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Is this rock foundation in Searcy AR talking to us? Thurman Weir had fun!! Silas Owens history.

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

We've listed a house in Searcy Arkansas that has a rock and brick front.  The front is rock that looks to be the type house built by a man named Silas Owens who built houses with a delightful combination of native stone and brick.  Here's an example of the mixed masonry style and a picture of the newly listed house.

mixed masonry style

The back of the house has the name of perhaps the owner.  It has " By Thurman Weir March 11 50" in the masonry.

Thurman Weir

But when we explored the side of the foundation we wondered if Mr. Weir was still talking to us.  Look at the letters in the foundation on the side.

foundation letters

foundation letters

foundation letters

You can just keep finding letters in the design.  Was he putting his or his children's names in the design or is it all just my imagination.  W  R  A  V H Y? 

It's for sale!  $73,000 with a vacant corner lot included!!  (SOLD!)

And Searcy Sleuths, who was Mr. Weir?

 

 

Anonymous
Anita Fuller

Never heard of Thurman Weir.  There are two Weirs listed in my l957 phone book, I know them.  There is a Mrs. Ruby Weir and an E.W. Weir, both RFD 4.    Don't know them.  I'm stumped.   But those letters, if that is what they are, are interesting.  An enigma code?

Jan 24, 2012 12:33 AM
#1
Anonymous
Debra Wantulok

Good Morning!  I just think it is wonderful that this project is still standing in honor of Mr. Weir's labors.  I love finished projects and I really enjoy when they are signed. 

Sorry, the only Weir that I know is a road in Russellville, AR, Pope County. 

We salute the creativity and/or craftsmanship of Thurman Weir. 

 

Jan 24, 2012 03:57 AM
#2
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Anita, I thought you'd know him.  Perhaps one of the Sleuths will.

Debbie, I found the letters very interesting.  If we knew more about him, we might be better able to translate.

Jan 24, 2012 05:48 AM
Anonymous
Harold Gene Sullivan

Carolyn says that she remembers a Thurman Weir who lived out in Sixteenth Section in the early 50's.  He had a daughter, Patricia, who went to McRae schools.  There were lots of Weirs who lived out in that area that Carolyn remembers.  In fact, the cemetery for that region is called Weir Cemetery. Carolyn had a friend, Erarlene Weir, who was Thurman's niece (daughter of Thurman's brother, J.W. Weir) and lived in a rock house similar to the one in the picture.  Also, Virgil Weir, father of Donald Weir, had a similar rock house in the Copperas Springs area.  So maybe Thurman had something to do about all these houses. possibly the builder.

Jan 24, 2012 07:48 AM
#4
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

There is a street in McRae called Thurman Weir Rd.

I think Harold is on to something. 

Jan 24, 2012 09:14 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Mary, just keep thinking.  Surely someone remembers him.

Harold, keep thinking.....same as I told Mary.  A light bulb surely will come on above your head.

Don, I knew I'd heard of that name and it is because of that street!  Now was Thurman a builder, rock mason, or what?

Jan 24, 2012 12:22 PM
Anonymous
Harold Gene Sullivan

Carolyn says that she always thought Thurman Weir a farmer, but most farmers had a second occupation to make ends meet.  Doesn't know if he did or not.

Which reminds me of an joke:

A farmer inherited $100,000 and his neighbor farmer asked him what he was going to do now. He said that he guessed he would just continue farming until it was all gone.

Jan 24, 2012 05:33 PM
#7
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Good joke, Harold Gene.  If Thurman didn't own this house, wonder if the owners minded his putting his name in the concrete?  LOL

Jan 25, 2012 12:18 AM
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

I'm going to revisit this post and be a spoil sport by saying I think it's a concidence the morter makes the stone work look like letters. I believe there are various shaped stones placed in random order that needa generous amount of morter to hold in place. Sorry. That's my opinion.  

 

May 26, 2017 07:44 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Aww, Don, don't be a spoil sport.  Isn't it more fun to believe he may have been speaking to future generations?  Looks like letters to me.....and he did put his own name in the cement at the back.  LOL

May 27, 2017 04:39 AM