Listed: Arnold Springs Farmstead

Video Below!

A happy announcement for our readers' delight: The Arnold Springs Farmstead in Melbourne has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places!

All of us at EIC have felt, since the first visit we made to the Arnold House and its surrounding Farmstead, that the site is one of the most important historic locations in the county. This pre Civil-War farmstead consists of a two-story, double-pen, dogtrot home constructed of large square-logs similar to the Wolf House in Norfork along with several original out-buildings including a square-log Mule-Barn very much like the Rector Log Barn just north of Melbourne. Also on the property is the healthy gushing spring known as Arnold Springs. As an added bonus, a thong tree stands only feet from the dwelling and points directly at the spring.

This place has a long history possibly dating back to French ownership. We have actually seen one map indicating that this spring was home to a French Trading-Post as early as the 18th Century.

The listing on the National Register is a welcome development! Armed with its new status, the landowner and organizations seeking to preserve this important link to Izard County's early history and culture will have many more doors opened to them in the form of grants and funding!

Following is a video containing footage we got this past March just after the site was nominated for consideration. EIC has held back on publishing this new footage until the listing had been announced.

Enjoy!

Video: The Arnold House

Enjoy this video of our walk around the Arnold House a few weeks ago!

The Arnold Homeplace

Hidden in a "holler" along a sheltered creek bottom is a time capsule that transports the visitor to another era. We are so grateful for the precious landowner who allowed us to experience this special place...a living snapshot of Izard County's past. One of the fringe benefits of doing what we do is getting to meet such wonderful people...both property owners and readers.

You'll notice the house is built very much like the Wolf House in Norfork. It is pre-civil war, though it has not been officially dated. Although the outside of the structure is covered with weather-boarding, the original structure is hand-hewn square logs. You'll also notice the Smokehouse, the Cattle Barn, the Mule Barn (log construction), and the Springhouse (built with massive hewn blocks of stone).

We hope you enjoy these photographs of the Arnold Homeplace! This site is one that deserves to have its restoration/preservation vigorously pursued.