The Edwardian Inn in Helena, Arkansas, was built in 1904 as the home of local businessman William A. Short. edwardianinn.com
The large Colonial Revival style mansion is located on a prominent rise overlooking the Mississippi riverfront. The wrap-around porch is particularly wonderful with the rounded entrance bay echoed in the rounded bay window above.
The house appears as Design 190 in George F. Barber’s “Modern Dwellings, Fifth Edition,” published in 1905. The text states that the house was recently built in Helena, Arkansas, at a cost of $16,000. This is likely a case where Barber designed the house for William Short and then published the design, making copies of the plans available for sale to others.
Beginning after the Civil War, a number of architects published books and magazines with multiple house designs from which a property owner or developer could order full sets of blueprints. Some of them allowed purchasers to customize the plans, for an extra cost.
Chapter 2 of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners” is devoted to helping to identify the character-defining features of a house, prioritize elements to be preserved or restored, and guide changes necessary to make the house serve 21st century lives.
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
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“Restoring Your Historic House is also available in bookstores nationwide and from online retailers.
© Scott T. Hanson 2026.