Hopkins Icehouse Surrounded By History, True To Its Roots

Texarkana’s Roy D. Hopkins Feed & Seed in 1952. (Photos provided)

On the Arkansas side of the Texarkana border, you’ll find a growing city and a thriving entertainment district — but it wasn’t always that way. The Hopkins Icehouse stands at 301 East Third St. in downtown Texarkana as a reminder of how far the city has come. But the more things change, the more they stay the same. Hard work and perseverance created a town rooted in agriculture and innovation that still honors the fun and music that gave the town life along the way.

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At the turn of the 20th century, innovation and technology were at an all-time high and at the forefront of American minds. Texarkana, Arkansas, was no exception.

The building that stands at 301 East Third was a Model T Ford dealership, serving as a large showroom for the boxy automobiles. In the 1920s, Roy D. Hopkins, a Farm Bureau agent, bought the building and opened Roy D. Hopkins Feed & Seed.

Roy Hopkins (left) bought a Model T dealership in the 1920s and turned it into a thriving feed business.

At that time, icehouses served both a practical and social purpose. In the days before electricity-dependent refrigeration, icehouses were located next to railroads, and would serve as warehouses for blocks of ice brought into town on trains. Women at that time didn’t approve of their husbands taking up precious space in small household iceboxes, so men would keep their beer in icehouses along the railroad tracks. After a long workday, men would gather at the icehouses and enjoy a cold one or two before heading home to their families. Texarkana, a town bisected by railroad tracks, was no stranger to this practice.

In 2007, business partners George Dodson and David Jones purchased the building that had housed the Hopkins Feed and Seed for 85 years.

The Hopkins building was known for its tin ceiling. Dodson and Jones kept much of it in place when they bought and renovated the building in 2007.

“We decided to make a little bar and grill since there wasn’t one in town like what we wanted to do,” Jones said. “We decided to name it in honor of Mr. Hopkins, who owned the Feed and Seed, and after the Icehouse, which played a pivotal role in railroad towns like ours.”

When they purchased the building, Dodson and Jones realized that it was in need of repair, but the duo opted to restore the building to its original charm.

“The building needed extensive renovations. It had beautiful tin ceilings throughout the whole place, and they were hand-tacked into place. When we renovated, we replaced some of the damaged panels and kept the rest in place, and we used an airplane paint on it. It’s kind of coppery looking and really pretty,” Jones said. “Several years ago, the city let us take over the property in front of our building, and we made it a patio with covered seating. Folks can sit out there and eat and enjoy the entertainment in our building and all around them.”

The community was quick to take notice of the renovations on Third Street. In 2007, a race throughout Texarkana was started called “Run the Line.” The first year saw 50 to 75 runners. This February, the race had more than 625 of them, including national and international runners. Jones noted the race’s very first ceremony was held inside the Hopkins Icehouse during renovations before opening. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places shortly thereafter.

“The building was stripped to its bare frame. We had just finished renovating the bathrooms a few days before the race’s very first opening ceremony. A lot of people were curious as to what we were doing, and they got a sneak preview of it during that ceremony,” Jones said.

Hopkins Icehouse is one piece of the downtown entertainment district puzzle in Texarkana. Other establishments have been looking for ways to bring residents and out-of-towners downtown for a fun time.

“We’re in a downtown entertainment district. Within this district, we have open container laws, so this whole area is a fun place, not just individual establishments. The railroad even recently leased property to the city for the creation of a festival area,” Jones said. “With the new interstate going north and south, we realized that a lot of new people would be coming in, and this is a great chance for growth. The downtown area has really taken off within the last few years.”

But entertainment in Texarkana has quite a history — one to which Hopkins Icehouse still contributes. The Arkansas Municipal Auditorium, located a block away from the Hopkins Icehouse, bore witness to one of the greatest concerts of all time.

It was there, on Sept. 2, 1955, that Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash performed some of their newest hits for the first time. The auditorium is often credited as the birthplace of rock ῾n’ roll and country music.

Hopkins Icehouse keeps that legend alive today by hosting concerts, poetry readings, charity events and cooking up food near and dear to the heart of folks across the South.

“At the end of the day, we work hard to provide good food and a good time and remind folks of our roots,” Jones said. “Our food is honest and straightforward and good. Our service is spot on, and our building is a bright spot downtown, not just for what we do today, but for our role in Texarkana’s history.”

As Texarkana continues to grow and bring in visitors who are curious about the town, Hopkins Icehouse is likely to lead the way, showing visitors the culture, history and down-home cooking of southern Arkansas.