Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
“The Melvin Chrisco House is a historic house at 237 Alvin Brown Road in Damascus, Arkansas. It is a single-story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof and an exterior of stone veneer with cream-colored brick trim.”
Wikipedia article Melvin Chrisco House, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 15 National Register listings published here for Van Buren County · listed in 2005 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 94 fires within 5 miles of Melvin Chrisco House between 1997 and 2020, burning about 1,454 acres in total. 4 started naturally. 30 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 34 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 30 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 20 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 6 |
| Natural | 4 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 1999 | Debris and open burning | 40 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 6 September 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 5 September 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 19 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 5 September 2010 | Arson/incendiarism | 75 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | DOCS LANE |
| 4 September 2000 | Natural | 3.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 27 September 2000 | Debris and open burning | 15 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 21 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | 20 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 2 September 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | 10 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Melvin Chrisco House: 1 past producer, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stell Pit & Plant | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Unk | Stone | Past Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Damascus, the town this property stands in, in 47 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 29 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 5 heavy rain, 4 flash flood. The reports record 3 deaths and 7 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2008 | Tornado (EF3) | Damascus | 3 killed, 6 hurt, $10,000,000 | This tornado moved out of Conway County, east of Center Ridge, and entered Van Buren County, west-southwest of Damascus. The tornado destroyed 17 permanent homes and 8 mobile homes. It caused major damage to 30 homes and minor damage to 19 homes. Four chicken houses were destroyed, 8 horses were killed, and one bull was killed. A feed mill was destroyed and three businesses received major damage. One church was destroyed and another was severely damaged. A 4 year-old girl and her grandparents were killed when their house was destroyed on Scroggins Creek Rd. (County Road 65). The tornado exited Van Buren County, east-northeast of Morganton, and moved into Cleburne County, northwest of Crossroads. |
| December 2007 | Lightning | Damascus | 1 hurt | A man in his early 20's was injured by lightning while working outside on a farm. He complained of tingling and numbness and was treated at a hospital. |
| April 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | $50,000 | Trees were down in the area. A roof was blown off a barn. Siding was damaged on a house. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | $30,000 | A tree fell on a house. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | $25,000 | Two structures had minor damage, and numerous trees and power lines were blown down. |
| March 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | $25,000 | Roofs were blown off two barns and some trees were blown down. |
| March 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | $20,000 | A home anemometer measured a 73 mph wind gust. Several roofs in the area were damaged and a few trees were blown down. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | $20,000 | Part of the roof was blown off of a barn. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | $10,000 | Trees and power lines were down. A tree was reported on a house. |
| September 2009 | Flash Flood | Damascus | $10,000 | A dam at a small pond was washed away and water emptied. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | $5,000 | A shed was destroyed. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | $5,000 | Shingles were blown off a house in Damascus. Multiple trees were blown down across northern Faulkner County. |
| May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | $5,000 | A metal roof was blown off of a shop just north of Damascus. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | $5,000 | Roof damage to a home was reported about 1 mile south of the Van Buren and Faulkner County line on Highway 65. |
| September 2009 | Flash Flood | Damascus | $5,000 | Pine Mountain Creek was well over its banks, and flooded Bricky Road. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | $2,000 | Large limbs were blown down. One limb fell on a house, causing minor roof damage. |
| August 2011 | Lightning | Damascus | $2,000 | Lightning started a grass fire on Oak Tree Rd., set fire to a shed on North Rd., and ignited fumes at a gas well on Arkansas 285, all in a stretch of only 19 minutes. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | $1,000 | Several pieces of siding were blown off the co-operative observer's house. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | $1,000 | Tree limbs were blown down and hail 1/2 inch in diameter covered the ground. |
| September 2009 | Flash Flood | Damascus | $1,000 | Jack Hall Road was impassable. |
| January 2025 | Flash Flood | Damascus | - | COOP observer reported that 4.3 inches of total rainfall had fallen over the course of the heavy rain event with high water over multiple local roads and low water bridges in and around the community of Damascus. |
| October 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | Numerous power poles and trees down along multiple roadways just northeast of the town of Damascus, report via COOP observer. |
| July 2024 | Heavy Rain | Damascus | - | A 24 hour rainfall total of 3.53 inches was measured at Damascus. |
| June 2023 | Hail | Damascus | - | Half dollar and golf ball sized hail fell covering Arkansas Highway 65 in Damascus. |
| June 2023 | Hail | Damascus | - | Hen egg sized hail fell in Damascus. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | Peak winds were estimated to be between 70 and 80 mph. Damage |occurred along and parallel to US 65 S, along Gravesville Cutoff |Road between Highway 124 and Black Hill Road, and portions of Black |Hill Road east of Gravesville Cutoff Road. Along the damage path, |softwood trees were uprooted and snapped with several small |outbuildings either completely destroyed or missing significant |portions of the roof. Roofing material was scattered downstream |into a field in the direction of storm movement. The swath of wind |damage was estimated at 1000 yards wide and 3.2 miles in length |with maximum winds of 80 mph. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | The observer had a few trees down around his house. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | The wind speed was estimated by the COOP observer. |
| April 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | Several trees were downed in the city of Damascus in about a 100 yard swath. |
| April 2017 | Heavy Rain | Damascus | - | The 24 hour rainfall total was 4.28 inches. |
| August 2017 | Heavy Rain | Damascus | - | The 24 hour total was 7.20 inches...although nearly all of the rain fell in the previous 3-4 hours. |
| August 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | A tree was blown down. |
| November 2011 | Heavy Rain | Damascus | - | The Damascus reporting station recorded the wettest November ever. Rainfall of 15.35 inches broke the record of 10.82 inches set in 1940. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | Large limbs were blown down. |
| October 2009 | Heavy Rain | Damascus | - | In Damascus, it was the wettest October ever recorded. |
| May 2008 | Tornado (EF1) | Damascus | - | Damage was limited to some trees being knocked down. This was a satellite tornado of the EF3 tornado that traveled about one-half mile to the northwest. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | Corn crops were blown down. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | Two barns were destroyed with several trees downed. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | A roof was partially torn off of a home about 4 miles west of Damascus. |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | Thunderstorm winds blew some shingles off the roofs of several homes. The roof of a feed store was also blown off. |
| March 2017 | Hail | Damascus | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Damascus | - | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Hail | Damascus | - | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | no account filed |
| April 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | no account filed |
| February 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | no account filed |
| March 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Damascus | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Damascus Gymnasium | 0.7 miles | 1992 |
 | Carl and Esther Lee House | 0.9 miles | 2005 |
 | Damascus CCC Camp, Co. No. 3781 Historic District | 1.7 miles | 2002 |
| Titan II ICBM Launch Complex 374-7 Site | 3.4 miles | 2000 | |
 | Collums-Baker House | 5.4 miles | 1992 |
| South Side High School Sign | 5.5 miles | 2023 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 05001082 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Van Buren County | All 15 listed properties in this county. |
Block