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Jacob Wolfe House
In 1829, when Arkansas was a territory of the United States, Jacob Wolf
donated the land and built this structure as the first permanent
courthouse for Izard County. Great competition existed among frontier
settlers to secure the "seat of justice" for their town as it was always
accompanied by additional commerce. As a territorial legislator from
1827 to 1835, Wolf competed aggressively for this designation for his
town, which he called Liberty. Here county government functions were
transacted, and numerous regularly scheduled county and circuit court
sessions were held several times a year. Wolf established a post office
here called Izard Courthouse. John P. Houston, brother of American
legend Sam Houston, served as the county clerk. Numerous early Arkansas
lawyers served here as judges, prosecutors and defenders. In 1835, the
territorial legislature voted to relocate the county seat to another
site, and Wolf had the property deeded back to himself.
Jacob Wolf's German heritage is seen in the expertly hewn, yellow pine
logs of this two-story structure that features a first-level breezeway
or "dogtrot." The logs spanning this breezeway are an exceptional
thirty-two feet long. This log building form, once common on America's
frontiers, has now become rare. The structure has been restored under a
Courthouse Restoration Grant provided by the Arkansas Historic
Preservation Program and administered by Baxter County Judge Joe
Bodenhamer. Tommy Jameson, of Jameson Architects, P.A., served as the
preservation architect for the project.
Jacob Wolf was born in 1786 in North Carolina and moved to Kentucky
prior to immigrating to Arkansas. He was the father of sixteen children
and five stepchildren. He was a blacksmith, carpenter, merchant, and
farmer as well as a legislator. Shortly after he purchased this land in
1824, he built a dwelling house, detached kitchen, slave cabins, barn,
blacksmith shop and store before he constructed the courthouse. The
courthouse is the only original structure remaining today. After the
removal of the seat of justice, Wolf moved his family into the
structure, and it served as their family home until his death in 1863. |
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Reverend John Wolf Cabin
Donated by Bonnie Noel Copp Wyatt in honor of her parents, Dr. Noel
"Buck" Copp and Bonnie Gay Sanders Copp.
This cabin was built by John Wolf in 1828 one mile south of Calico Rock,
Arkansas. The property was later acquired by the Copp Family.
John Wolf was a religious and political leader, an early pioneer who
helped shape this area which now contains all or part of the 14 present
day counties. The Reverend was a brother of Major Jacob Wolf.
The structure was moved to its present location and restored by
volunteers of the Wolf House Memorial Foundation.
Completed May 21, 1994. |
