The Marissa Historical and Genealogical Society was founded in 1969 and was incorporated shortly thereafter. The basic principles of the society are first to foster the research of the family roots who once lived here and to maintain such records and second to preserve local heritage such as the Marissa Academy Building in which our society resides.

Before the Marissa Academy began in the fall of 1886, education in Marissa, IL was limited to the elementary school grades. The community and church leaders felt that there was a need for a secondary education and thus the Marissa Academy, a tuition school, was organized in 1886. Upon graduation the students who attended this Academy were admitted to Monmouth College, Monmouth, IL without taking entrance examinations. Classes were held in various facilities until 1891 when construction of the Marissa Academy Building was started. Classes began in this facility that fall.

This building is one of only a few left from that time period in Illinois. It was designed as a multi-purpose two-classroom building with a stage. As part of the community Bicentennial project in 1975, the Marissa Academy Building was extensively restored.

In 1976 the St. Clair County, Illinois, Historical Society recognized the Academy Building as a unique architectural structure and awarded it their "Landmark" plaque.

The Southern Illinois Tourism Council recognized the Academy Building as a unique tourist attraction because of the Genealogical Library and in 1979 placed the facility on their tourism brochures for St. Clair County, Illinois.

In 1994 the Marissa Academy Building was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in the United States of America.