Date:  November 1, 2024  |   Story: Rebekah Hall Scott  |   Art Direction: Bailey Dougan  |  

From its shady spot beneath two towering magnolia trees on West Fourth Street, the E.O. Manees House is a stalwart of North Little Rock’s rich history within the vibrant contemporary community. The home, which features elements of both Queen Anne and Colonial Revival design, was first built in 1895 by Solon Humphrey and purchased by Elmer Olonzo Manees in 1908.

Manees, who was born and raised in Monticello, owned and operated the Manees Dry Goods Company in the Argenta neighborhood for 50 years. He was an active member of the community, serving on the North Little Rock School Board for nearly two decades and on the Pulaski County Quorum Court. He and his wife, Alma, had eight children, and a 1920 remodel was, at least in part, inspired by their growing family. Those renovations included enclosing the upstairs sleeping porches, widening the veranda, and adding two large Doric columns to the facade.

After Manees’s death, his family sold the home to the city in 1943 for $12,650. It was occupied by the North Little Rock Health Department until 1963, when the City Council voted to lease the house to the Junior League of North Little Rock. In the following decades, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Businessman and developer Allen Engstrom purchased the home in 2016, and in 2023, its interior, exterior, and landscaping were renovated. It now operates as a wedding and event venue with office spaces upstairs.

Hayden Finley, venue operator at the E.O. Manees House, said they have received “an amazing, overwhelming response from the community” after the recent renovation. “People have been so thankful that we took the time and allocated the financing to restore it and turn it into something that everybody could enjoy,” she says. “We love to have bands play on the lawn and host football watch parties, and we invite our neighbors to join us.”

Illustration by Bailey Dougan