250 East Harrison Street - The House that Goldfish Built

I was fortunate to grow up in a house that was more than simply a place to live. It was a landmark, 

a family legacy, and a documented piece of Martinsville history.

The home at 250 East Harrison Street was built in 1931 by my greatgrandfather, Harry DeTurk. On February 7, 1932, it was featured in the 

Indianapolis Sunday Star, which described it as “one of the most beautiful 

residences in Martinsville.” I still have a copy of that original article. Reading 

it today feels like stepping back into the moment when the house was brand 

new and proudly introduced to the community.

What strikes me most is the timing. The home was constructed in the 

depths of the Great Depression. Despite the national uncertainty, my great-grandfather moved 

forward with building what the newspaper referred to as a “mansion type home.” He was secretary 

and treasurer of the Grassyfork Fish Hatcheries, one of Martinsville’s principal industries at the 

time, and he commissioned Indianapolis architect Fermor S. Cannon to design the residence. The 

contractor was Robert K. Cordill.

The house was built of “Rainstruck” ashlar brick manufactured by the Martinsville Brick Company. 

The rough-surfaced brick, in autumn foliage tones and not of standard size, gave the exterior a 

distinctive character. A dark slate roof, twin chimneys, a cut stone center entrance, and an open 

terrace stretching across the front completed its formal French design.

The DeTurk residence shortly after its construction in 

1931.

The home’s symmetry and proportions give it a quiet 

dignity. Even as a child, I sensed there was something 

different about it. The materials felt solid and permanent. 

The rooms had a scale and balance that set the house 

apart.

According to the 1932 article, guests entered a foyer with 

random ashlar slate flooring and a staircase directly ahead. To the west was a birch-paneled den 

with a fireplace and built-in bookshelves, its French doors opening onto the terrace. Two steps led 

down into a spacious living room, where a plain stone fireplace anchored the south wall. French 

windows and doors brought in light from multiple directions. The walls were finished in what the 

article called “tiffany” tones, with green accents that complemented the draperies and 

furnishings.

The dining room featured paneled walls and a glass chandelier. A butler’s pantry connected it to 

what was described as “one of the most unusual kitchens of its kind.” The kitchen included silverfinished cabinets with black trim, light green walls, a tiled sink, a large Frigidaire refrigerator, and 

even a built-in ironing board. For 1931, these were remarkable conveniences.

Upstairs were four bedrooms and two tiled baths, one in orchid, the other in green and black. The 

house was fully insulated with rock wool and heated by a Pacific steel boiler with a Gregg silent 

automatic vacuum steam unit, equipment selected for quiet and efficient operation.

While those details impressed newspaper readers in 1932, to me they were simply part of 

everyday life. The French doors, the slate floors, the step down into the living room; these features 

shaped my childhood without my fully understanding their significance. I had no idea how lucky I 

was to grow up in this home.

My great-grandfather, Harry DeTurk.

When I look at photographs of my greatgrandfather, I see the determination and 

confidence it must have taken to build such 

a home in uncertain times. He could not 

have known that nearly a century later his 

great-grandson would be writing about it.

Anna, Harriet, and Harry outside the home in its early years.

The house remained in our family 

for decades. I grew up there before my parents sold it in 1998. 

By then, the once-modern Frigidaire and heating system were 

no longer novel, but the craftsmanship endured. The brick, 

slate, stone, and careful design still gave the house its 

character.

One of the many family gatherings throughout the years –

Christmas circa 1979. (Bill Nutter, Blandell Hutson, Bob, Chip, 

and Mimi Keller)

Today, 250 East Harrison Street stands not only as an example of early twentieth-century 

residential architecture in Martinsville, but also as a reminder that homes carry stories within their 

walls. For my family, it was the place where generations gathered, where ordinary days unfolded, 

and where history became personal.

I was fortunate to call it home

Ben & Emmah Keller, great-great-grandchildren to Harry and Anna DeTurk

Harry A DeTurk

Anna, Harriett, and Harry DeTurk

From the Indianapolis Sunday Star, February 7, 1932

One of the most beautiful residences in Martinsville is the home of Mr. & Mrs. Harry DeTurk located at 260 E. Harrison Street. Mr. DeTurk is secretary and treasurer of the Grassyfork Fish Hatcheries, one of Martinsville’s principal industries. Fermor S. Cannon, Indianapolis architect, designed the house, which was built by Robert K. Cordill, Indianapolis contractor.

The house is of formal French design. It is constructed of “Rainstruck” ashlar brick manufactured by the Martinsville Brick Company. This brick is not of standard size and had a rough surface and is in the autumn foliage colors.

Terrace Across Front.

The center entrance is fashioned in the cutstone and the roof is of dark slate. An open terrace extends across the front.

The entrance is into a foyer set with random ashlar slate. A stairway is opposite the entrance. At the west end of the hall double doors open into a den. The foyer joins an east hall which leads past dining room and into the living room.

The den is paneled in birch. It contains a fireplace, built-in bookshelves and double French doors opening unto the terrace. The east hall also has French doors.

Two steps lead down from the hall into a spacious living room. There are two French windows and two French doors in this room. One door is at north end and opens upon the covered porch. The other door is on the west and opens upon the front terrace. The two windows are on the east.

Fireplace of Stone.

A fireplace of plain stone design is in the middle of the south end of the room. The walls are in tiffany finish and paneled. The panels contain tints of green which blend with the general color scheme. The wall lights are designed in bronze and were supplied by Goldstein Bros. Built-in bookshelves are on each side of the fireplace.

The entire floor of the living room and hallway is carpeted in a pleasant walnut shade. The drapes at the doors and windows are in light green with a gold pattern. These colors are emphasized in the upholstering of the furniture. The Sander & Recker Furniture Company furnished the draperies and floor coverings.

Dining Room Decorations

The dining room also is decorated delightfully with paneled tiffany walls. It has a row of windows on the north side and a chandelier designed in glass. The floor is also carpeted. A west door opens into the butler’s pantry which connects with the kitchen. The pantry has ivory cabinets and walls.

The kitchen is one of the most unusual of its kind. The McDougall cabinets, wood trim and doors are decorated in silver with a black trim. The walls are in light green. Modern conveniences include the tiled sink, large Frigidaire, built-ion ironing board, closets, extra cupboards and ventilator. The linoleum on the pantry and kitchen floors is in dark marbleized pattern. The breakfast nook is reached off a rear hall and has stippled walls. The rear hall contains a guest closet, telephone booth, clothes chute, a tiled lavatory with a vanity and basement stairway. A brown patterned linoleum covers the floor. The Capitol Lumber Company supplied the lumber and millwork, insulation, ironing boards and kitchen units.

Four Bedroom Upstairs

The upstairs hall is also carpeted in walnut and gives access to four bedrooms. The master room is at the east end. The walls are papered in ivory and the wood trim in blue and silver. This room has a north deck, twin closets, and a dressing room and wardrobe. IT has a private entrance into the bathroom. The bathroom is tiled in orchid.

A front bedroom on the east is in blue and ivory. There are two other bedrooms at the west end of the hall.

The front room has green papered walls and gold wood trim, and the north room has a French door opening upon a deck. It also is served by another tiled bath with a shower booth. The tile is in green and black. There are also two closets in the upper hall. The medicine cases and wardrobe cabinets came from the Capitol Lumber Company.

The basement contains a social, storage room, laundry room, heating plant, and fuel room. The heating plant is a Pacific steel boiler with a Gregg silent automatic vacuum steam unit. There also is a Puritan water softener. Roland M. Cotton, plumber, installed the plumbing and heating fixtures.

The attic is reached from the upstairs hall. It has a large cedar closet as well as ample storage space. The house is completely insulated with rock wool insulation. All of the windows and doorways are weatherstripped.

Mr. Cordill and Mr. DeTurk were particularly desirous of just the proper heating equipment for the this beautiful mansion type home and selected intermediate sized silent automatic oil burner for its quiet, efficient and economical operation. This oil burner is sold, installed and serviced by the Gregg Silent Automatic Sales Company located at 538 North Meridian street in Indianapolis.

A two-car garage is located to the west of the house.