To spot the James A. Rice House, look just ahead for a tall, deep red brick building with a two-story porch and pale green trim, crowned by a sharply pointed roof on the right.
Now, let’s let your imagination wander to 1879, when this striking home first took shape. Picture the click-clack of boots and the laughter of townsfolk drifting up to the grand, double-storied porch you see before you. James A. Rice, the proud owner who built this house-and also served two terms as Bentonville’s mayor-might have once peered out these tall, arched windows, plotting his next big idea or maybe just wondering when someone would bring over a homemade pie. The bold mix of Italianate windows and curvy cornices, with a steep Queen Anne gable thrown in for good measure, made Rice’s house the talk of Bentonville. Neighbors probably traded stories on these porches, shading their eyes from the Arkansas sun, while Rice watched his city grow, settling the law one minute and juggling mayoral headaches the next-imagine all the debates this house has overheard! Since 1984, it’s been officially in the spotlight, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. And just think: this unique blend of brick, style, and small-town leadership all started with one man’s vision-talk about leaving your mark!
