Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Jefferson County

After taking pictures in Tucker, I headed south through the small town of Sherrill. Off the main road was this old building, with a twisty old tree growing right up beside the rusted tin.

IMG_5103

From there I crossed over the Arkansas River into Pine Bluff. I drove through downtown, and got a picture of this building that contains an insurance company. It was a bright spot of color on an otherwise drab and cold winter day.

IMG_5127

There is some spectacular architecture in Pine Bluff, including some great places like the Saenger Theater and the Hotel Pines. One grand old building is the old R.M. Knox House, which was built way back in 1895. It is considered to be one of the finest examples of Eastlake Victorian architecture in the state, with its intricate woodwork and three-story tower. However, the building has been deteriorating steadily over the last few years. I try to take pictures of it whenever I'm in Pine Bluff, because I'm scared it won't be around much longer.

IMG_5121

It's hard to tell if the place is actually abandoned, since it appears that someone may actually live there still. There are cars parked in the attached carport, and occasionally a dog will run out and bark at people from behind the iron fence. I would love to know for sure, and what the condition of the interior might be.

For a comparison, this is a picture of the house from 1905. Much has changed since then:

page264-2028px-The_Knox_Family.djvu

No comments: