The Anchorage, 424 George St., built 1859. (Photo by Art Smith)

Bell towers, clock towers, steeples, turrets, cupolas, and belvederes — Marietta’s buildings are topped with a variety of structures. 

Throughout history builders have topped their buildings with both decorative and functional tops. Partly due to the age of the city, Marietta has no shortage of unique structures on the tops of its historical buildings.  

Washington County Courthouse clock tower. One of the highest points in the downtown landscape is the clock tower of the Washington County Courthouse. The four-faced clock is visible from all over the city and is illuminated at night. Rising high above street level, the clock is an original part of the 1901 structure. Honest John, the 3,000-pound bell in the tower has marked the hour and half-hour since it was installed in 1903. 

Marietta College’s Erwin Hall clock tower. Constructed between 1845 and 1850, Erwin Hall is the oldest building on campus. The bell tower also contains a clock.  

First Congregational United Church of Christ twin bell towers. Both towers contain bells. The one on the right, a single bell and one on the left a set of bells that can be played by a “keyboard” of levers. The original church on the site was destroyed by fire in 1905 and rebuilt in brick.  

First Baptist Church, 301 Fourth St., built 1907. (Photo by Art Smith)

Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption bell towers. The bells that ring from the towers of St. Mary’s were originally used in the first St. Mary’s on South Fourth Street. They were moved to the Wooster and Fourth street building when it was constructed in 1909. The twin towers complement the large dome of the church. The church was named a basilica in 2013.  

First Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta bell tower. The church and the tower were constructed in 1857 from bricks made from the removed Sacra Via mounds. The original bell still hangs in the tower. The 1,000-pound bell came to Marietta by riverboat in 1856. The bell cracked in 1939 and is no longer routinely rung. 

Turret at The Castle. The turret on the historical home makes it one of the most unusual structures in Marietta. The Gothic Revival house was built in 1855 and became a historical house museum in 1994. Today it hosts a variety of programs. The turret, accessed with a series of ladders, is not normally climbed.  

Belvedere at Anchorage. The tower room of the Italianate villa was constructed by Douglas Putnam in 1859 as a gift for his wife. The windows of the room offer sweeping views of Marietta and the rivers. The building is owned by the Washington County Historical Society.    

 The tops of buildings all over town are both functional and ornamental, they all add character and beauty to the city.  

The Castle Historic House Museum, 418 Fourth St., built 1855. (Photo by Art Smith)

Washington County Courthouse, 205 Putnam St., built 1907. (Photo by Art Smith)

Originally Harmar Congregational Church, now Open Door Baptist Church, 301 Franklin St., built 1847. (Photo by Art Smith)

McDonough Center for Leadership and Business, Marietta College, built 1988. (Photo by Art Smith)

Christ United Methodist, 301 Wooster St., built 1957. (Photo by Art Smith)

Marietta Post office, 275 Front St., built 1912. (Photo by Art Smith)

Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption, 506 Fourth St., built 1909. (Photo by Art Smith)

Washington County Courthouse, 205 Putnam St., built 1907. (Photo by Art Smith)