The Home Lawn was beyond a doubt Martinsville's most elite and prestigious sanitarium. It began as the town s second spa, built and run initially by Republican politician Ebenezer Henderson, a close friend and cabinet member of President Grover Cleveland, who visited the spa with his wife soon after its inception. Henderson was ambitious but underestimated the demand for mineral water and sanitarium services. In fact, he expected his personal residence on East Washington Street -- in Martinsville's silk stocking district -- to be large enough to accommodate all visitors. He also expected his wife to be capable of caring for all of the tourists needs, including meals and linen. He was wrong. The business quickly proved to be too much for Mr. and Mrs. Eb Henderson, and it was sold at a sheriff's auction to a Mr. Gallup in 1898. The property, facilities, and adjoining home were once again sold at a sheriff's sale to Morgan County physician Dr. W.E. Hendricks in 1899.

     The Hendricks family became synonymous with the Home Lawn throughout the years 1899 to 1916. What began as a frame bath house connected to a substantial brick family home was transformed into an imposing, earnest enterprise under the tutelage of Dr. Hendricks. With constant refurbishing and new construction, the Home Lawn took shape during these years. Dr. Hendricks passed the leadership role to his son-in-law Walter A. Kennedy in 1916, although some say this takeover may have been a hostile one. W.A. Kennedy purchased both the Home Lawn Mineral Springs and the Martinsville Sanitarium from Dr. W.E. Hendricks after making a staggering fortune in the insurance business.

     The Home Lawn's most impressive years coincided with the management of Hendricks and Kennedy. Guests from the East Coast, Europe, England, and South Africa visited the spa and enjoyed the golf links at the Martinsville Country Club, which was donated by W.A. Kennedy. Notable luminaries include entertainers Al Jolson, Mel Torme, and Phyllis Diller; politicians Indiana Governors E.F. Branch and Paul V. McNutt, and then-future president Franklin D. Roosevelt; and Federal Bureau of Investigations chief J. Edgar Hoover, in addition to several senators, state representatives, judges, military personnel, and small town businessmen. Even the Beatles wanted to stay at the Home Lawn, but W.A. Kennedy's son and successor, Donald Hendricks Kennedy, turned the legendary British pop group away, considering them to be too much of a security risk.

     Following the death of W.A. Kennedy in 1960, the Home Lawn experienced a pitiable decline. The spa did not boast a cocktail lounge (and, consequently, lounge entertainment), swimming pool, gambling casino, or an enviable nightlife in the surrounding community. Americans also lost faith in mineral water's healing powers in face of the new antibiotics available on the market following World War II. With the closure of the Indianapolis & Vincennes railroad passenger route to Martinsville's depot, the little town was harder to reach. For these and other cultural reasons, Americans chose to spend their holidays elsewhere. In 1971 the Home Lawn was sold to Mr. Arthur Widgery and transformed into Diamondhead Resort.

     The Home Lawn building stood vacant for many years following the failure of Diamondhead. It was eventually purchased in 1975 by a Christian ministry called Daystar Ministries from Minnesota. The majority of the structure was destroyed by fire in 1989. After a variety of owners, the property was purchased by Martinsville funeral directors Kenneth and Debbie Costin in 1995. As of August 1997, the Costins are building a funeral home on the spot of the old Home Lawn on East Washington Street with hopes to commemorate the historic importance of the site in some way.