[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 91 (Tuesday, June 6, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1158]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


       TRIBUTE TO THE MARISSA HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

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                         HON. JERRY F. COSTELLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 6, 1995
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to the attention of 
my colleagues a historical structure in Marissa, IL, which stands as a 
monument to education and pride for southwestern Illinois.
  I recently had the privilege to attend a dedication ceremony 
sponsored by the Marissa Historical and Genealogical Society in Marissa 
on May 21. Several months ago, the society's president, Don Jones, 
began working on a project to have this building declared a national 
historical place.
  By gathering historic documents, Mr. Jones and other members of the 
society prepared their application to the National Park Service and the 
U.S. Department of the Interior for historical designation.
  I am pleased to tell my colleagues that the Marissa Academy Building, 
located in the village park, received a certificate announcing its 
listing on the National Registry of Historic Places effective October 
28, 1994.
  According to a recent edition of the Marissa Journal-Messenger, the 
academy was started in 1886 and served students originally as a 
preparatory school. It was used until 1900, when classes shifted to 
Marissa Township High School. Later, it was used again as a school 
while the new elementary school was being built.
  Over time the building's structure degraded, and since it was the 
last academy building in Illinois, the community rallied to have it 
restored. In 1969, the village leased the building to the Marissa 
Historical and Genealogical Society. It is now a library and museum 
open to the public.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Marissa Historical and 
Genealogical Society for its hard work in making the Marissa Academy 
Building one of our Nation's newest addition to the National Register 
of Historic Places. It was a privilege for me to participate in the 
commemoration of this public recognition, for a building that will 
stand as a learning and historical tool for generations to come.


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