FARMHOUSE IN THE CITY, RUSSELLVILLE ARKANSAS

This turn-of-the-century Colonial Revival house is in Russellville, Arkansas, and has several interesting features.

I especially like the foundation; made of edge-laid Jackfork Sandstone (the most prevalent local rock), it is a vernacular style peculiar to Arkansas and southern Missouri, and is often referred to as 'giraffe rock'. It appears that the foundation for the house proper is older and more well-laid than the foundation for the porch, whose rock is more orange and whose mortar is less skillfully applied. The darker and more purple the rock, the more manganese is in it and the harder it is. That's Jackfork for you.

The porch has some gingerbread trim elements straight out of the Victorian era, including the serrated bridgework and the frilly column braces. These elements do not reflect the original house design, which can only be called austere. The fanciest original design element is at the top of the cornerboards; small square capitals here are more reflective of Greek Revival or Federal style.

The siding is not typical beveled "half-to-nothing" six inch; it is a shiplap with convex top and is much sturdier than typical 1/2 inch.

There are several changes evident.

The chimney is small and off-center, leading me to believe that it had a twin to the right. Most homes of this era were heated by small coal stoves as opposed to wood, but the latter is possible. A twin to the right could have handled rooms above as well as below, and its position would have it in a wall next to the central hallway. It was probably removed when a new roof was added, and the remaining chimney may have been kept because it was used to vent a water heater or other gas appliance.

The second-story window on the right is not original; the rest are one-over-one lites and this is a strange six-over-six salvaged from elsewhere.

The transom over the entry door may put the date of this structure back to the 1880s, but the neglect it is presently receiving may add to the structure's demise. Look at the area to the right of the porch roof, where runoff is rotting the siding. A typical problem.