Special offer

306 E Market, Searcy Arkansas. A house with a long history.

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

When I arrived in Searcy Arkansas in the late 60's this house was a kindergarten.  Dot Beck's Kindergarten was the name of it.  Many kids seemed to attend kindergarten there, including my youngest, and they loved it. 

When Dot Beck sold out it became a place for elderly care.

It is now a sleep center.  Folks with sleeping disorders can get help there. 

BUT.....what was it at the beginning?  One of my historical oracles said it was the original Bell Telephone office!!  Really?  I can tell that it looks substantial but very simply constructed.  It's just a rectangle with symmetrical lines.  The court house says it was built in 1954 and is slightly over 1000 sq. ft.

Old Dot Beck Kindergarten

Just two doors down Market Street is the telephone building that was in use when I moved to town.  It is no longer used for that purpose.  The telephone operators who started out in the above building probably moved to the one below when it was new.  I remember when all the operators who worked in this newer building had to to go to Little Rock to work or retire because they were discontinuing service in Searcy.   That was probably the beginning of our telephone service becoming so advanced that we all now have our private phones.

Telephone building

I still like the mental picture, however, of operators sitting at those little switchboards and pulling plugs to connect callers.  That must be what happened in house # 1.  Wish I could put that famous picture of Lilly Tomlin in her telephone operator pose on this blog but I might get sued. 

 

Comments (23)

Kate Kate
San Diego, CA

Barbara, the house is so cute. I am amazed with the years of commercial use that it has maintained such a residential appearance.

Sep 16, 2010 04:42 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Anita, it looks like the same building to me.  Put them side by side and look at the brick trim.  I guess we have another mystery for the sleuths to solve.  Here's your picture.

Southwestern Bell building

Sep 16, 2010 05:47 AM
Anonymous
Anita Fuller

Barbara.....I don't care what anyone says....that is NOT the same structure.  The Telephone Company building was much larger than this house next door, plus it's address was 304 E. Market...NOT 306!  I have spoken.  I'm calling Billy Fuller to help me out, plus Don and Harold Gene.....and again, where are you Bob Collins when we need you?

Sep 16, 2010 05:56 AM
#6
Anonymous
Anita Fuller

To further muddy the waters of my mind:  Mrs. Ernestine Chandler - Jimmy Chandler's mother - and his grandmother, Mrs. Snipes  lived in a big white wood house at 302 E. Market.  That would make it next to the phone company but I sure thought the phone company was on the corner.   I need some help (in more ways than one)

Sep 16, 2010 06:11 AM
#7
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

My memory of what the telephone co. building looked like is fuzzy. I have a good memory of what the trash bins looked like though. Harold and I spent many worthwhile minutes scrounging in those cans for telephone parts and batteries with some juice left.

I must admit there is a lot of similiarity between the pic Barbara took and the one sent by Anita. I scaled Anita's pic and overlayed it with Barbara's pic.

Judy R and SWTC

 

The foundation, drainpipe, and trim seem to fit very well. I think the scale is pretty accurate based on the front door and the ladies height.

That's all I can say because I can't remember the building but the brickwork seems right.

 

Sep 16, 2010 07:08 AM
Anonymous
Harold Gene Sullivan

It sure looks like what I remember the telephone company building looking like.  However, the courthouse record of being built in 1954  couldn't have been right for this telephone company office, it was much older than that.  I wonder if 1954 wasn't the new telephone company building on the next block. On the other hand, 1954 seems a little early for the new building.  I think it was built where the Daniel's Funeral Home was, before their moving up on East Race.

Don is right, we sure got lots of "goodies" from their trash bin, just couldn't figure out why they would throw out such great stuff.

Sep 16, 2010 07:27 AM
#9
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Anita, this time you may lose the argument.  The big white house may have been Strother's Abstract now house. 

Don, it's so nice to have a genius reading my blog!  What a perfect overlay!  Anita just lost her argument, didn't she.  All those old batteries and things must have fired up your mind when you were young.  I'm impressed!!! 

Sep 16, 2010 07:30 AM
Anonymous
Anita Fuller

I am prepared to "eat crow"...which is a southern expression for admitting one is wrong, when one was VERY sure one was right!  I have spoken to a friend who worked at the phone company for many, many years and the sleep center is, indeed, the old Southwestern Bell  Phone company building. 

Don, your overlay didn't convince me, it was talking to Pat Hamm that did it.

Sep 16, 2010 09:39 AM
#11
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Kate, I think it was built to last and it has.  It has also been well maintained through the years.

Anita, I asked Dude the other day why people didn't eat crows.  They were in our back yard and are such BIG birds that one should make a meal.  He added that they are not good eating.  Let me know if he's right about that as soon as you eat that crow. LOL

Sep 16, 2010 11:16 AM
Anonymous
Anita Fuller

I have a nephew who lives in Memphis and is a chef.  Maybe I can get him to concoct a dish of crow.  Dude, think he should start it off cooking in the Crock Pot?

Sep 17, 2010 03:02 AM
#13
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Godmother,

I might want to pick that one up so I got a place to stay when living with you.

Wheatloaf

Sep 17, 2010 04:01 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Anita, yes, try the crock pot. 

Wheatload, you are NOT the one that I buy houses for.  In fact, your have NOT been invited to our town.  Nutsy is going to take care of you when he gets back.........

Sep 17, 2010 04:15 AM
Anonymous
Anita Fuller

If Nutsy decides to join some of his flying squirrel relatives in Greers Ferry, when he goes to Searcy....I just may have to throw him in the crock pot, along with crows.

Sep 17, 2010 06:09 AM
#16
Anonymous
Harold Gene Sullivan

That's it, Amita, never admit that Don convinced you of anything.  It would just go to his head and he would be insufferable.

Sep 17, 2010 10:38 AM
#17
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Godmother,

I am back. Is Wheat bothering you. Most folks find him humble and quite charming.

Nutsy

Sep 18, 2010 04:21 PM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Godson Nutsy, Wheat has you fooled.  He is probably an accomplice of that Mr. C who is out to get you. 

Anita, not my godson.  Go after Wheat.

Harold Gene, has Don got an ego???

Sep 19, 2010 02:19 AM
Anonymous
Kyle Davis

Another tidbit about Dot Beck's.  According to Dot Beck's daughter, Debra, her mother's kindergarten started out on the corner of Market and Blakeney.

Jan 02, 2013 11:52 AM
#20
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Kyle, thanks for commenting on this blog.  It was one of my favorites.  And I did not know she started at the corner of Market and Blakeney.  Does the building still exist?

Jan 02, 2013 09:05 PM
Anonymous
Deanna Brooks

Barbara, Dot Beck's kindergarten started out on Market St...the house has been gone for a number of years...but it was not on the corner...it was next to the corner house.  Jeff Wilkerson (think that was his name) lived on the corner, where his wife had a beauty shop (across the street from where Don and Lynn England live now)...and he may have had a barber shop...think that's right...but I remember going to his wife when I was in high school...a 2-story stucco-type building.  The brick building where Dot had her kindergarten was the original Telephone Office...I've been in it quite a few times. 

Feb 12, 2013 09:54 AM
#22
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Deanna, thanks for that information.  I came on the scene when Dot Beck operated from the old original telephone office.  I still think of it each time I drive by.

 

Feb 12, 2013 10:04 AM