PEA RIDGE — “I want you to take a look at my wood stove,” Charles Day said, referencing last week’s article on Brenda Henson’s home and her wood-burning furnace in the basement. (That article was accidentally cut short, the correction appears in this week’s edition.)
Valentina Day is happy to be rid of the mess of bringing wood into the home she and Charles have on Hayden Road. They have lived in this 3,000-square-foot house four years now, after moving from just down the hill.
The Day’s once owned 100 acres there, but decided an upgrade was in order and sold 30 of those acres to afford their new home on top of the hill. Now they are retired and own about 35 head of cattle, selling calves twice a year.
The Day’s wood furnace is outdoors, behind the house. To get outside, one walks first into a room with a wall of windows and warm sunshine and then out into a beautifully landscaped yard with an equally beautiful view all around.
The furnace heats the hot water for the house as well, reaching 170 degrees, then pumps the water intoa “radiator sort of thing,” according to Charles. A fan blows the hot air into the duct work. After Charles explained how the furnace works, he opened the furnace door to reveal smoldering ashes and hot coals.
The Day’s have natural gas as a backup, but rarely turn it on.
“I’m proud of it, it keeps thehouse real comfortable,” Charles said. “It takes awful big wood, the bigger the better, and lasts a lot longer.”
Day cuts the wood himself and has a pile ready for the coming winter. He recently built a structure over his woodpile, as the pile was destroyed by last winter’s ice storm.
Valentina showed off the white furniture she has had in the family since 1967. She said when they built the house, she wanted a room for it to be displayed. They got the furniture in Alma when they built their first house in Pea Ridge, and she has re-upholstered it only once.
A walk through the house reveals holiday decorations, the grandchildren can boast of their work decorating the tree. One will also find thick columns in the hallway, spectacular views from any window and color on the walls.
“I was always afraid of color,” Valentina said of the red walls.
With this house, she decided to just do it.
The Days have lived in Pea Ridge their entire lives, with the exception of a short stint in Springdale.
Charles, born in 1934, said his mother purchased the land they now live on in 1945. He married Valentina in 1955, when they moved to Springdale for four years to be closer to the feed mill where Charles worked for 41 years. When they decided they wanted to raise their two daughters on the farm, they came back to Pea Ridge.
Now the oldest daughter lives just across the field, fostering family togetherness. Valentina babysat the grandchildren when they were young and plans to do the same with the first great-grandchild, coming in December.
The family will come on Christmas Eve to open gifts, then back for dinner Christmas Day. It is apparent family values run strong in this house.
The Day house is one of five featured on this year’s Pea Ridge Historical Society’s Tour of Homes. It is located at 4401 Hayden Road, just a little over two miles north of Pickens Street, on the left.
Tickets for the Tour of Homes are $5 in advance or $6 at the door, and can be purchased at any of the banks in Pea Ridge, City Hall, the Pea Ridge Historical Museum on Saturdays or at The TIMES office.
The tour is set for Sunday, Dec.
6. For more information, call Mary Durand at 586-5574.
News, Pages 1 on 11/18/2009