Earle House (Canehill, Arkansas)
Encyclopedia
Earle House is a house in Canehill, Arkansas
on Highway 45
built in 1859 to house Dr. Fountain R. Earle, the president of Cane Hill College
. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places
along with many other Canehill properties in November 1982.
was settled in 1827, a year prior to the establishment of Washington County
. The Township of Cane Hill
was established in 1829 and was mostly populated by members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church
. The church leaders recognized the need for its congregation to be literate, and Canehill School was established in 1834. By 1850 it had been renamed to Canehill Collegiate Institute and was capable of granting two-year degrees. Two years later the Arkansas Legislature made Cane Hill College
the second college in the state, one day after Arkansas College.
Cane Hill College was burned by Union
forces during the American Civil War
, with only a dormitory being used as a hospital surviving. The college reorganized after the war under the supervision of new president Dr. Fountain R. Earle. The Earles moved to Canehill in 1858, but the College had trouble rebuilding after the war was over. Earle attempted to save the College by merging with the Canehill Female Academy, but pressure added by the new Arkansas Industrial University
in Fayetteville
caused the college to close in 1891.
and is one of the few remaining buildings in Canehill to demonstrate a classically proportioned front.
Canehill, Arkansas
Canehill is an unincorporated community in Cane Hill Township, Washington County, Arkansas, United States. Canehill is on Arkansas Highway 45 about southwest of Fayetteville and east of the Oklahoma border....
on Highway 45
Arkansas Highway 45
Arkansas Highway 45 is a designation for two state highways in northwest Arkansas. The southern segment of runs north in Sebastian County from AR 96 into Fort Smith. A northern segment of runs from Dutch Mills through Fayetteville to Clifty...
built in 1859 to house Dr. Fountain R. Earle, the president of Cane Hill College
Cane Hill College
Cane Hill College, originally Cane Hill School, was the first institution of higher learning in Arkansas. It operated in Canehill, Arkansas from 1834 until 1891.-Cane Hill School :...
. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
along with many other Canehill properties in November 1982.
History
CanehillCanehill, Arkansas
Canehill is an unincorporated community in Cane Hill Township, Washington County, Arkansas, United States. Canehill is on Arkansas Highway 45 about southwest of Fayetteville and east of the Oklahoma border....
was settled in 1827, a year prior to the establishment of Washington County
Washington County, Arkansas
Washington County is a county located in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 203,065. The county seat is Fayetteville. Washington County is Arkansas's 17th county, formed on October 17, 1828, and named for George Washington, the first President of the...
. The Township of Cane Hill
Cane Hill Township, Washington County, Arkansas
Cane Hill Township is one of thirty-seven townships in Washington County, Arkansas, USA. As of the 2000 census, its unincorporated population was 1,415.-Geography:...
was established in 1829 and was mostly populated by members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Cumberland Presbyterian Church
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian Christian denomination spawned by the Second Great Awakening. In 2007, it had an active membership of less than 50,000 and about 800 congregations, the majority of which are concentrated in the United States...
. The church leaders recognized the need for its congregation to be literate, and Canehill School was established in 1834. By 1850 it had been renamed to Canehill Collegiate Institute and was capable of granting two-year degrees. Two years later the Arkansas Legislature made Cane Hill College
Cane Hill College
Cane Hill College, originally Cane Hill School, was the first institution of higher learning in Arkansas. It operated in Canehill, Arkansas from 1834 until 1891.-Cane Hill School :...
the second college in the state, one day after Arkansas College.
Cane Hill College was burned by Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
forces during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, with only a dormitory being used as a hospital surviving. The college reorganized after the war under the supervision of new president Dr. Fountain R. Earle. The Earles moved to Canehill in 1858, but the College had trouble rebuilding after the war was over. Earle attempted to save the College by merging with the Canehill Female Academy, but pressure added by the new Arkansas Industrial University
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
in Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
caused the college to close in 1891.
Architecture
The building exhibits Greek Revival architectureGreek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
and is one of the few remaining buildings in Canehill to demonstrate a classically proportioned front.