The Martin-Perry House

The Martin-Perry House is a small museum located in Powell, Ohio. The building is a two-story structure, typical of those found throughout Ohio during the late nineteenth century. The house has been part of the Powell landscape for over 130 years and stands in contrast to the newer developments around it. Today, the house serves as the home for the Powell Liberty Historical Society as well as a museum showcasing rural life in Delaware county.

The Martin-Perry house is a structure located in the center of Powell, Ohio. The house also serves as the home for the Powell Liberty Historical Society and was named in honor of the two families that lived in it during its lifespan. It was constructed in 1889 and was the home of two families that left their mark on the town’s early history. It is in near original condition, and showcases an architectural style common to the Midwest during it life time. The house saw several renovations over its lifetime. It received electricity in 1928 and later also indoor plumbing and county water. Despite getting indoor plumbing, Mrs. Mary Perry continued to use the outhouse until she left the house. The home was originally on a 44-acre plot of farmland. Over time, the plot has shrunk as housing developments expanded around it. Despite the growth of Powell’s suburban communities, the original farmhouse, and the outhouse, remain fixtures in the town’s landscape.

The house’s history begins shortly after its construction in 1889, when the Martin family, the first family to live in the house, moved in. At the family’s core was Mary and Albert Martin. They married in June 1889, and moved into the house shortly thereafter. Albert worked as a telegraph operator for the Columbus and Toledo Railroad. The couple raised three daughters while living in the house. The Perry family, comprised of Mary and Erwin Perry, was the next family to live in the house. The couple purchased the home in 1928 and raised six children there. Erwin received an education at Ohio Northern University before beginning a career as an engineer. During his career, he worked on the nearby O’Shaughnessy Dam which straddles the Scioto river.

After the Perry family left, the house fell into disrepair. In the 1980s, as the population of Powell boomed, the site became the target for the expansion of a series of new housing developments. The developers planned to buy the property and demolish the house. In an attempt to save a piece of local history, a group of citizens established the Powell Liberty Historical Society. The new society’s chief goal was to purchase the house and turn it into a museum. They started a fundraising campaign with the intent of raising money purchase the house. Upon seeing the enthusiasm to preserve the town’s history, the development company agreed to donate part of the land and the house to the historical society. The society immediately went to work renovating the house and transforming it into a museum space. One of the first major updates was converting an old pantry into the first indoor bathroom in the house.

The house opened for tours after the renovations were complete in 1990 and quickly became a staple of the community. Its placement in central Powell makes it the ideal home for the Powell Liberty Historical Society where they focus on telling the history of southern Delaware County, particularly the communities of Hyatts, Powell, and Liberty Township. Since the house was renovated and opened to the public, the local community has been very generous in donating documents and artifacts from throughout the town’s history. Thanks to those donations, the Powell Liberty Historical Society has acquired a wide collection of material related to the area’s schools, families, cemeteries, and more. They offer a variety of programs and services from the house including tours of the community, archival and object research collections, and a variety of educational programming.

About the Powell-Liberty Historical Society, Powell Liberty Historical Society. Accessed April 29th 2022. https://powellhistory.org/Home/About.

The Martin-Perry House, Powell Liberty Historical Society. Accessed April 29th 2022. https://powellhistory.org/Home/House.