The Franklin Desha House
A Desha–Searcy family legacy in Independence County, Arkansas — built 1847, in the family ever since.
Welcome, guests. This is a family home first — we're glad to share its story with you. Throughout the house you'll find QR codes; scan one with your phone camera to open the story of that room.
Welcome to our family home
Since 1847, the Franklin Desha House has belonged to the Desha family and its descendants — today's Stroud and Vandiver families. It is one of the oldest houses in Independence County, and in 1986 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
We invite you to wander the rooms, run your hand along the old timbers, and scan the QR codes we've placed throughout the house to learn what each room has seen. This website is our way of welcoming you into a story that has been unfolding here for nearly 180 years.
A note from the family
▲ Family note to Robert & Mary: add a short personal welcome here — a sentence or two about what this house means to you and what you hope guests take away. Replace this box when ready.
Take the tour
Each QR code in the house opens a page about that room. You can also browse the full tour here, or download the printable tour guide for a visit without your phone.
The Dogtrot
The open breezeway at the heart of the house — the passage that gives this house type its name.
See this room The main facadeThe Front Porch & Center Gable
The sheltered front entry beneath the projecting gabled roof — the face the house shows its guests.
See this room The western penThe Parlor
The formal room of the house — where the family received guests and marked its occasions.
See this room The eastern penThe East Pen
The working, everyday room of the house — kitchen, bedroom, and living space in one.
See this room FireplacesThe Hearths
The fireplaces that heated and cooked for the family — the warm center of winter life.
See this room KitchenThe Kitchen
Where the family's meals were made — a room of daily work and daily life.
See this roomMore of the story
History
From its 1847 construction through the Mexican–American War, the Civil War encampment of 1863, and its National Register listing in 1986.
Read the history The peopleThe Desha & Searcy families
A Kentucky governor, a county namesake, a territorial judge, and the family that built this house.
Meet the familyFrom the family album
▲ Family note: add your photographs here. Drop them into public/photos/ and
reference them from a gallery page (see README). Until then, these placeholders mark where the
pictures will live.