LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — After a years-long battle, the City of Little Rock and the heirs of the Terry Mansion have reached a resolution.
The city is not only settling with the family, but also returning the deed to them.
Richard H. Mays, the attorney for the Terry Mansion heirs, told us they are happy with the lawsuit's resolution as they decide what will happen next with the property.
Since 2021, Mays has been working with the family after the historic site sat untouched with no plans for renovation or preservation.
"Water has intruded, and while it hasn't affected the house's stability, it has affected a lot of the interior walls and the wood on the outside," Mays said.
The history of the building is one of a kind.
It was constructed in the 1830s and became a home for different prominent families and even a school for girls. In 1958, it was also used as a meeting spot for women who were fighting for school integration.
In 1964, the Terry family donated it to the City of Little Rock for the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
Now, decades later, it is a shell of its former glory waiting to be utilized.
As part of the settlement, the City of Little Rock will pay $795,000 and give the deed back to the property heirs.
That money will go back to the renovation of the property as the family figures out what happens next.