Do you remember where you were when Hurricane Agnes came to town? If you do, you're invited to share those memories at "This Place Matters: Marietta 50 Years After Hurricane Agnes (1972)," a Town Talk that will be presented at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 25. The talk will be held in Studio 264, behind the Marietta Community House, 264 W. Market St.

This Place Matters is a nationwide campaign launched by the National Trust for Historic Preservation designed to bring attention to communities such as Marietta, which is listed as a National Historic District. As part of the campaign, Marietta residents are encouraged to share photos of themselves and their favorite places in town on social media using the hashtag #ThisPlaceMatters.

The Town Talk will be led by Elizabethtown College senior Eric Schubert and history professor Jean-Paul Benowitz, who will discuss their Summer Creative Arts and Research Program project launching a This Place Matters campaign in Marietta.

"Professor Benowitz and I hope that an appreciation for the resiliency of the community of Marietta and an understanding of the context of why Marietta has been a nationally recognized leader in historic preservation and economic development will be highlighted," Schubert noted, adding that the presentation is also meant to bring attention to Marietta's Heritage Plan, which was created by the borough to focus on the town's history. "(We hope) to inspire residents of Marietta to work together to identify, conserve and preserve Marietta's heritage resources as a basis for retaining and enhancing strong community character and a sense of place."

Schubert said the talk will highlight Marietta in the context of Hurricane Agnes and its aftermath. "The audience will be invited to share their memories of Hurricane Agnes," he explained. "We're looking particularly for stories illustrating the local community's commitment to historic preservation and economic development." He noted that the presentation and discussion will be recorded and broadcast simultaneously for remote viewers and also as a way to preserve audience comments for future use. "We are planning on hosting future events where people will be filmed telling their stories as part of a larger oral history project," he remarked.

The 50th anniversary of the hurricane marked a good focal point for Marietta's This Place Matters campaign, Schubert said, and he encourages people to come to the presentation to discover more about Marietta's heritage and share their own recollections. "Come and learn about why this place matters, why Marietta is important, how Marietta continues to lead in the areas of historic preservation and economic development," he stated. "Come share your stories about why this place matters."

For more information on the Town Talk, visit https://mariettacommunityhouse.org.