The Tannery

Across the street from us now are the ruins of a 2 story stone structure that was a Tannery where leather goods were made. Believed to be Marietta 1st industry when constructed in the 1840's. Noses creek was actually altered for the construction of the building. One of the products of note made on this site were "shapeless" shoes. The shoes were neither left or right, but became very popular during the Civil War as when a soldier would lose one shoe, any shoe as a mate was better than no shoe! The operation flourished towards the early on the 20th century and the building was later left unoccupied. My Grandmother remembered having high school dances in the 1920's in the abandoned building. As a child, I remember cutting the grass around the building with a small push lawnmower. It is now mostly fallen apart and surrounded by large trees, but it had a great history.