Pam and Ralph “Butch” Martin see themselves more care-takers of local history rather than simply a property owner.

The Martins own 106 W. Holland St. which was originally built in 1869 for A.G. Danforth, one of several Danforths from a prominent Washington family.

A.G. Danforth joined his father Asa in the banking business. And among the furniture in the Martins’ home is a bank table that had been auctioned off and used at one time by a local woman for canning.

“It was a mess when we got it,” Butch Martin said of the table that now sits in the formal parlor of the house.

The house was one of five local houses on the Washington Historical Society’s Annual Christmas House Walk.

“We’ve been asked for many years,” Pam Martin said. They agreed to be on the tour this year because, “We feel like we are more care-takers of this house for a period of time.”

The Martins purchased the Italianate Victorian home in 1996 from the Leslies, a couple who saved the home from demolition.

While the Martins have owned the home, they have had more infrastructure work done on the house such as updating the plumbing and the electrical.

Throughout the years, the home has been decorated by Pam Martin to include a Victorian color palette that includes rich reds, blues and greens.

“I love decorating,” she said. “You have to live in it and let the house speak to you; you can’t rush it.”

The three wedding receptions for their daughters were held in the 18-room home. The wedding receptions provided the inspiration for the Martins’ bridal theme during the Christmas walk. The four bridal gowns from Pam Martin and their three daughters were on display during the walk.

“It is neat to have a house like this,” Pam Martin said. “Our goal is to keep the house in its original grandeur.”

While conducting renovations on the house, the Martins have come across several artifacts from the previous owners including a letter to Mr. Danforth from a man asking for an extension on his loan, to business cards, childrens’ toys and an old Budweiser bottle.

Portia Hoffman of Washington was excited about getting to see the Danforth house. She was one of more than 100 people who took the historical society’s tour.

“I love seeing these older homes that have been restored,” Hoffman said. “I pass by a lot of these homes and always kind of wondered what it looks like on the inside. This gives me the chance to see it.”

According to the Washington Historical Society archives, the home was designed and built by Peoria Architect Frank Emerson, who with partners Herbert Hewitt, Richard Gregg and Jack Briggs designed more than 400 buildings throughout central Illinois.

The house was built with 18 rooms with 12-foot high ceilings throughout. Windows measured 8-foot high and the walls are about 1-foot thick, according to features listed in the historical society’s archives.

Other details listed include huge timbers used in the building were cut from the Danforth farm south of Washington and hauled to the site. These are mostly oak timbers.

The office on the main floor was formerly used as a library and the room had an ornate metal ceiling. The original house had nine fireplaces as its heating system. The fireplace in what Danforth used as a library was built to accommodate a cord-length or about 6 feet of wood. Materials used in the nine fireplaces are brick, marble and ornate tiles.

The house sustained some damage in 1879, the archives said. The fire was discovered on the roof, which had been started by a spark from a chimney.

The home was sold in 1928 to Edward E. Habecker, who used it as a funeral home. In 1974, Howard Mason and his sons, Richard and Robert, purchased the house and also used it as their funeral home.
In addition to maintaining and restoring the house, the Martins recently completed a restoration on the carriage house.

New additions in 2012 include a butler’s pantry, master bath and pool for the Martins’ grandchildren.