Abner Martin House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Abner Martin House
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | South of Mount Zion off Iowa Highway 1 |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1858 |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001604 |
| Added to NRHP | April 12, 1984 |
The Abner Martin House, also known as The Pat Murphy Place, is a special old house located south of Mount Zion, Iowa, in the United States. It's a historic home that tells a story about early settlers and life in the 1800s. This house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 because of its unique history and architecture.
Contents
A Home Built in the 1800s
The Abner Martin House has a fascinating story, starting with its first owner and how it was built.
Who Was Abner Martin?
Abner Martin was a farmer and one of the first people to settle in Van Buren County. He arrived there in 1836. People say that Abner Martin went to California during the gold rush. He supposedly found enough gold to come back to Iowa and build this impressive brick home.
Building the House
Abner and Louisa Martin started building their home in 1856 and finished it in 1858. The house has a very strong foundation, which is 3 feet thick! All the bricks used to build the house were made right there on the property. Workers even found a special "tally brick" that showed how many bricks were made on a specific day. It said 2,118 bricks!
Unique Design and History
The Abner Martin House is important because of its special design and how it fits into history.
What Makes the House Special?
The house is built in a style called vernacular, which means it uses local traditions and materials. It also shows influences from the Federal style, which was popular a long time ago. You can see this in its long front wall and the way the roof meets the walls. The house is two stories tall and made of brick. It also has a low-pitched roof, which was quite rare in Van Buren County when it was built.
The original farm and home covered 160 acres. Today, the house still sits on 13 of those original acres.
Parties and Puzzles During the Civil War
During the Civil War, the Abner Martin House was a place for social gatherings, which some people found a bit mysterious.
Fun and Games, or Something More?
In 1935, a woman named Mrs. Perry Trible shared some memories from the Civil War era. She said that she and others would hold parties at the Abner Martin House. Some people in the community thought these were secret meetings. They even called the attendees "copperheads", which was a name for people who opposed the war or certain government policies.
Mrs. Trible remembered one party where people played innocent games. The idea that these were "secret meetings" or that the attendees were "copperheads" might have come from the fact that the Martins were Democrats. At the time, some Democrats had different views about the Civil War than the Republican leaders.
Bringing the House Back to Life
Over the years, the Abner Martin House has been lovingly restored by different families.
The Fishers' Hard Work
Dick and Oneita Fisher bought the house in 1973. It had been empty for several years and was in bad shape. The Fishers started restoring the home in 1975 while living there. They were the ones who applied to have the Abner Martin House placed on the National Register of Historic Places. They did most of the restoration work themselves, showing how much they cared for the house. The Fishers finished the restoration and lived in the house into the 1980s. They even shared the house with local historical societies through tours.
The Huffmans' Big Project
After the Fishers, the Abner Martin House again needed repairs. Jim and Teresa Huffman bought it in 2006. The Huffmans started and completed a big restoration project. They updated and replaced many parts of the house, both inside and out. Today, the house is fully restored and well-kept on its 13 acres of wooded land.
Images for kids
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Abner Martin House in 1979.
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Van Buren County Iowa Plat Map from 1897 with Abner Martin House and farm land. Two parcels just south and south east of Mt Zion.
