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Designed in the Queen Anne style, the Bell House is one of Jonesboro's most attractive homes. It was built in 1895 by a bookstore owner named John Vernon Bell. The house, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, features many decorative elements. These include bay windows, a wrap-around porch on the first floor, a six-sided turret, and numerous instances of decorative woodwork such as turned spindle columns, starburst designs, and scrollwork. The house remains a private residence. The property also includes a carriage house which serves as a garage.


The Bell House was built in 1895 by its namesake, John Vernon Bell. It is an excellent example of Queen Anne architecture.

Plant, Property, Window, Building

John Vernon Bell arrived in Jonesboro from Tennessee in the 1890s. He opened one of the city's first bookstores and ran it for many years. He eventually became the secretary of the Jonesboro Savings and Loan. Bell sold the house to a cotton speculator named Thomas Hardy in 1919. At some point, Bell's daughter acquired the house and converted it into a boarding house. It fell into disrepair and was almost torn down during the Great Depression and in 1965. It was also used as a fraternity house at some point. The carriage house was built in 1992 and, after flooding in 2000, the kitchen was enlarged and a sun room was added as well.

DuVall, Donna. "Bell House." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. November 7, 1976. https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/26141867/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_AR/76000398.pdf.

Norman, Bill. "J.V. Bell House." Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Last Updated June 2, 2015. https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/j-v-bell-house-578.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Thomas R Machnitzki, via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jonesboro_AR_historic_Bell_House_303_Cherry_St.JPG

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