The Arkansas State Review Board will consider the National Register of Historic Places nominations for several Arkansas properties at their next meeting on Dec. 3.
“The National Register of Historic Places is a program that is administered nationally by the National Park Service and is administered in Arkansas by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program,” said Ralph Wilcox, national register and survey coordinator and deputy state historic preservation officer for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. “The National Register is the country’s official list of historic resources that are worthy of preservation. It’s always a great honor to have properties from around the state considered for listing on the National Register, and Arkansas should be proud of its architectural heritage.”
The Arkansas properties that will be considered by the State Review Board come from across the state and show Arkansas’s rich and diverse architectural history.
“The National Register nominations that the Review Board will consider at their December meeting come from ten different Arkansas counties and illustrate a diverse group of properties,” said Wilcox. “At this meeting, the Review Board will consider National Register nominations for bridges, schools, a cotton gin, a highway segment, a house, a YWCA building, and an apartment complex. Interestingly, all of the properties under consideration at this meeting date from the twentieth century.
The nominations to the National Register of Historic Places that will be considered include:
Dunbar Junior and Senior High School and Junior College Additional Documentation, Little Rock, Pulaski County – This additional documentation will add additional history to the original 1980 National Register nomination and upgrade the building to national significance. The building has importance to all Americans.
Roosevelt Road Bridge, Little Rock, Pulaski County – Built in 1935, the Roosevelt Road Bridge was built as part of a new highway connector on the south side of Little Rock, and it is an unusual example of a bridge that combines Classical and Art Deco detailing.
Robert E. Lee Elementary School, Hot Springs, Garland County – The Robert E. Lee Elementary School was designed by Irven Granger McDaniel and built in 1950, and it is an excellent example of the International Style.
Highway A-2 Bridges, Curtis vic., Clark County – This property includes two concrete bridges that were built c.1920 as part of highway A-2 in southern Clark County. Highway A-2 was the main highway in the area prior to the construction of the current route of U.S. 67 c.1931.
Harris Creek Bridge, Dardanelle vic., Yell County – The Harris Creek Bridge was built c.1920 and is the oldest known closed spandrel deck arch bridge in Yell County. From the time of its construction until c.1930, it was part of Highway B-14, the main road in Yell County south of Dardanelle and the predecessor of Highway 7.
College Street Bridge, Coal Hill, Johnson County – The College Street Bridge was built c.1925 and is important for its associations with the efforts during the 1910s and 1920s to develop an improved highway infrastructure across the state.
Highway A-1, Forrest City Segment, Forrest City, St. Francis County – The Forrest City Segment of Highway A-1 is approximately four miles long and includes eight small concrete bridges that were built c.1920 as part of Highway A-1, the main highway across St. Francis County during the 1920s. The route served as Highway A-1 until c.1932 when U.S. 70 was built to the south.
Emrich and Beley Cotton Gin, Tyronza, Poinsett County – The Emrich and Beley Cotton Gin was built in 1936 and is important for its associations with the role of cotton production in the agricultural history of Tyronza and Poinsett County. The gin closed in 1993 and is the last remaining cotton gin building in Tyronza.
Emon and Mabel Mahony House, El Dorado, Union County – The Emon and Mabel Mahony House, which was designed by Ginocchio & Cromwell and built in 1950-1951, is an excellent example of the Colonial Revival style of architecture. In addition, the property’s garden is significant for its design which was influenced by noted Arkansas landscape architect Neil Hamill Park.
YWCA Building, El Dorado, Union County – Built in 1938, the YWCA Building was the home of the YWCA in El Dorado until c.1990.
Parkview Apartments, Fayetteville, Washington County – The Parkview Apartments were designed by Paul Young, Jr., and built in 1947-1948 in the Colonial Revival style. The three-building complex represents an excellent example of a courtyard-style apartment complex.
In addition, two nominations will be considered for the Arkansas Register, including the Walter and Emma Saeler House in Little Rock and the Russellville Junior and Senior High School. The Arkansas Register allows recognition of significant properties that don’t meet the National Register criteria.
More details about the National Register of Historic Places can be found at arkansasheritage.com/arkansas-preservation/properties/national-registry.