteenth Century, Americas new railroads flooded Marion with extravagant cargo: the rich and famous. For the likes of Mark Twain, Henry James and President Grover Cleveland, whose home here was known as the
summer White House, Marion became a treasured sanctuary from city life. Teeming with prosperity and the blossoming arts, this hamlet offered a setting so breathtaking that it inspired some of the worlds foremost creative minds.
Encouraged by The Century Magazine editor Richard Watson Gilder, prominent artists, architects, writers and celebrities flocked to Marion. Also frequented by Academy Awardwinning actress Ethel Barrymore, it was here that Charles
Dana Gibson sketched his iconic Gibson Girl. Whether following First Lady Frances Clevelands trendsetting fashion or the well-publicized wedding of Cecil Clark and Richard Harding Davis, the eyes of America were firmly planted on Marions sparkling shores and glittering guests.