UA Fort Smith has a historic interpretation program and was gifted this house in downtown Van Buren.  MAGH Architects has been involved in the restoration of the Willhaf House for the past six years in multiple stages.
The house was built in 1851. A back addition was constructed in 1852 and porch added in 1858. In the photos below, you can see a snap shot I took of a framed print with the before images of the exterior, what a huge change. Even the magnolia tree in front was there when the house was built.
One of the cool features of the house renovation is what I call the 'windows to the past'. There are glassed windows in the walls giving you a view into the ORIGINAL 1851 walls and a 2 areas allowing you to view into the attic/roof construction. They have had the wood tested and found that the logs were from the west Arkansas area.  You can learn more about the restoration here.
See more of our architectural images here.