Home : Blogs : Barbara S. Duncan ABR, CRS, GRI, e-PRO Searcy AR : Barbara Duncan's blog

Now this is a B--I--G tree.....beside an old Searcy Arkansas home.

Each time I drive by this house and it is almost every day, I drive a little faster thinking that if one of those limbs comes down on me, I'm a goner! Big tree

Well, not really. But I always think that the tree is as historic as the house. This house is known, I believe, as the Deener house. I once had it listed and was fascinated by the features that dated back so far. Reportedly it was built in 1912.

The house is on Center Street in Searcy Arkansas, White County. In fact, here's the way it looked before it ever had a tree in the side yard. And before Searcy had paved streets. It's on the Register of Historic Homes and was placed there in 1982. It is so covered in trees now that you can hardly see the details but you can sure see this tree!

Historic home on Center St

Just a quick glimpse of the front? Here you go.

Searcy Arkansas old house

The original fireplace looked like this.

Original fireplace Deener house

Posted by Barbara S. Duncan ABR, CRS, GRI, e-PRO Searcy AR on 10/14/2009 09:11 PM

Comments (28)

Localism in the ActiveRain Channel

historic homes, old houses, searcy ar, white county arkansas, barbara s duncan, real estate, realtor

This post has been included in Arkansas Information White County, AR Information Searcy, AR Information
Post is included in group: RE/MAX Active Rain Bloggers
Post is included in group: Posts to Localism
Post is included in group: Blast from the past !
Post is included in group: Arkansas Real Estate
Post is included in group: Anything Arkansas

28 Comments on Now this is a B--I--G tree.....beside an old Searcy Arkansas home.

OCT

Barbara - THAT tree is probably too close to the structure and causing a variety of problems.

Barbara: Neat form of time travel here. Wish I could fast forward the baby trees in my front yard. Like the new pic of you.

Barbara - That is definitely a greal looking, historic home. Thanks for the photos.

OCT

Barbara, I could not help but notice how the chimney did not extend past the roofline. It is amazing that the house was not reduced to a pile of ashes...

Helping you live your American dream...

I just showed a home this week with a HUGE tree soo close to the home. My buyer (rightly so) was nervous about it; because it sure looked like the huge roots were moving the front porch (and perhaps the house!)

Carol, the house is almost 100 years old and the tree is probably about the same. It didn't seem that close to the house when built, but now it is enormous.

Chris Ann, thanks. Be very careful about tree planting. They grow much faster than you think.....or perhaps time just goes faster than we think.....

Ryan, thanks for visiting.

Michael, did you also notice that the chimney had been extended on the "today" picture. Some architect designed the house, Charles Thompson?, and made the boo-boo of a too-short chimney. I have always heard the chimney needs to be taller than the roof. You may need to do a blog on that.

James, they were right to be concerned. This tree shows some limbs that have been removed and appeared to be hollow. That may lead to the danger if the limbs are weakened that way.

Wouldn't you know I would have some stories about this house? The granddaughter of the owner, at that time it was just the widow of Hicks Deener, was one of my best friends growing up. I have spent many a Friday night in winter in front of that fireplace playing the game "Flinch" with Judy and Mrs. Deener. I've taken a bath in the tub that was huge and on claw feet. Almost needed a step stool to get in it. I've played in the attic, which was floored and encompased the entire house.....it had bars and trapeses hanging, like in a circus. A GREAT place for little girls to play. It breaks my heart a little more each time I drive by that historical house and see how it has de-generated, if that is a word. It also had some kind of barn or stables for horses behind the house originally.

Anita Fuller

PS. GREAT pic., Barbara PS. again: I still have a box of FLINCH cards but can't find anyone to play with me now.

Anita, I wondered what Hicks Deener meant. So that was the man's name? And the one beside it (I took pictures of the outside yesterday) was the Richard Deener?? When I had it listed it was largely unchanged with lovely wood floors, wood beams, a butler's pantry, a second fireplace in one room, a hall, and the great upstairs that was probably a play area and it opened onto what they called a "sleeping porch" because in extremely hot weather they could go up there and be cooler, I guess.

It was owned by the Wisdom's, Peggy and Walter, and they had an antique shop in it. That's when the picture of the fireplace was taken with their staging of antiques. Peggy, after his death, kept the shop open for as long as she could and I loved going in there. She loved the house and kept its integrity.

Stone fireplaces, expansive porches... be still my heart! Fantastic pics, Barbara.

PS we have friends who re landscaped the backyard and built cedar decks around the existing huge tree so as not to disturb it. I think later on they questioned their sanity but once those tress are cut down, they are gone forever.

Godmother,

Are we speaking trees here without Nutsy? Nutsy is a certifried arborist as well. Just ask me about trees and I will tell you more than you ever wanted to know. Mrs Kate knows about as much about trees as I know about gin rummy.

Nutsy

Anita, I forgot to ask. What the devil is a game of Flinch?

Kate, hopefully the tree they put the deck around was a long way back in the back yard. And the deck needs to be a distrance from the growing tree!

Nutsy,

This tree is made for you when you want to get outside the mansion that I bought for you. Did you notice all the openings for you to explore? Hide and seek with your friends could be appropriate, except for the ones we know who may catch you in the hole and then blow up the tree. But they're not friends anyway....

I like your Halloween outfit and the way your ears are poised for danger!

Godmoma Barbara

Maybe we can play a game of Flinch some time? It's just a card game that the only people I ever played it with was Judy and her grandmother. As I recall, it was the grandmother who always wanted to play.

J. Hicks Deener was a prominent mover and shaker in Searcy in the early days. I think, but may be wrong, he was high up in the bank, either Searcy Bank or Security Bank. He was the father of Richard and Rodney Deener. He had died long before Judy and I were playmates, so I never knew him like I knew her grandmother, Nola Deener. Mrs. Nola Deener's picture is one of those ladies with the hats, at the Spring Park....you've either blogged them or the Historical Society has them on one of their cookbooks.

Barbara, our friends who built the deck around the tree are Realtors and I know for a fact have a licensed home inspector in their dream team. So I'm venturing a guess that the tree AND their house is well protected. :) Kate

Nutsy, I thought those were your horns poking out of the hat.

This is a really cool house, Barbara. But you're right about that tree limb. It seems that trees get to be a certain age and parts start to fall off, kinda like us humans.

Anita, we need to wikipedia Flinch to see if it was a REAL game. Maybe it was regional?? My favorite picture was the hat ladies in the park, I do believe. Thanks for telling us about Mr. Deener.

Kate, it's like this. A plumber never takes care of his own plumbing. A carpenter has rot all over his house. A car dealer drives an old car. A painter neglects his own abode. Now what makes you think those agents were wise? LOL

Elizabeth, we plant the tree and say, "Grow, grow, grow! Fast!" Then it gets to this stage and we pray, "Don't fall on me!" This tree owner needs to be saying their prayers.

Godmother,

Please smite Mrs Kate once for me too. She talks to hear her head rattle.

Godson Nutsy

OCT

Nutsy, it's just you and me Babe!

Miss Barbara,

I beg your pardon...

Have you forgotten about me

TONY!! You're like the fairy godfather that shows up just when we are feeling all alone. We need you to assume a few more duties. We need a fresh voice to use creative new ways of smiting the ones who demean my godson Nutsy every cotton-pickin' day of the week. Are you available?

Godmother and Tony,

Yes, we like Mr Tony. He is nice and respectful unlike Mr Charles and his uneducated bunch of blind devotees.

Nutsy

That's a beautiful house. I love that front porch. There's something about those big, ol' southern homes that is beautiful and romantic.

Thanks, Jim. The porch looks inviting.

Nutsy, do you agree that Mr. Tony needs to pitch in and help us out?

OCT

Hi Barbara, I'm glad I found your blog. I love historic Arkansas homes (and found it through Pat Kennedy's blog, go figure...

all the best..

Now that is a very big tree. I can see the foundation saying" stay away from me".

Hello Bill, fellow Arkansan? I'm glad you found my blog. I'll go visit yours and subscribe. Let's be friends!

Robert, I love that expression. The truth is the tree looks as if it is on a platform. The ground is so swollen around it that there's a hill. I should have taken a picture of that too.

Leave a response…

Name:

Email:
(optional)

Comment:

What does the graphic say?