Abner Martin House - Near Mt. Zion, IA
National Historic Register
- 1984
This home was built in 1856-1858 by Abner Martin, originally of New Hampshire. He participated in the California Gold Rush in 1850 and came back with enough gold to build his red-brick country mansion. There were 13 Martin children, and the last time a family member owned the home was around the turn of the century. The home and 13 acres were purchased in 1973 by Dick and Oneita Fisher for $13,000 whose subsequent renovation was featured in the Des Moines Sunday Register Picture Magazine February 7, 1982.
The house has a 3-foot-thick foundation, and all bricks were made on the property. A "tally brick" which told how many bricks were made in a specific day was found on the property. It reads 2,118.
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