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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-09-02 letter from QQAn Quapaw Quarter Association 1315 South Scott Street • P.O. Box 165023 • Little Rock, Arkansas 72216 • 501-371-0075 • FAX 501-374-5142 PRESIDENT Renle Rule PRrsmrxr•ELI:CT September 2, 1994 Judith Faust VIMPRESIDENTS Dr. Henry Williams Scott Mosley Superintendent Craig Rains Little Rock School District Mark Zoeller 810 West Markham Street Eric Spencer Buchanan Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 SECRETARY visited each year by about 10,000 people who tour the house or attend social Thomas McCowan functions held in the house). Robin Loucks Dear Dr. Williams: TREASURER would appreciate being informed of exactly when the building will be vacated. T. Jack Walsh It has come to the attention of the Quapaw Quarter Association that the Little Rock Carl Menyhart School Board voted last week to sell East Side Junior High School. The QQA is BOARD of DmcmRs interested in the disposition of the school both because it is a historic structure and Patsie Rogers because it is our neighbor. East Side is located directly across Fourteenth Street Eric Spencer Buchanan from the Villa Marre, the historic house that is owned by the QQA (and that is Susan Gordon Gunter Sandra Smith Hochstetter visited each year by about 10,000 people who tour the house or attend social Felton lamb functions held in the house). Robin Loucks boarded and secured so that it does not become a problem for its neighbors. We Jim McKenzie As you probably know, East Side was built in 1904 as Little Rock High School. I Carl Menyhart am enclosing a history of the school, its architecture, and its neighborhood that was Wally Nixon Beth Peck -Cooper written in 1976 by a former member of the QQA staff. As you will see, East Side Patsie Rogers long has been viewed as a key element in stabilizing and enhancing the Merle Smith neighborhood where it is located. If the building is going to be vacant for some period of time, we urge the Little Rock School District to take all necessary steps to �ECTnR ensure that the grounds are adequately maintained and that the building stays boarded and secured so that it does not become a problem for its neighbors. We Cheryl Nichols would appreciate being informed of exactly when the building will be vacated. I also am enclosing a copy of the "Offering Circular" that was prepared by the LRSD in 1983, when Kramer School was declared surplus and offered for sale. If you have not already done so, we encourage you to prepare a similar request for proposals for East Side Junior High School. At the time Kramer School was sold, the LRSD did a good job of evaluating proposals to make certain they would be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood (although, unfortunately, the developer chosen by the district proved financially unable to complete the school building's rehabilitation). In the case of East Side, the LRSD particularly needs to make prospective buyers aware of the special zoning and design regulations that must be followed because Dr. Williams 9/2/94 Page 2 the school is located within the boundaries of both the MacArthur Park Historic District (administered by the Little Rock Historic District Commission) and the Mansion Area (administered by the Capitol Zoning District Commission). It also is critical, of course, for the district to know that prospective buyers are financially able to rehabilitate and maintain the building. The QQA would welcome the opportunity to work with the Little Rock School District to ensure that the sale of East Side Junior High benefits both the district and the neighborhood surrounding the school building. Please feel free to contact me (666-6226) or QQA Executive Director Cheryl Nichols (371-0075) if you have questions or comments. Sincerely, Reni . Rule President Enclosures cc: Little Rock School Board Doug Eaton, Director of Plant Services Molly Satterfield, Little Rock Historic District Commission Robert Berry, Capitol Zoning District Commission Delbra Stewart, Downtown Neighborhood Association EASTSIDE SCHOOL - Its History & Architecture SUN IARY OF REPORT The first Little Rock High School, more commonly knocm as old East Side School, was built in 1904. It is the oldest building now standing that has housed Little Rock high school students. The building and an early addition, Colonial Revival in style, were designed by two important architects of early 20th century Little Rock. East Side stands in the midst of an important Quapaw Quarter neighborhood which is experiencing a revival of care and preservation of its old Victorian homes. The existence of a school building on the block, the original and traditional use of the property is important to preserving the character of that neighborhood. The continued existence of the building can be assured by a creative new use of the unoccupied building, a use that can be economically beneficial to the owners and leasees, while the building's tradition of usefulness to the community can be maintained by the occupants. HISTORY OF LAND AND SCHOOL BUILDING The City Block bounded by 14th and 15th, Scott and Cumberland, has been occupied by school buildings for 94 years, since 1880. The first building was called Scott Street School, a two story brick building surrounded by a wooden fence, that stood for 24 years. In 1885 Scott Street School became home for Little Rock High School. In that year the high school moved from the building it had occupied since 1869 at 8th and Sherman Streets, the (tE� Sherman Street School. Five years later, in 1890, the high school moved again, to the top floor of Peabody at 5th and Gaines. Scott Street school q continued to house younger students. In 1904, due to overcrowding at Peabody, the Little Rock School District constructed the first school built exclusively for high school students. The site chosen was 14th and Scott Streets, with the new building replacing tem the Scott St School Building. Since Peabody,Sherman Street and Scott Street Schools are no longer standing, g g, this original Little Rock High School is the oldest school building standing that has housed Little Rock public high school students. Its use as a site �++ for a high school goes back 20 years earlier, to 1885. When the concept of a junior high system was initiated in the Little Rock public school system, a new building was constructed to house the junior high grades. That was West Side Junior High, built in 1918. It was overcrowded from its beginning, and the overflow of students were housed at the High School Building. This became called East Side Junior High, and made the High School building one of the first to house Junior High students in Little Rock. The two schools, the High School and East Side, shared the building until 1927, when the High School moved to the newly constructed Central High School. East Side continued to serve Junior High students into the early 1960's. From 1962 until 1964, East Side was home for the Little Rock Public Schools Administrative offices. In 1965 the Little Rock Vocational Education School moved to East Side and continued its operations there until 1976, when Pulaski Vocational/Technical School was constructed in :forth Little Rock. The building at 14th and Scott Streets is now unoccupied. ARCHITECTURE East Side, of Colonial Revival Architecture, combines the work of two major architects of early 20th century Little Rock. The architect chosen to design the building in 1904 was Frank W. Gibb. Gibb designed many residences important to the Quapaw Quarter neighborhood, including the Ada Thompson :•iemorial Home at 2021 'fain Street, built in 1909, the Foster -Robinson Douse, 2122 Broadway, 1904, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States, and Gibb's own family home at 1801 Arch, 1904. Each of these houses, as well as the school, are significant to the Quapaw Quarter area, and are recognized in the new QuapawQuarter Guide Book as important architecturally as well as historically. Two of the houses have recently undergone restoration as single family dwellings and have been featured in the past two Quapaw Quarter Spring Tours of open houses. In 1911 an addition of an auditorium was made to the school building. The auditorium served not only the school, but the community at large for many years. Chosen for its design was George R Mann, an architect who designed many public buildings that still stand and add grace and dignity to a large part of downtown Little Rock. They include the Arkansas State Capitol, the newer section of the Pulaski County Court House, Robinson Auditorium, the Gazette Building, and the Urquhart Building in the 100 block of East Capitol. SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD The neighborhood that surrounds old East Side is composed of homes built primarily from the 1870's to the 1890's. The neighborhood is in tact, much as it was in the late 19th century, and is imbued by vitality and interest from its property owneers and residents. Across the street from the school are four homes listed on the ?rational Register of Historic Places in the United States. They are the Terry -Jung House, 1422 Scott, 1880, the Garland -Mitchell House, 1404 Scott Street, 1873, the Villa I•farre, 1321 Scott Street, 1881, now a Victorian house Museum, and the Chisum House, 1320 Cumberland, 1894. In the four blocks that border the school are 9 houses listed as significant structures, and in a four block radius around the school are 51 significant houses (as designated in the Quapaw Quarter Guide Book) and a portion of '.IadArthur Park.