Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Snippets of tidbits about five dwellings on tour
Here’s a look at five of the six Little Rock dwellings open to ticket holders of the Quapaw Quarter Association’s 53rd Spring Hour of Homes on May 13-14.
THEO SANDERS HOUSE
1907 S. Gaines St.
Owners: Tanya K. Rollins and Kevin P. Keech
Renovations? We tried to put back any historical elements that disappeared over the years. We converted one large room addition on the back of the home into a galley kitchen, master bedroom, and en suite. We removed any vinyl siding and replaced with wood siding, refinished all hardwood floors and built out an unfinished attic for use as an art studio and media area.
Any discoveries? This house was the residence of architect Theodore Marcus Sanders. He went from growing up in poverty in Mountain View to studying architectural design in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.
MARTIN-TUNNAH-FULK HOUSE
1910 Arch St. Owners: Scott and Amber Jones
Renovations? Aside from updating all the mechanical systems, we undertook a major
construction project and updated the rear third of the house.
Any discoveries? Working in historic preservation, I (Amber) have enjoyed researching the house history over the years. I’ve grown very attached to the families that lived here: the Martins, the Tunnahs and the Fulks. They all were prominent in Little Rock society, so it’s fun to find interesting tidbits about them in the social pages of the Arkansas Gazette or Arkansas Democrat. Sometimes their descendants show up at the front door or send letters wanting to share family photos and history. Also, our house, and the bungalow we own next door, were featured in Episode 9, Season 9 of Ghost Hunters in 2013 — “Ghost Friends Forever.”
XENOPHON OVERTON PINDALL HOUSE
2000 Arch St. Owners: Marsha Stone and Lee Weber
How long have you lived
here? Since October 2013. We were asked to include our home on the tour because it had not been on before, and because it is decorated with a wide variety of vintage and antique collections — a major one being American advertising art featuring ladies, mainly from the late 1800s to approximately the 1930s.
Any discoveries? The original owner, Xenophon Overton Pindall, was a member of our state Legislature, and was acting governor for a brief time.
SCULL HOUSE
2300 State St.
Owners: Ted Holder and Joe van den Heuvel
Why this house? We always thought it looked good. The house had been divided into apartments long before Ted moved into the neighborhood in the mid-1980s. When the owner moved out and put it up for sale, we decided quickly that we had to acquire the house to make sure the neighborhood continued to improve. Renovations? It is a Charles Thompson/Thomas Harding-designed home, so we were able to get the architectural plans from the Old State House Museum, where they are archived. With those plans, we were able to make it the single family home it originally was. Our renovation projects included a lot of structural work — particularly on the back half of the house, which was virtually rebuilt. We also took down, refinished, and reinstalled all the woodwork, doors and original windows.
REDDING HOUSE
1716 S. Gaines St. Owners: Susan and Dan Kemp
What first attracted you to
this house? We liked the Greek revival style of architecture with the big front porch. We loved the interior woodwork and the beauty of the seven fireplaces and mantels, pocket doors and staircase.
Renovations? We renovated the kitchen, repaired the original bathrooms and porches, removed 1990s wallpaper and painted the rooms light colors to reflect our taste.
Loves: The 12-foot ceilings and the beautiful woodwork, pocket doors, staircase and fireplace mantels.