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And another one bites the dust. International Shoe Factory building in Searcy AR goes down.

It gets to be shocking. Drive by and notice the building is either gone or half way down. That's the way it was with me on Main Street. The old International Shoe Factory building is a goner. I did another double-take because it was already half gone. I snapped pictures. The International Shoe Factory was one of the first factories in Searcy Arkansas.

After World War II Searcy leaders got the Searcians to agree to raise $100,000 to erect a building to house the factory. The International Shoe Company would least the building for five years with a 30 year renewal option. Approximately 450 people were to be employed in the factory. Dr. Raymond Muncy's history of Searcy Arkansas, written in 1976 gives the background of the factory, which I'll let you read at your will. I got this bit of information from the book.

International shoe factory

Being a real estate agent makes you question things and the second picture above may illustrate something that we agents hear all the time. I call a brick house a brick house. An appraiser will call it "brick veneer." I think the wall above illustrates what a real brick house might have walls like. It is a solid wall of brick with several layers. Our brick veneer houses have a single thin layer of brick. Interesting?

Posted by Barbara S. Duncan ABR, CRS, GRI, e-PRO Searcy AR on 10/18/2009 08:54 AM

Comments (15)

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15 Comments on And another one bites the dust. International Shoe Factory building in Searcy AR goes down.

OCT

Time moves on in swift transition. Naught on earth can withstand.

Barbara, that wall is a good example of what a "Brick House" wall would look like----most merely use the brick as a type of siding---"Brick Veneer."

Barbara.

An interesting thing...we have an old "International Shoe Factory" here. I believe it was built right after the war . It was empty for years and a local agent bought it and leases spaces in the building to contractors.

Barbara,

I hate seeing the old landmarks disappear one by one also. I comment on an old craftsman home we drive by and my wife says, "the more dilapidated, the better." Can't help it.

It is amazing how well these old soldiers can stand up to punishment of decades of vacancy. I wonder how new construction will fare if left vacant for 10 years.

all the best...

Things change, old buildings disappear, it's good you are taking photos in a few years it is just memories and people forget what used to be there or they move to town after it is gone. In the last 10 years there have been a few old buildings knocked down in my town only to be replaced by buildings like Walgreens.

Barbara, you do SUCH a good job chronicling what is going on in and around your area in Arkansas with your text and photos. I like your distinction you observed between brick building and veneer. EVERYTHING keeps changing for sure...

Heath, you're right. Thanks for stopping by.

Charles, that's the first time I've ever seen an example of a real brick wall. No wonder they don't do those anymore.

Trey, I understand there were several around the country and they did good business until we had cheaper shoes made overseas. This one turned into a leather goods factory for several years and I really didn't know it was so close to its demise.

Bill, your wife is a gem to appreciate all the old buildings. The more dilapidated the better, however, is a questionable virtue. LOL

Alan, I wish I had a picture now of how it was before. Perhaps a reader will supply one.

Gary, thanks so much for your compliment. I'm having to hustle to keep finding stuff to submit.

Not much for insulation were they? It is not unusual to see some of these old walls 24" thick in really big structures.

That is interesting, Barbara. In Sacramento, a house would be brick with one layer of brick. A brick veneer, or facade, would be brick-faced, a brick that is about 1/4 of an inch thick. An appraiser may differ with me, but that's what people in California call them.

Charles, I couldn't tell by the picture but did they just throw those bricks in in any fashion or was there a pattern followed? 24" thick would be a mansion. This one appears to be perhaps 12"??

Elizabeth, I'd call a 1/4 inch brick a trim. I think they can be bought here and are usually put in kitchens behind fake brick wall the counter to look like brick or a wall to look like brick. Sorta like this foreclosure house.

Barbara, I didn't make myself clear, sorry. She is commenting on my comments...I always can see them in their heyday, when they were new. She is pretty practical, knowing that there is no insulation, moisture, mold, rot and probably termites and all other manner of hurdles :).

Bill, I understand now. And then she says, "We are NOT buying that money pit no matter how much you like it!" Smart woman.

OCT

There was an interesting article in Sunday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette about main streets in Arkansas.

The shoe factory was on Main St. but not too much else of significence. Our main streets were Spring and Market. The brothers Ray Hanley and Steven Hanley, creators since 1986 of the Postcard Past feature that appears six days a week in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette have produced Main Street Arkansas book.

Here's a C. of C. Luncheon Program honoring the International Shoe Company from Paula's scrap book.

Program

Barbara,

In this town I am surprised at just how many of the structures, including my own house and my folks house, that were around when I was a kid.

Thanks, Don! You've come through with great info again!

Steven, you must have a history-loving town.

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