NEWS

Martinsville Embraces the Curative Powers of Preservation

A creative development in Martinsville repurposed three National Register-listed buildings within blocks of the Morgan County Courthouse as affordable housing for seniors.

Downtown Martinsville
At one time Martinsville boasted more mineral water spas than any other Indiana community. (Photo: Lee Lewellen)

Taking the Waters

Between 1890 and 1930, Martinsville’s economy revolved around mineral water resorts, fed by aquifers of artesian water discovered in 1887. For decades, visitors from near and far traveled to the area to “take the waters.” The spas offered highly touted treatments – mineral baths, mud wraps, and copious quantities of the water – believed to cure everything from rheumatism to digestive issues.

For decades, Martinsville Sanitarium was one of the finest retreats in town. Today, the stately brick building anchors a $8.4 million adaptive use project, the Retreat at Mineral Springs, developed through a partnership of Flaherty and Collins, the City of Martinsville, Morgan County Historic Preservation Society, Myszak + Palmer Architects, and WellSpring Center, a nonprofit devoted to relieving homelessness in Morgan County.

The development repurposed three National Register-listed buildings as affordable senior housing within blocks of the Morgan County Courthouse: the 1925-1926 Sanitarium, the 1890 Morgan County Jail and Sheriff’s Residence, and a nineteenth-century commercial building.

Outside, the former Sanitarium largely maintains its original appearance, a broad building combining features of Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, and Renaissance Revival architecture. Inside, several apartments retain preserved original spa features. One first-floor unit includes an ornate tile drinking fountain that once dispensed mineral water, and other units feature stained glass windows. Historic staircases with Craftsman features remain, along with cleverly retrofitted elevators. Cozy apartments have been added on a previously unfinished third level beneath the building’s signature gables.

Martinsville Sanitarium

Martinsville Sanitarium (Photo: Flaherty and Collins)

Debbie Fraker grew up at the former Morgan County Sheriff’s Residence, where her father served as county sheriff, and remembers her mother serving home-cooked Sunday dinners to inmates in the attached jail. The 1880 Italianate residence now includes five apartments blending new features with historic fireplaces, moldings, and restored wood windows. Though major living spaces have been reconfigured, the home’s original ornate staircase remains a focal point. Safety requirements dictated that the original cell block at the rear of the residential structure be sealed off and remain unused, but it has been left in place to preserve the memory of the building’s original purpose. Indiana Landmarks holds a protective covenant on the property, so we worked with Flaherty and Collins to make sure the exterior renovation maintained the building’s historic architectural character.

Morgan County Jail and Sheriff's Residence

Morgan County Jail and Sheriff’s Residence (Photo: Flaherty and Collins)

The former Kivett’s Five and Dime building at the northwest corner of Morgan and Main streets is the final property in the Retreat at Mineral Springs. Where long-time Martinsville residents once shopped for candy and toys on the first floor, now a generous lobby and lounge area with a restored tin ceiling occupies the space. New apartments on the upper floors boast original five-paneled wood doors, transom windows, and handsome built-in cabinetry from the upper-level’s time as a fraternal lodge.

Kivett Building Martinsville

Apartments in the former Kivett Five and Dime incorporate many of the building’s original architectural features. (Photo: Flaherty and Collins)

Earlier this year, Indiana Landmarks recognized the Retreat at Mineral Springs project in Martinsville with a Central Indiana Historic Preservation Award. With many units already leased, the development attests to the value of public-private-nonprofit partnerships and the power of Federal tax credits to fuel historic preservation. To learn more about the project, visit www.retreatatmineralsprings.com.

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