My Office at the Mills-Davis House at 523 E. 6th St.
This Italianate treasure at 523 E. 6th St. in Little Rock was once occupied by the Abraham Anderson Mills family and the William E. Davis family. However, since the spring of 2018 it has been occupied by J. Carman, Inc. Fine Art Appraisals! Through the course of 2016 and 2017, my friend Donna Thomas and I worked on the restoration of this incredible home. I have now moved my art library and office into this space, where I offer art advisory and appraisal services from a brick and mortar location for those who do not require in-home services. I am fortunate to share this office space with Norton Arts, Inc., a nationally-respected art conservation firm. Because I keep inconsistent hours as I split time between field work and office work, visits to this location are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.
Abraham Anderson Mills (1843-1927) and his wife Eliza Missouri "Eudie" LeFevre Mills (1848-1931) occupied the home from 1878 until the early 1940s. Anderson Mills was a Civil War veteran, sheriff, and the county judge famous for ushering the way for the first "free bridge" over the Arkansas River. He also oversaw the cultivation of over 2,200 acres of plantation land around the Arkansas River, including one owned by his wife's family (The LeFevre Plantation) along with his own farm (The Faulkner Plantation). His wife was descended from some of Arkansas's early settlers, Canadian natives who arrived at Arkansas Post in 1770.
By 1945, the property was acquired by Dr. Emmett N. Davis and was then passed to his son, the famed Arkansas photographer William ("Bill") E. Davis (1918-2016). Although Bill spent 40 years as a commercial photographer, he also spent more than 25 years focusing on fine art photography, eventually operating a gallery space from the residence. In the slideshow below I have included one of the oldest known images of the home (circa 1900), photos of Anderson Mills and his family, and an interior scene demonstrating Bill and Jody Davis's passion for mid-century design. The painting over the fireplace in the modern interior scene is a mixed media collage by Illinois/Arkansas artist Miriam McKinnie (1906-1987). I actually purchased this painting at the Davis estate sale, so the artwork will hopefully be able to spend several more decades in its former home.
Abraham Anderson Mills (1843-1927) and his wife Eliza Missouri "Eudie" LeFevre Mills (1848-1931) occupied the home from 1878 until the early 1940s. Anderson Mills was a Civil War veteran, sheriff, and the county judge famous for ushering the way for the first "free bridge" over the Arkansas River. He also oversaw the cultivation of over 2,200 acres of plantation land around the Arkansas River, including one owned by his wife's family (The LeFevre Plantation) along with his own farm (The Faulkner Plantation). His wife was descended from some of Arkansas's early settlers, Canadian natives who arrived at Arkansas Post in 1770.
By 1945, the property was acquired by Dr. Emmett N. Davis and was then passed to his son, the famed Arkansas photographer William ("Bill") E. Davis (1918-2016). Although Bill spent 40 years as a commercial photographer, he also spent more than 25 years focusing on fine art photography, eventually operating a gallery space from the residence. In the slideshow below I have included one of the oldest known images of the home (circa 1900), photos of Anderson Mills and his family, and an interior scene demonstrating Bill and Jody Davis's passion for mid-century design. The painting over the fireplace in the modern interior scene is a mixed media collage by Illinois/Arkansas artist Miriam McKinnie (1906-1987). I actually purchased this painting at the Davis estate sale, so the artwork will hopefully be able to spend several more decades in its former home.