RISON - The Pioneer Village at Rison received another structure Tuesday when movers brought in the John Samuel Beard House, a classic dogtrot style home that was originally built in the 1870's.
Bob Abbott of Pine Bluff donated the house that once belonged to his grandfather to the Pioneer Village in hopes that its legacy will continue. Abbott had the house moved from its original location in Ouachita County to The Traveler property he owns along Pumpkin Hill Road outside of Rison several years ago.
Abbott has a history of working with historic properties. He previously owned the Martha Mitchell House in Pine Bluff, which is where the famous Watergate figure Martha Mitchell grew up.
Marty Bowlin, president of the Pioneer Village, said they plan to add a porch across the front and back of the house as well as make other improvements. She their goal is to have it ready for an open house in October.
The Beard House was nominated to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places in December 2012 as a house with local significance and "a good embodiment of the dogtrot plan," according to the Arkansas Heritage website.
The house is believed to have been originally built around 1870 using an plan that included an open breezeway through the middle of the house for cooling. The design was popular in Arkansas and across the southeastern U.S. in the 19th century.
The open breezeway through the center of the house still remains, though one side has a screen and screen door across it.
According the Arkansas Heritage website, the Beard House was originally built in an area of Ouachita County the government had declared swampland, about 1.5 miles from Tulip Creek. John Samuel Beard bought the house in the early 1890s from his mother's family, (continued from page 1) the Leaths. The house originally had a cellar under the left front room where the Beards kept sweet and Irish potatoes, and a large smokehouse was also ...
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