I love playing the game of “what did that used to be?” as I drive around. Some places make you work for it, while others basically shout their history. Back in January in Portland, I spotted The Rock Church. It took exactly two-thirds of a second to realize that building started life as a Marsh Supermarket! Once you see it, you can’t unsee.
Marsh opened its Portland store on North Meridian Road in 19591. At some point -probably in the 1980s or early nineties- the building received a contemporary facade to match the company’s prevailing aesthetic and take its present appearance. In 1996, the store became LoBill Foods, Marsh’s discount grocery brand2.
In 1998, Marsh closed the 20,000-square-foot store to relocate across the street to the old Geber Brothers SuperValue store in a move that added 12,000 square feet to its operation3. Unfortunately, that Marsh closed in 2017 after the company declared bankruptcy. Tractor Supply Co. took over the space. Next to Greek’s Pizzeria, though, the previous Marsh has been home to The Rock Church since 20144.
Sources Cited
1 Parcel 38-07-16-200-014.000-034 (2026). Office of the Assessor. Jay County [Portland]. Web. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
2 Rutter, R.J. (1996, April 25). The Muncie Star Press. p. 12.
3 McBride, M. (1998, January 8). Supermarket shift leaving one grocery in Portland. The Muncie Star Press. p. 16.
4 (See footnote 1).
