{"id":15028,"date":"2015-06-30T11:01:19","date_gmt":"2015-06-30T15:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/?p=15028"},"modified":"2015-10-25T18:01:57","modified_gmt":"2015-10-25T22:01:57","slug":"its-not-even-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/?p=15028","title":{"rendered":"It’s Not Even Past"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"30<\/a>Linda Burton posting from Arkadelphia, Arkansas<\/em> \u2013 A fifty-foot board? Have you ever heard of such a thing? Old timbers from old trees, from back in the days before pines were harvested from quick-grow pine plantations. Trees grew tall and unmolested, till it was time to build a barn, or a house. The fibers were dense, impervious to the ravages of time. That is why Tim Kaufman\u2019s barn may be one of the sturdiest structures in all of Clark County today. I\u2019m standing at the end of those fifty-foot lengths of board in absolute awe, listening to murmurs from my picnic-mates, who are walking inside the barn, and climbing up into the loft, equally awed. Charlotte Jeffers wangled the invitation for the Clark County Historical Association to come out to Tim\u2019s property on Old Military Road for a summer-evening picnic and a lesson in historic preservation. We\u2019re at the Rosedale Plantation Barn, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It\u2019s a \u201chistoric barn\u201d all right, coming from a plantation that was established in 1860.<\/p>\n

\"30<\/a>The preservation part is this: Tim Kaufman, a dentist by profession in Arkadelphia, was interested in barns. He and his wife bought some acreage on Old Military Road a few years back, set up housekeeping in a trailer, and began looking around for old log structures that nobody seemed to care about any more. The Rosedale barn, located elsewhere in the state, was about to be demolished. Tim bought it, carefully disassembled it, tagging each board with a tiny metal marker in a sophisticated numbering system; and moved it to a sweet little hill at the edge of the woods on his land. Leggos, take note. Each board originally was notched and fitted together with the precision of a Roman building an aqueduct; it was meant to last. Tim and his crew painstakingly reassembled the barn exactly as it was before and I\u2019ve no doubt it will stand another 150 years. The barn is 35 by 50 feet, believed to be the largest log barn in the state, a hand-hewn nailless beauty, a marvel preserved. What Tim did was a testament to visionary thinking. But that\u2019s not all Tim-with-a-vision has done. <\/p>\n

\"30<\/a>The Rosedale Barn is one of four he\u2019s saved and reassembled on his property; and then there\u2019s the house. \u201cThe house is put together from pieces of four \"30<\/a>log cabins I found here and there,\u201d he said, as he took us on a tour, explaining how he mixed modern-day technologies with piles of materials from the past. The \u201cmud\u201d that holds the logs together had to look authentic, even down to the coloring. And many of the furnishings in the house are collectibles from the past, fitting smoothly into life today. Remember that quote about the past not being dead? \u201cIt\u2019s not even past,\u201d is the punch.<\/p>\n

Which set me thinking about historic structures. I live in a house that is over 100 years old, and just across the street from me is the historic James E M Barkman house, as old as the Rosedale Barn and also painstakingly restored to glory. James\u2019 father Jacob Barkman is often referred to as the \u201cFather of Clark County.\u201d An original pioneer, Jacob settled here in the early 1800s and began trading with the resident Caddo Indians for land. Eventually he acquired over 22,000 acres, including this spot where I\u2019m sitting as I write this post. I\u2019ve no doubt my Alabama ancestors purchased supplies from Jacob as they traveled the Military Road in 1849 on their way to Texas.<\/p>\n

A comforting thought! I decided to check the National Historic Register for more of the history vibes that envelop my daily life in Arkadelphia and more evidence of preservation.<\/p>\n

Bayou Sel<\/em> is the earliest I could find, and its address is not revealed. A 5-acre prehistoric and historic archaeological site, the remains include finds relating to the Caddoan culture as well as evidence linking the site to the Quapaw and early French settlers who are known to have manufactured salt there. Pretty amazing to think about. The Clark County Historical Museum has many Caddoan relics on display, I\u2019ll have to ask if they came from that site.<\/p>\n

Magnolia Manor<\/em> is the oldest Arkadelphia structure listed on the Register, built in 1854 by a South Carolina plantation owner (unnamed in the blurb), designed by architect Madison Griffin in Greek Revival style, and occupied by two state senators, Fletcher McElhannon and Olen Hendrix. The present owner isn\u2019t mentioned, but the description says \u201cthe house features corner pilasters, a broad eave with brackets, and a main entry sheltered by a single-story porch with deck above.\u201d I haven\u2019t spotted it yet, it\u2019s on a highway I don\u2019t travel frequently.<\/p>\n

Flanagin Law Office<\/em> is downtown near the Courthouse at 320 Clay Street. The front portion was built in 1855 for Major J L Witherspoon, a local attorney who later became Arkansas Attorney General. His partner was Harris Flanagin, who served as Governor of Arkansas during the Civil War and used this building as a law office for many years. An 1858 addition at the back was built for living quarters, but the entire building now serves as a law office.<\/p>\n

The Arkadelphia Commercial Historic District<\/em> made the Register too. Arkadelphia was settled in 1842, near the Ouachita River. Most of the buildings were built between 1890 and 1920, but the oldest remaining in the district is estimated to have been built in 1870. The district consists of two blocks on Main Street between 5th and 7th, and three blocks on Clinton Street between 6th and 9th. These are my primary downtown stomping grounds, such as the Arts Center at 625 Main. I need to find out which building is the 1870.<\/p>\n

\"Barkman<\/a>James E M Barkman House<\/em> at 406 N 10th Street is the beauty I see from my front windows. Built in 1860, it is unusual for its combination of Greek Revival with Gothic. The Register describes \u201ca typical antebellum central-hall plan; outside are wide Doric pilasters at the corners and a full two-story porch with a wealth of jigsaw-cut Gothic detail.\u201d I\u2019d just say it\u2019s exquisitely beautiful. It officially houses Development & Alumni Services for Henderson State University, and the magnificent front lawn has hosted many a rousing Homecoming Pep Rally. I favor the front porch rocking chairs when I finish an afternoon stroll.<\/p>\n

Habicht-Cohn-Crow House<\/em> is at 8th and Pine, just across from the Methodist Church. It was for sale when I was househunting; I toured it then but didn\u2019t hear its history at the time. According to the Register blurb, it was built in 1870 for Captain Anthony Habicht; architect was a Mr Gebhardt. Habicht sold it in 1876 to M M Cohn, founder of the regional MM Cohn department store chain; Cohn sold it in 1880 to A M Crow, a land agent for the railroad. It most recently was owned by a professor at Henderson; in fact, the one I took the American West<\/em> history class from.<\/p>\n

Nannie Gresham Biscoe House<\/em> at 227 Cherry Street belongs to a fellow member of the Clark County Historical Association. It was built in 1901 and has never left the family \u2013 passed down through the generations from mother to daughter. Nannie Gresham Biscoe was a widow who built the house both as a residence and a boarding house. She offered space to students attending nearby Ouachita Baptist College (founded in 1886). It has been lovingly preserved and is the least-altered house of several period houses on the street near the Ouachita River.<\/p>\n

\"Henderson<\/a>Capt Charles C Henderson House<\/em> at the corner of Henderson and 10th is a different story with many changes, additions, renovations, and restorations. The sequence of events is better described on their own website than in the Register\u2019s blurb: a small cottage was built in 1876; in 1906 it was incorporated into the newly constructed \u201cbig house.\u201d In the 1920s the Big House was again expanded, creating the present 9,000 square-foot mansion. Noted for what is arguably \u201cthe best collection of interior wooden fretwork in the state\u201d this turreted beauty now functions as a Bed & Breakfast and is owned by Henderson State University (founded 1890). Note the name connection? Capt Henderson donated land for the school, way back when. I spy the tallest turret from the left side of my house, just across 10th from me. http:\/\/www.hsu.edu\/Community\/HendersonHouse\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n

W H Young House<\/em> at 316 Meador Lane (just off historic Cherry Street) was built in 1921 for the William Hatley Young family. It is a high-quality locally rare example of the American Craftsman style of architecture, featuring classical elements such as exposed rafter ends, a deep porch, and a large second-story dormer. The blurb doesn\u2019t say anything about the Young family, I need to check that out. I have seen the house and I\u2019d like to know more about who lived there.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s about it for Arkadelphia houses and the oldest sites listed on the Register, but there are some interesting public buildings and sites that I\u2019ll research for another post. Here is an abbreviated list:
\n\u2022 Rose Hill Cemetery<\/em>, a 12-acre site on the 1200 block of Main Street, established in 1876. Many of the names previously mentioned can be found on gravestones there.
\n\u2022 Clark County Courthouse<\/em> at 4th and Crittenden, built in 1899, architects Charles Thompson and R S O\u2019Neal.
\n\u2022 Clark County Library<\/em> at 609 Caddo, built in 1903 for the Women\u2019s Library Association, architect Charles Thompson.
\n\u2022 Domestic Science Building<\/em> at 11th and Haddock, built in 1917 as a school, architects Charles Thompson and Thomas Harding.
\n\u2022 Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot<\/em> at 798 S 5th, built in 1917; today houses the Clark County Historical Museum, http:\/\/www.clarkcountyhistory.org\/museum.asp<\/a> and the local Amtrak station, a stop for the Texas Eagle.
\n\u2022 Peake High School<\/em> at 1600 Caddo, built in 1928 as a school with assistance from the Rosenwald Fund on land donated by J E Peake, a school principal.
\n\u2022 C E Thompson General Store and House<\/em> at 3100 Hollywood Road, built in 1936 as a residence and general store; property includes other significant buildings.
\n\u2022 Arkadelphia Boy Scout Hut<\/em>, located in Central Park by the Ouachita Baptist campus, built from 1938-1939 as a National Youth Administration project of the New Deal era.<\/p>\n

Note the name Charles Thompson appears as architect of several Arkadelphia buildings. There are others this Little Rock architect designed in Arkadelphia which may not yet have been nominated for the National Register. More research I\u2019d like to do! Like I said, the past hasn\u2019t disappeared. Thank goodness for people like Tim Kaufman, and all others who step up.<\/p>\n

Note: One of the capital cities that has done a remarkable job with preservation and restoration is Jackson, Mississippi, with an especially fine exhibit of some of the steps involved. http:\/\/mdah.state.ms.us\/new\/visit\/old-capitol-museum\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Linda Burton posting from Arkadelphia, Arkansas \u2013 A fifty-foot board? Have you ever heard of such a thing? Old timbers from old trees, from back in the days before pines were harvested from quick-grow pine plantations. Trees grew tall and unmolested, till it was time to build a barn, or a house. The fibers were […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1580],"tags":[2998,3152,3141,3151,3138,3144,3150,3110,3147,3043,3148,3140,3142,3137,3136,3076,3139,3143,3020,3149,1510,3146,3135,3134,3145],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15028"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15028"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15028\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15068,"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15028\/revisions\/15068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15028"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15028"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15028"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}