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Lamb-McSwain House

The Lamb-McSwain House was built in 1926, by John W. Lamb, the original African-American owner, with the help of his younger brother Ellard Lamb. The house was listed in National Register of Historic Places in June 1998, under Criterion C with local significance for its Craftsman-styled architecture. Despite the 1977 rear addition, this house has a high amount of architectural integrity. The house still contains its original fenestration, stucco and half-timbered gable ends, and battered columns, as well as many other features. The community in which this house is located, is legally called, Adams Addition. Originally, the neighborhood was quite rural. Lamb was born in Drew County, Arkansas, but moved to Little Rock, in 1917. Lamb made a life-long career in the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier. It was through this job and his accumulated savings, that Lamb was able to purchase the land and build his house. During this time, the neighborhood around the Lamb-McSwain House was relatively quiet and crime-free. The late 1950s, however, brought about grave and severe changes to the neighborhood, caused by the Livestock Urban Renewal Project. It was a grand scheme to redevelop the quiet neighborhood in line with national standards. Bernice Lamb McSwain, daughter of the original owner/builder, moved back to the house after the death of her parents. She and her late husband John B. McSwain Sr. have continued the care and maintenance of the house and its history.