Michael Turner Estate

10293 STATE ROUTE 134 SOUTH, MARTINESVILLE , OHIO 45146

contact Tim Flynt  430-588-0006

The Michael Turner Estate is approximately 60 minutes from downtown Cincinnati and only 30 minutes from I-275/Milford, 1 mile off STATE ROUTE 28, outside Martinesville, Ohio.

OVERVEIW

The Michael Turner Estate is a unique property because it is one of the few surviving  intact early  farms with 4 original structures that remain primarly as they were originally built.  Built in transitional period of the 1850’s, the Mansion House and compound have many formal characteristics of buildings from earlier decades and details from 18^th c.  The property and the grounds were conserved to remain historically correct to the period.  This property also provides the buyer over 10,000 sq/ft of existing cumulative interior space. This generous space could be utilized as a event venue. Individuals and Businesses are utilizing unique places like this for weddings, corporate retreats, or other social and society function.

The property has no affiliation with the,” Trust for Historic Preservation “, and is in one of the few townships in,” Clinton County” that lacks Zoning or Building Code enforcement . This gives the buyer maximum flexibility with minimal outside interference.

CONDITION AND RESTORATION

When I purchased the property in 2005, it required extensive renovation. The goal was to return all the buildings to their original condition without sacrificing any of the property’s original character. Today all the structures are in a condition that will require minimal maintenance. The interior and exterior is completely finished out with paint and fixtures. The mechanical room and areas for tank less water heaters are roughed in with Electric , L/P gas,  Plumbing . and duct work  to accommodate easy installation. A credit of 25,000.00 will be provided for any  New HVAC System and tankless WH they desire or  any additional   alteration .

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS

Grounds and Exterior of the Mansion House

This property sits on 3.56 acres which was split off the original agricultural tract in 1995. This beautiful, wooded tract offers one privacy while looking over a stunning view across a mile of cornfield where on most days there is a strong breeze. The exterior of the residence was designed in the classical style, with projecting center entrance and flanking pilasters.  From the road, the formal main entrance, is accented with flanking 10’ obelisk which frame the front elevation. The Manson House is not your typical mid-1850’s dwelling. It exhibits a level of sophistication with the wide limestone steps, elevated doorway, the limestone water table course, molded limestone window lintels.  All these embellishments are used to project an elegant and formal impression. From the front steps, the drive continues around and wraps the n/w side of the house past the 30’long side porch, which is off the largest space in the home, and extends around and terminates between the main house and the Summer Kitchen.  All the buildings are connected with crushed stone walkways or drives. The overall condition of the brick exterior is excellent and stands true and level without settlement cracks. The roof was replaced with a 50-year standing seam metal roof about 2010.

Interior of the Mansion House

The front hall was always the most formal and impressive space in any Classical House. It was intended to give anyone who visited, for whatever reason, a lasting impression without going through the entire home.  The main hall, in this home is certainly achieves this goal. As one enters through the front door one immediately can see up the stairs, to a much larger space, and terminates with Classical Roman Architectural Detailed Passage.  At that point, the stairwell splits and divides the public/ front portion and private/ back portion of the upstairs. Towards front are two formal sleeping chambers and the largest window in the home, directly over the main entrance and across a stunning view of the acreage originally attached to the property. If one goes towards the rear of this hall, Through the architectural arch there is a built-in bookcase and a paneled window seat. Off this passage, one accesses the 2^nd floor library, sleeping chambers and a full bath. There is an additional staircase located in the back sleeping chamber that connects to the 1^st floor 35’ gallery room and leads to n/w side porch, service areas. The entrance to the attic was originally accessed off the exterior sleeping porch, which is now an interior space. The staircase goes into the attic directly from the bathroom. Directly above that stairway, in the attic, there is a dormer, which in the warmer months helps ventilate the house and the attic.  Returning to the 1^st floor main entrance, if one turns to the right and goes through the 8’ French doors, you will be in the formal dining room which has a fireplace, chair rail and crown molding. To the left a pair of 8”-0” French doors leads to the 35’ Gallery Room which also leads out to the porch on the n/w side of the house and terminates with a fireplace and the additional stairwell leading up to the 2^nd floor, rear sleeping chamber. The gallery room also accesses the rear 1^st floor work room which leads to the rear entrance of the wine cellar, to the service area of the kitchen, and directly outside towards the summer kitchen.

To accesses the service passage, one goes directly underneath the main front stairway.  Through, which You will pass a ½ bath and go pass a small doorway which leads past and accesses the mechanical room and electrical panel. (Central point of the “L” shaped floor plan, where the two arms of the L intersect.) Continuing you will pass a bar sink and a doorway which leads to the left, a full bath and to the right, a small laundry room. Proceeding through the French doors you will be in the kitchen. The kitchen connects to the adjacent rear work room and to the exterior deck adjacent to the cylinder-shaped beehive cistern. The kitchen area was originally, an exterior porch, and was partially enclosed with clap board. I believe this area was originally used as a storage or cold room. The original clap board wall can be seen from the rear elevation. All the original rooms of the house have 10’-0” ceiling on both levels unless they were lowered to accommodate duct work or lighting. This only occurs adjacent to the mechanical room in the service passage and in the space utilized in what originally was the sleeping porch and now a bathroom, laundry room and kitchen on the 1^st floor. The combined area both floors is approximately 3400 sq./ft………..The 4 room Cellar adds a additional 1200 q/ft   ………….. Total Square Footage  4600 sq/ft

Cellar of the Mansion House

The cellar’s exterior entrance is located off the rear deck near the kitchen, and across from the original well. The entire 4 room cellar has brick foundation walls and herringbone brick floors The use of brick for the foundation walls was a English tradition.  It was extravagant and rarely used in America.   Another interesting feature is that two of these cellar work rooms originally had plastered walls and plastered ceilings.  The 1860 Census indicates  the Turner Family had  servants living in the home. It is possible one of the plastered   rooms was utilized as Servants Quarters. The cellar is not restored and is   in original  condition. approximately 1200 sq./ft.

Brick Summer Kitchen

The brick summer kitchen which is located directly behind the main house is a notable building that everyone is drawn to.  Utilized for cooking during the hot months of the year, the structure is completely original and divided into two rooms on the first floor, one with a fireplace for cooking and a smaller room for storing and curing meat, both only accessible thru separate exterior double doors located on the covered exterior porch.  The building retains its original doors, interior and exterior brick floors, original board ceiling and its original exterior shutters. The interior of the kitchen also has a stairway that leads through a weighted trap door to a loft space which extends over both lower rooms. This space would have been used to store dry goods, flour, corn meal, dry goods for food preparation. The combined interior area of both floors is 600 sq. ft.

Timber Frame Tavern/Guest House

This smaller timber frame building was designed with large double doors on either in so that wagons and farm equipment could be driven thru, and corn could be stored in cribs on either side. The second floor is accessed from a separate exterior entrance which leads to a 6’ wide stairway. The area was more than likely housed farm hands and was used as a place for leisure time. Today it is utilized as a guest house and tavern. Combined interior area of both floors is 2000 sq./ft.

Timber Frame Barn

One of the largest Timber Frame Barns in the area.    Constructed of oak timbers, mortised and tenoned and secured with wooden pegs. The barns exterior retains its original 24’’ wide and 20’ long exterior vertical board siding.    The interior retains 8 original horse stalls and feeding troughs, along with most of the original wood plank flooring and walls.  Portions of the 2^nd floor tack room which was originally enclosed, today lacks its ceiling and a portion of the wall that would totally enclose it. Over the decades, the wood was cannibalized and repurposed in other structures on the property.   5 different levels of hay lofts with the early cabled system for transporting and moving hay from one loft to another remains. The combined area of all levels of the original barn is 5000 sq./ft.     (Additionally, a turn of the century,1500 sq./ft shed addition w/concrete floor)

Details

Property ID
358704

4
Bedrooms

2.5
Bathrooms

Square Footage
4625

Lot Size
3.56

Year Built
1855

Style
Federal

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