Members of the Union County Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio Historical Society dedicated a historical marker at the Cyprian Lee House, 118 W. Sixth St., on Friday morning. Now the home of Shearer-Banks Insurance, the building once was the home of Colonel Noah Orr, "The Union County Giant."

Pam Endsley, who co-owns the building with Gary Jobe, said customers at the insurance agency now will be more aware of the building's significance.

"It was a wonderful dedication, we had about 30 people that attended, and I think that speaks to the heritage of this house," Endsley said. "I'd say most of the people that come in don't even know that this is a historical building, but maybe now some will see the plaque and that will help get a conversation started."

According to information compiled by Union County Historical Society president Bob Parrott, Cyprian Lee, the building's namesake, settled in Union County in 1820 and purchased the lot on Sixth Street in 1828 for $6. Lee lived there in a log cabin while the Greek Revival, two-story brick house was constructed. He worked as county treasurer, coroner, shoemaker and an anti-slavery activist, according to Parrott's work.

Another notable resident of the house was Orr (1836-82), who added "Colonel" to his stage name. Orr was 7 feet 8 inches tall and weighed more than 500 pounds. He toured the country as a performer and appeared with many leading circuses, shows and museums, according to Parrott's work.

Endsley said preserving Marysville's historical sites is an important endeavor, and she enjoys owning and working in a building with so much history.

"Sometimes it can be frustrating, you do recognize that the building needs a lot of TLC," she said. "But we were sad to see the old library torn down several years ago. I'm a big proponent of saving our historical buildings -- I only hope that with the addition of the marker, it'll be harder for someone to tear it down 20 or 30 years down the road."

Administered by the Ohio Historical Society, the historical marker program enables Ohioans to commemorate and celebrate local history and to learn more about the state, according to chamber of commerce tourism director Christy Clark. Designed to be permanent and highly visible, the historic markers are large cast aluminum signs that tell stories about aspects of Ohio history.

Union County now has eight Ohio Historical Markers, placed at the Amrine Settlement, the Richwood Opera House and Town Hall, Charles Warren Fairbanks' birthplace, Magnetic Springs, Major General Robert Sprague Beightler, the Pottersburg bridge, the Spain Creek Bridge and the New California Presbyterian Church.

The chamber of commerce plans to dedicate four historical markers per year over the next five years, Clark said.