Masonry Magazine August 2007 Page. 40
MASONRY AROUND THE NATION
# Mixed Masonry
# Pioneer
The Historically Preserved Buildings of Silas Owens Sr.
By Kate Parrott
THE NAME SILAS OWENS, SR. HAS BECOME UBIQUITOUS THROUGHOUT CENTRAL ARKANSAS AND SURROUNDING AREAS, and synonymous with quality, integrity and most importantly mixed masonry design. Now, decades after his creations were completed, Owens' work has received historical preservation designation by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.
The History of Mixed Masonry
MIXED MASONRY is a term coined by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and reflects a style that was predominately built from the late 1930s through the mid-1950s in central Arkansas and areas of the state close to the Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma borders. This mixed masonry method was comprised of using cream brick trim with cut sandstone and cut limestone. At times, these materials were paired with red brick and even crystals.
"It's just a term that we made up," said Holly Hope, special projects historian with the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and author of "A Storm Couldn't Tear Them Down," which describes the mixed masonry work of Silas Owens Sr. from 1938-1955. "When I interviewed masons who had done this style of house they said, "We just always called it a rock house. Through the Historic Preservation Program, it just always seemed like there needed to be an architectural designation for it, because it is very unique. When I describe it to people, I usually tell them that it's sandstone or limestone with brick trim around the windows, doors and porches, primarily."
Early Beginnings
BORN IN 1907, Owens established his early beginnings working with his father on the family farm. Although he was an African American living in segregated society, Owens was able to achieve an education up to the eighth grade. He then turned to the construction industry to begin his trade.
While he had formal training in drafting and carpentry, his masonry skills were primarily self-taught. At the time, he did not have a car, so he hauled materials with the help of a donkey. He is said to have helped construct his first building - the reptile and elephant house at Little Rock Zoo-while in his late 20s. Owens then began to work around Faulkner County and any areas that were easily accessible to him.
Making a Name for Himself
WHILE OWENS wasn't the only contractor to construct mised masonry buildings, his work certainly stood out and was unique in its own way.