Then & Now

A colorized photo on a postcard from the 1920s shows the historic Marion Hotel on North Magnolia Avenue. The hotel was built in 1927 and for at 60 years held the undisputed title of tallest building in Ocala at 98 feet and seven stories. The title is still disputed, though the Hilton Ocala on State Road 200 is estimated at 113 feet and has nine stories. [State Archives of Florida]

The hotel closed in the 1970s and the rooms became offices. In 1980, the building, now known as the Sovereign Building, was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. From the late 1990s through most of the 2000s, the building served as the headquarters of Ocala National Bank. The bank failed in 2009. The building still serves as a landmark for city residents and visitors. [Bruce Ackerman/OG].