The Dutcher House - 702 W Academy
The Bloom House - 708 W Academy
A new property has come on the market and it is right beside one that is also for sale. Both are historic treasures in Searcy AR. The listing agent provided information about this newest property on the market and it is worth sharing for its historic value. Right now Searcy is trying to raise funds to redo the Rialto and this information fits right in.
In 1929 a local carpenter named Dutcher paired with Bloom, a businessman, to build two houses in the heart of Searcy. Bloom owned the Grand Theatre which was renamed the Rialto and revamped for "Talkies" in 1928. Bloom also commissioned Dutcher to do the carpentry work on his own home which was being built next door at the same time as Dutcher's home at 702 W Academy. Because both homes were being built along with the revamp of the theater, material was shared among all three buildings.
One primary building material was the left over tiles of the tin ceiling in the Rialto. Those tiles are visible in both of the homes. Perhaps most visible is the local stone used to make these Craftsman style homes so unique.....almost like sister homes.
One feature of the 1929 Dutcher home was a sleeping porch which is now a master bedroom. Sleeping porches were believed to give fresh air which helped sufferers of tuberculosis and in general helped to avoid other illnesses. Original stonemasonry walls are exposed in both homes. Both homes were completed late in 1929 just before the Great Depression hit. Both are still lovely. If you'd like interior pictures (or if you'd like to purchase one!) I can email you the MLS information sheets.
I have always liked the two historic homes but this information was new to me. Thanks, Lena Rath, for sharing.
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