National and State Registers of Historic Places
Martin, Handel T., House
1709 Louisiana Street
Lawrence (Douglas County)
Listed in National Register
Oct 8, 2014
Architect: Unknown
Category: single dwelling
Thematic Nomination: Historic Resources of Lawrence (2001)
The Handel T. Martin house, built in 1917, is located in the University Place neighborhood on the south slope of Mount Oread in Lawrence. The residence is a well-preserved example of the American Foursquare, a house type commonly found in early 20th century neighborhoods in Lawrence. It features typical Classical and Colonial Revival embellishments. Martin was a long-time employee of the University of Kansas, working as an instructor and a curator at the Natural History Museum from 1912 to 1931. He was an early fossil collector and contributor to the emerging field of vertebrate paleontology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Martin partnered with KU archeologist T. R. Overton to excavate the highly significant Twelve Mile Creek site in Logan County, Kansas in 1895, an excavation considered to be the first systematically excavated Paleoindian site. Martin lived in this residence south of campus until his death in 1931. It is nominated as part of the "Historic Resources of Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas" multiple property nomination for its association with Martin and its local significance in the area of architecture.
