Marine General Store - 101 Judd Street
This landmark for Marine was built in 1870 and was once called the Company Store. James Taylor Dunn notes that the store "carried on an expanded business in general merchandise and lumbermen's supplies" and is "one of Minnesota's historic landmarks still used for the sale of general merchandise."The store has a history of father-son ownership. Charles Strand and later his son Roy ran the store from 1914 until Carl Malmberg and his son Ralph purchased the store in 1962. Garrison Keillor, a frequent visitor to Marine and seasonal resident in the late 1970's, used to say on his weekly "Prairie Home Companion" radio show, "If you can't get it at Ralph's, you can probably get along without it."
Village Hall - 121 Judd Street
The first structure on the Village Hall site was a boarding house for lumber workers, built in 1840 and used as a school before burning in 1856. The current structure was built in 1888 to house both the Village government offices and the fire house, including a hand-pumper fire engine, purchased by the Village Council in 1886 for $1,060 and still owned by the Village of Marine. In 1921, the upstairs of the Hall was transformed to contain Marine's new 'Opera House', the existing auditorium complete with a stage and balcony. Native artist Axel Lindahl painted the St. Croix River scene on the drop curtain still used today. Beginning in 1917 it was the scene of the community Christmas tree program and party for all of the children in the surrounding area. Since 1972, local elementary students have graced the stage with their annual production of the sixth grade play. The Village Hall is also the oldest hall in the state that continues to serve as the seat for community government.
