FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- A Fayetteville home on the National Register of Historic Places was burned in a fire Thursday (June 8).
The fire started early in the morning and the man living there was woken by the smoke detector. He and his dog were able to get out safely before flames took over most of the house.
The home at 6725 E. Huntsville Road, known as the Adrian Fletcher Residence, was built in 1957 for the Fletcher family by E. Fay Jones. Fayetteville architect Walter Jennings said it was one of the first homes Jones built after his own.
“It was probably one of first home designs that had widespread attention. It was published in magazines. And I think people liked it because it connected with its landscape and used natural local materials,” Jennings said.
President Bill Clinton moved into the house in 1973 when he was a law professor at the University of Arkansas. Clinton wrote several campaign speeches there when he was running for Congress.
Robert and Stephanie Dzur bought the house in 2011 because they wanted to own a piece of the place they call home. They currently live in New Mexico.
“We couldn’t believe it was for sale when we purchased it and so just were ecstatic to acquire it and put a lot care into it for a number of years. It was really in disrepair when we encountered it,” Dzur said.
They restored the house and applied to get the house on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2013 it was put on that list.
“It’s an important property I think not only for us as the owners, but I think for the history of our country and the state of Arkansas,” said Robert.
The Fayetteville Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire, but they suspect the car in the carport -- which is where the fire started -- may be the cause.