Crouch House (c.1856)

This Greek Revival House, originally located less than 1 mile southwest of town on Arkansas Highway 195, was the home of local jeweler, musician, and freemason Augustus Crouch. Crouch bought the land in 1856 and had a home built on it by 1857. In 1874, he sold the home to his daughter, Elizabeth, and the house was later sold to the family of future judge Glenn T. Johnson. It was moved to Washington in the 1980s, on the same site as James Conway’s house that burned in 1903. It was restored with a focus on nineteenth century building construction and architecture. Guided tours are available of the building. Visit the Historic Washington State Park Visitor Center for more information.

Born in Georgia around 1820, Augustus M. Crouch settled in Washington around 1842. He later served as a bugler in Captain Albert Pike's Arkansas Mounted Volunteers during the Mexican-American War, fighting in the Battle of Buena Vista where former Arkansas governor Archibald Yell was killed. After marrying Sophia Holt in 1850, Crouch purchased his first store property in Washington’s business district. In 1856, he purchased from Dr. Charles B. Mitchel 12½ acres “on the Fulton road” where he would build this house.

Crouch was a member of Mt. Horeb Lodge #4 and designed the lodge’s coin-silver jewels. Besides his experience with a bugle, Crouch was also “an expert piccolo player” for the town’s brass band. Augustus and Sophia Crouch had two sons and two daughters: Elizabeth, William, Augustus, and Nellie. Elizabeth married Canadian-born handyman W.F. Phelps, and in 1874 purchased the house and two surrounding acres from her father. Augustus Crouch passed away in 1896 at the age of 75 and is buried just outside Hope, Arkansas. In 1910, the house passed from the family to Ode and Gertrude Johnson. In 1917, their son Glenn was born; after serving in World War II, he earned a masters degree from John Marshall Law School. After serving as a public attorney and circuit judge, Glenn T. Johnson served on the First Appellate Court of Illinois for two decades starting in 1973.

After being moved to its present location in the 1980s, the building exterior was restored, with the main hallway fully restored to a nineteenth century style. The rest of the building is a dedicated exhibit of 19th century construction methods, with one room halfway left as it was to demonstrate the restoration process. If you get a chance, look above at the ceiling of the porch and you can see the wooden beams that are put together with wooden pegs.

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