Frequently Asked Questions: The Gann House
By Cody Berry
I’ve been asked many times if the Gann House is part of the museum or if it’s part of the tour. The answer to both of those questions is “no.” While the Gann House is the former home of the Gann family, it is still a private residence. It is not part of the museum.
The Gann House was built for Dr. Dewell Gann, Sr. and his family in 1895. It is a two-story manor house with sixteen stained glass windows, a multi-gabled roof, and a round turret room on its second floor. The Gann House was the first house in Benton to have indoor plumbing.1
Dr. Gann added some interesting features to his home. For example, did you ever notice that the Gann House has three front doors? Well, it does, and one of them, the one closest to the museum was used by Dr. Gann as his “night office.” The house has four sets of French doors inside.2
The Gann House is one of the seven buildings featured in our “Building History” exhibit which lasts until September 21st. In the Gann House display we have the original skeleton key from the Gann Museum’s days as a library and Dr. Gann Jr’s scrapbook from the 1920s. We also have some interior photographs taken by Doyle Webb, one of the house’s residents.
Doyle and Barbara Webb have owned the Gann House since 1992.3 The Webb’s have lived there since 1993.4 They built an expansion onto the house soon afterwards, so the Gann House takes up more than 5,000 square feet. The Gann House was added to the National Register in 1976.5
Pictured below: The exhibit on the Gann House, on display at The Gann Museum.
Citations:
1 Cody Lynn Berry, “Gann House,” CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas, https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/gann-house-12173/, Date Accessed 8/20/2024.
2 Cody Lynn Berry, “Gann House,” CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas, https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/gann-house-12173/, Date Accessed 8/20/2024.
3 Cody Lynn Berry, “Gann House,” CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas, https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/gann-house-12173/, Date Accessed 8/20/2024.
4 Conversation with Doyle Webb.
5 Cody Lynn Berry, “Gann House,” CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas, https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/gann-house-12173/, Date Accessed 8/20/2024.