1.4K
A dozen sites in Arkansas have been nominated to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The recommendations made on Aug. 1 come from the State Review Board of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.
Properties recommended for nomination to the National Register are:
- Garland Elementary School at Little Rock in Pulaski County, built in 1924 with elements of the Classical Revival style. “Purpose-built by the Little Rock School District in 1924 to replace the smaller, wood-frame building formerly occupying the site, the building served as a school until 2001, after which it was used for administrative purposes for the Little Rock School District,” the National Register nomination says.
- Block Realty Building at Little Rock in Pulaski County, a 1965 structure designed by Gene Levy in the Mid-Century Modern style. “The Block Realty Building is an excellent and unusual example of a building that combines characteristics of Brutalism and Structuralism” according to the National Register nomination. “With respect to Brutalism, the Block Realty Building exhibits the style’s characteristic of repeated modular elements and also the use of concrete in a raw state, which gives a Brutalist building a raw honesty that contrasted with styles that came before it.”
- Thomas Gray House at Little Rock in Pulaski County, a 1963 Mid-Century Modern building designed by Gray, its owner and an architect. “The Gray House clearly reflects the Organic architecture design trends that were impacting residential architecture in the mid-century period after World War II,” the National Register nomination says.
- Cecil M. Buffalo, Jr., House at Little Rock in Pulaski County, a 1968 building reflecting the “Baysweep” design. “The Buffalo House is an example of the ‘Baysweep’ design of Oklahoma architect Dean Bryant Vollendorf,” says the National Register nomination. “The design of the Cecil M. Buffalo, Jr., House is an excellent representation of the shift in residential design that was occurring across the country after World War II.”
- Meadow Spring Historic District at Fayetteville in Washington County, containing buildings dating to 1870. “The neighborhood encompasses many significant historical themes related to the growth of the city as an educational and commercial center, including the evolution of original housing stock from single-family to multi-family homes and apartments,” the National Register nomination says.
- Dr. Neil Crow, Sr., House at Fort Smith in Sebastian County, a 1967-68 building designed by architect John Williams in the mid-century modern style. “The Dr. Neil Crow, Sr., House clearly reflects the design trends that were impacting residential architecture in the Mid-Century Modern style after World War II,” the National Register nomination says.
- Moro Bay Ferry at Moro Bay State Park in Bradley County, a towboat that operated on the Ouachita River from 1965 to 1992. “The Moro Bay Ferry tow boat was built by the Barbour Metal Boat Works, an important regional boat builder that specialized in constructing tow boats,” according to the National Register nomination.
- Voorhees School at Clarksville in Johnson County, a 1941 structure erected by the National Youth Administration, a Depression-era public relief agency. The building is noteworthy “for the National Youth Administration’s role in constructing the Voorhees School as part of the ongoing New Deal-era construction projects in Arkansas,” according to the National Register nomination.
- William Jasper Johnson House at Bull Shoals in Marion County, a single-pen vernacular house built around 1900. “The William Jasper Johnson House is as an example of an Ozark vernacular house,” the National Register nomination says. “The single pen house is a one-room structure and is one of the most common forms of vernacular houses in the nation.”
- Clay County Courthouse, Eastern District, at Piggott and Clay County Courthouse, Western District, at Corning, both built in 1966-67 with a New Formalism design by the Donnellan and Porterfield architectural firm. The two courthouses “employed several New Formalism characteristics,” the National Register nomination says.
- Bold Pilgrim Cemetery near Overcup in Conway County, an African American cemetery with burials dating to the 1880s. “The Bold Pilgrim Cemetery embodies the rich legacy of pioneering families who settled in Conway County seeking new opportunities,” the National Register nomination says. “These families were seeking a better life in the decades following the Civil War as racial tension, poverty, and bad harvests created an unviable situation for many black families in South Carolina.”
The board also listed the Levon Helm Boyhood Home at Marvell in Phillips County on the Arkansas Register of Historic Places. Helm was a singer, drummer and mandolin player for The Band, which backed Bob Dylan in the 1960s. The Band later went on to record 10 studio albums. The decision was unanimous. The Arkansas Register recognizes historically significant properties that do not meet National Register requirements.
For more Arkansas news, visit AMP News >>
