Since losing its bid to become the state capital of Michigan in 1847, Marshall has won many awards and accolades. Home to the largest national historic landmark district in the country in the small urban category, Marshall has been called a "textbook of American architecture" by the National Parks Service. Marshall was one of the first four Michigan Main Street Communities and is the site of the oldest county fair in the state. In recent years, the community has been named one of the "dozen distinctive destinations" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.