There are locations across Arkansas that we may see as eyesores or old relics, but these structures were once important in the life and culture of the town as well as the Natural State as a whole. Thanks to organizations like Preserve Arkansas (facebook.com/PreserveAR) we can become more aware of what needs to be done. These endangered places must be made public knowledge and it’s up to Arkansas residents to keep one another aware of restoration programs in place for these locales so that we might save them before they become boarded-up relics of the past.
Built in 1913 and reconverted to a boarding house in 1939, this house located at 1325 West 12th Street in Little Rock, has seen a multitude of tenants and has held up fairly well throughout its lengthy and diverse history. The house was recently declared unsafe and vacant by the Little Rock city board and its future remains uncertain.
Located at 104 Madison Street in Clarendon's town square, the Bondi Brothers Building was established in 1904 and is one of very few structures of its size and historic standing left in the area.
Located at 403 Pleasant Street in Hot Springs, the Webb house was constructed circa 1900 and served as home to a prominent African-American community leader for decades and now the house is vulnerable to deterioration or fire. There are limited resources to complete a restoration project on the house.
Located at 3819 West 13th Street in Little Rock, the Lee Theater was built in 1940 as a movie house and is the last remaining theater built before World War II.
Established in 1913 in Hot Springs, the Thompson Building is a landmark of the Central Avenue Historic District. The neoclassical structure is particularly vulnerable to fire and requires retrofitting to keep the building consistent with local fire codes.
Central High School itself remains a Little Rock landmark well maintained by the school district, but the area around the school has not fared as well over time. A good number of houses around Central High have been restored, but many buildings that once housed thriving businesses during the tumultuous and historic time in the capital city, such as buildings on Park Street, have now fallen into disrepair and neglect.
The Hotel Pines, built in 1910, was once Pine Bluff's biggest and grandest hotel. The six-story hotel was a hotspot for social activity and stayed in operation until 1970. The building has seen attempts at regeneration and deserves better than the status of a vacant and crumbling structure.
Built in 1912 and located at 2nd and Hempstead streets in Nashville, the First Presbyterian Church needs as much support from local leaders as it can get in order to assist the local historical society in restorative efforts on this unique work of architecture and historic house of worship.
You know you've been in Arkansas a while when you can remember what a check from the Worthen Bank looked like. The Little Rock building on 401 Main Street was constructed in 1928 for Worthen Bank (which was popular in its Little Rock financial operations for years) and bank-owned until 1969. The building is currently owned by KATV, but its future remains up in the air as the television station may move to a new location, leaving the historic building either up for demolition or hopefully restoration and redevelopment into a new facility.
A few other locations across the Natural State are in danger of disappearing. Ancient mounds, old theaters, and aging churches are all in need of a little tender loving restoration in order to put these places back into the standard of glory they deserve. On a side note, we hear you, Abandoned Arkansas (facebook.com/AbandonedArkansas) and would like to collaborate on spreading word about the Natural State treasures which time has ran out on and have been left completely to ruin. What other places around Arkansas are slowly fading away before our eyes? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
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