The House That Began as a Secret

The House That Began as a Secret. The William and Mary Blair House. William Blair was president of American National Bank in Fort Smith and had interests in both a lumber yard and flour mill during the 1890s. In September of 1898, he began secretly constructing a new home as a Christmas present for his wife, Mary. The structure was built in Classic Revival style, with freize decorations on the porch gables, gambrel-shaped dormer roofs and an upper balcony with columns and balustrades. Another unusual feature were triple columns at the various corners of the house and stone lintels above the windows. The interior and exterior woodwork featured designs of holly leaves and iris blossoms to both celebrate the festive holiday season and honor Mary's favorite flower. , That Christmas Eve, Mr. Blair took his wife for a short carriage ride from their modest cottage on Third Street to the new structure on Seventh. He revealed his secret by carrying his wife over the threshold and into their new home. When William Blair died suddenly in 1903, the mayor of Fort Smith asked that all businesses close during the hour of his funeral out of respect. , The Blair House was purchased by Dr. James C. Amis during the summer of 1903. Dr. Amis, his wife, Jane, and five of their children lived and died in this house. The last surviving member of the immediate family, a son, Dr. James Westerfield Amis, died here in 1970. At least four of the Amis family funerals were held in the front parlor. , Larry Cantwell and Kirk Mehus purchased the house in 2003 and their renovation of it was responsible for the Fort Smith Frontier Achievement Award the following year. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places and a major contributing structure to the Belle Grove Historic District. , Even after the passage of more than a century, the house is reputed to be inhabited by the spirits of Mary and William Blair, its original owners. The rustle of petticoats can sometimes be heard on the back stairway and distinct aroma of cigars occasionally detected near the fireplace in the parlor. As from the beginning, iris plants have remained an important element of Mary's original flower bed. The orchard on the corner of 7th and G Streets was added to the property during the summer of 2004.