MARIETTA - Great strides were made in the year 1909. Americans reached the North Pole for the first time and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in New York.

Locally, construction began on a Marietta landmark that is celebrating its centennial birthday this year. The building that currently houses the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art is turning 100 years old, which has spurred an inquest into its history.

The museum will celebrate the building's birthday with a party on Sept. 11 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at 30 Atlanta St.

The building was originally Marietta's only United States Post Office, said Sally Macaulay, director of the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art. It was built by the Wilmarth Building Company of New York City, according to Doug Frey, a local historian.

The post office officially opened for business on March 14, 1910, and D.C. Cole served as its first postmaster. The Cole family still lives in Marietta - off Cole Street, said Dan Cox, founder and CEO of the Marietta Museum of History.

In 1963, the main branch of the Cobb County/Marietta Public Library moved into the building. The library's shelves were stocked on Atlanta Street until 1989, when the library moved over to a newly erected building on Roswell Street.

The building was only empty for about one year before it welcomed a new owner.

On April 5, 1990, the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art moved in to the building. The museum was originally called the Marietta/Cobb Fine Arts Center, which was approved as a nonprofit organization in 1986. In the 1950s, a committee of the Marietta Women's Club formed the Fine Arts Club of Marietta, which eventually changed its name to the Marietta/Cobb Fine Arts Center.

The Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art is the only metro-Atlanta fine arts museum that focuses specifically on American artists, according to the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art Board of Trustees.

"Right now we have a metro montage downstairs featuring all local artists," Macaulay said. "The permanent collection is upstairs."

Museum officials continue to acquire works for its permanent collections, and host a variety of exhibitions throughout the year featuring renowned artists. The Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art houses an eclectic mix of the arts, including acrylics, oils and mixed media, Macaulay said.

For tickets to the building's 100th birthday party, call (770) 528-1444 ext.14. Cost is $25 per person.