HomeMy WebLinkAboutHDC1995-007 Letter to Plan to preserve Historic Fabric Along the Capitol Avenue Boundary of the MacArthur Park Historic District 11/25/1994RICHARD C. BUTLER, JR.
417 EAST 10TH STREET
POST OFFICE BOX 624
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS 72203
25 November 1994
Mr. George Wittenberg
Donaghey Project for Urban Design
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
2801 South University
Little Rock, Arkansas 72204
Re: Plan to preserve historic fabric along the Capitol Avenue
boundary of the MacArthur Park Historic District
Dear George:
Seeing you at the Terrace recently with Kay and Bob Fisher reminded me
that for some time I have been wanting to visit with you about recognizing a need
to mediate potential disputes between supporters of contemporary uniformity
and historic preservationists (like me) who find irreplaceable charm in our older
structures. What triggered my concern was your name in connection with a
drawing in the Chronicle that appeared to shave off several feet of the front yard
of the Walters -Curran -Bell House (called Curran Hall), within the boundaries of
the MacArthur Park Historic District at 615 East Capitol. I do not recall any
mention of an effort to enter into dialogue with property owners, residents and
supporters of the Historic District.
I guess I should have suspected something was imminent when I saw the
net'!' tall, thin trees from Maine being planted On the new Post office side of East
Capitol Avenue and realized that some bureaucratic planner was probably busy
making decisions that those trees were preferable to the crepe myrtles that had
been in that block for a lot more than more than fifty years.
Witnessing the attempted theft of the 1884 historic brick walk fronting
Curran Hall and the site of the former Bossinger House and learning from Mark
Webre that you were probably in collusion with that seriously damaging attempt
leads me to wonder if the Little Rock Department of Parks and Recreation is taking
the unilateral and arrogant position that it has no obligation to recognize the
importance of preserving historic fabric. Parks & Recreation is violating the spirit of
the historic district ordinance by believing it can exercise authority and ignore the
existence and jurisdiction of the Historic District Commission. I feel that even if
one city agency can legally ignore the authority of another one, that does not make
it right. And how can we come to an understanding of how it is allowed to happen
without having to appeal to a taste czar or a municipal theologian?
We are hoping that Curran Hall can be sold to and restored by someone who
is sensitive to principles of historic preservation. Averell Tate has told me that the
front brick walk was laid by the Bell family in the 1880's when Capitol Avenue was
lowered and shaped by grading. Being able to assure the purchaser that the historic
brick walk is protected could be a positive marketable feature.
George, I am sure by now you have realized that I am one of those so-called
"hysterical" believers that an old herringbone brick walk is more attractive than new
concrete And I really need you (or someone else whose opinions and taste i
respect) to convince me that new concrete uniformity is better than saving what has
been there for 110 years before I will give up my resistance to what I believe to be
the crippling of the local historic preservation movement. Trashing the old
treasures make them very difficult to replace later.
I have warned the Little Rock Municipal Waterworks, Karen Hodge at
Trapnall Hall and the Rev. Buzz Yarborough at Christ Church that they might
consider having their own brick sidewalk preservation plans ready for the day Parks
& Recreation shows up to take theirs away too.
RCBjr:rb
cc: Anthony W. Black, Esq.
John Bush, HDC
David A. Couch, Esq.
The Hon. D. James Dailey
Judith K. Faust, QQA
Stephen R. Giles, Esq.
Karen D. Hodge, Trapnall Hall
Joan Tate Huot
Jamye Landis, HPAA
Nancy F. Lowe, AHPP
Ralph J. Megna, RDD
Carl H. Miller, Jr., NTHP
Sincerely,
Richard C. Butler, Jr.
Cheryl Nichols, QQA
Stephen Recken, 1 P� uA
Willie Satterfield, HDC
Hallie Simmins, C&VB
Kenneth Story, AHPP
Averell Reynolds Tate
Fred Lewis Tate
Barry Travis, C&VB
Mark H. Webre, P&R
Parker Westbrook, NTHP
The Rev. Buzz Yarborough