Commissioned Work
Terry House (411 E. 7th St) is pictured here and I give so much space to its history because it is a shame that you or your children may not later know of this house’s existence for it go to rot and ruin without intervention. I took an hour on Sunday to capture the house for someone who was married there and I hope you both enjoy the history and the images and will tell me which angle and part of the history you like best and why.
Constructed in 1840, the Pike-Fletcher-Terry House, has been touted as an architectural landmark from the beginning, and it has seen its share of history. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, “The builder of the house, Albert Pike, came to Arkansas from New England in 1832 and had a varied career that included being a teacher, poet, lawyer, newspaper owner and editor, and Civil War general.” In 1874 it became the Arkansas Female College which I can only imagine included preparing for housewifery but perhaps they were more advanced for their time. Anybody?
I’m 1889 the house was deeded to John G. Fletcher who with his wife were a prominent native Arkansan family, was a cotton broker in the years following the Civil War of which he was a veteran, German National Bank president, Little Rock mayor, and Democrat candidate for Governor.
One of the Fletcher sons won the Pulitzer Prize as a poet, one married a career soldier, and Adolphine was not only married in the house but lived there with her husband much of their lives. Her husband, a lawyer and civic leader, became a US Congressman who spent part of his time in Washington DC. “Adolphine Terry was a graduate of Vassar College and spent much of her life working for the causes of educational improvement, public libraries, and racial harmony. She was well known as the leader of the WEC, and many of the meetings were held in it.”
- Created: June 2021
- Collections: Black and White Architecture singlets