The R.H. Bean House or the James & Lizzie Mitchell House is a recent acquisition we’ve just begun to research. James Mitchell was the first president and editor of the Arkansas Democrat newspaper.

Property records and other research point to two possible time periods for the construction date of this property. The Greek revival style of the house could be from either the 1850s or late 1860s. There are some clues, like the hand-hewn posts covered with decorative columns and hewn log sills visible under the house, that suggest an earlier construction date. However other clues, like the columns that are almost identical to those on the 1872 Zeb & Eunice Edmiston House, point to a later date—or at least a later renovation. More research is ongoing to better understand the construction date.