HomeMy WebLinkAboutHDC1995-007 Letter To Historric District Commissioners From Arkansas Historic Preservation Program 11/02/1995ARKANSAS
HISTORIC
PRESERVATION
PROGRAM
November 2, 1995
Little Rock Historic District Commission
City of Little Rock Neighborhoods and Planning
723 West Markham
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
RE: Certificate of Appropriateness Request for the Demolition of 615 East Capitol, Walters -
Curran -Bell House, MacArthur Park Historic District, Little Rock, Arkansas
Dear Historic District Commissioners:
The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program began a comprehensive historic preservation planning
process in 1989 for the state of Arkansas. Part of this process included an evaluation of the number
and type of historic resources known to exist in the state as one means to prioritize the preservation
needs of the state. This first phase of the comprehensive planning directed the AHPP to classify all
antebellum resources in the state (resources that were built or achieved significance before 1866)
as Priority I structures. This classification, based on the both the rarity and type of resources still
in existence, includes: archeological sites, sites where significant events took place, cemeteries and
structures. The category was named Priority I (being the first priority in the preservation efforts of
the agency) because these resources are often in the greatest jeopardy due to the age of the resource
and are, in many cases, the only remaining tangible links to the early settlement of Arkansas. The
Walters -Curran -Bell House located at 615 East Capitol in Little Rock was built in 1842 and is
therefore a Priority I resource. This particular resource was deemed so significant that Historic
American Buildings Survey (HABS) drawings were made in 1985.
In addition to being a Priority I resource, the Walters -Curran -Bell House has several additional
associations and characteristics which snake the property extremely significant in the development
of the state of Arkansas as well as in the development of the city of Little Rock. The architectural
significance of the building (one of the few remaining, minimally altered, Greek Revival style
"cottages" in Arkansas) is heightened by the oral tradition that Gideon Shryock, one of the foremost
Greek Revival architects in America and responsible for the design of the State Capitol in Frankfort,
Kentucky, as well as the Old State House in Little Rock, was the architect for the house. The
Walters -Curran -Bell house is also associated with several leading figures in Arkansas's history
including: William Fulton, the last territorial governor of Arkansas; George Watkins, Chief Justice
of the Arkansas Supreme Court; Jacob Frolich, Secretary of State (1879-1885); and Mary Eliza Bell,
daughter to William E. Woodruff, founder of the Arkansas Gazette. The remaining grounds of the
1500 Tower Building ■ 323 Center ■ Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 ■ Phone (501) 324-9880
Fax (501) 324-9154
A Division of the Department of Arkansas Heritage
(0
Little Rock Historic District Commission
Page 2
November 2, 1995
once two city block estate, still contain many historic plantings that are significant in their own right.
The Walters -Curran -Bell House was individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places
in 1977 and is listed as a contributing resource to the MacArthur Park Historic District (1977). The
house and grounds remain contributing to the MacArthur Park Historic District in spite of the current
state of neglect. Historic Districts are significant for their ability to illustrate the historic
development patterns of a town or city in addition to portraying the evolution of architectural styles
and trends in the area. The Walters -Curran -Bell House is one of the few remaining examples of
Greek Revival style architecture in the district. National Register Historic District status is always
harmed when a contributing resource is removed and can become precarious if the number of
contributing structures dwindles below the number of those structures that do not contribute to the
historic character of the district.
Please afford the Walters -Curran -Bell House every consideration in your deliberation of the
Certificate of Appropriateness. Tangible links to Arkansas's history can not be replaced.
Sincerely,
Lynne Braddock Zollner
Planning and Technical Services Coordinator