Home inspection in Batesville, Arkansas.

Why Batesville homes need a local read

Batesville sits where the White River exits the Ozarks, and after steamboat transportation on the upper White began in 1831 it became the region's major river port.

History: The original 1821 plat had fourteen blocks around a public square; Incorporated December 20, 1848.

Housing: The Batesville Historic Residential District is centered on Main Street; The 1842 Garrott House and the 1909 Cook-Morrow House are on the National Register of Historic Places; A 1920 fire destroyed forty houses and other downtown structures.

Around town: The Batesville Historic Residential District on Main Street, the downtown business district, and the White River.

Setting: Where the White River exits the Ozarks, with river shoals, at an elevation of about 360 feet.

Water, flooding and moisture in Batesville

Water nearby: White River, where shoals forced river traffic to offload cargo; The first three of ten projected locks and dams were built.

Flood history: Flooding in the low blocks of the original plat led to relocation of the business district up Main Street to higher ground throughout the nineteenth century.

A White River town where flooding in the original low blocks moved the business district up Main Street through the nineteenth century.

EPA's Map of Radon Zones places Independence County in Zone 2 (predicted average indoor levels of 2 to 4 pCi/L). EPA notes that homes vary within any zone, so the map does not predict a single house.

Sources for the facts on this page

• encyclopediaofarkansas.net: batesville
• en.wikipedia.org: Batesville, Arkansas
• encyclopediaofarkansas.net: independence county
• epa.gov: epa map radon zones