LR panel approves razing of residence
Woolford House to be demolished
A vacant, boarded-up residential building at 420 E. Ninth St. in Little Rock that dates back to the 19th century is set to be demolished, per the decision of the Little Rock Historic District Commission.
The commission oversees requests for new construction, exterior building modifications and demolitions within the boundaries of the MacArthur Park Historic District.
City staff recommended that the property owner’s demolition application be approved, subject to certain conditions.
During a meeting on Thursday, commission members authorized the demolition of the two-story house under the conditions that came recommended by city staff, including a requirement that crews performing the demolition work avoid damaging the existing stone retaining wall and piers.
Known as the Woolford House, the East Ninth Street structure was constructed before 1885 and records indicate the Woolford family was present on the site circa 1840, commission documents said.
“It is possible that the home was built in an earlier style and modified in the Queen Anne style by 1885,” commission documents said. “By 1940, the structure was greatly modified with original c. 1885 ornamentations removed, vinyl siding installed, the porch significantly altered, and various side wings added.”
Robert S. Woolford was born and raised at the East Ninth Street property, where he ultimately died at age 68, according to his 1910 obituary in the Arkansas Democrat.
The obituary called Woolford “one of the oldest and most competent practical printers in the city, having been connected with daily newspaper and job printing offices for years,” according to a clipping included with commission documents.
Woolford’s wife, Anna, sold the property in 1928 to a trust unrelated to the family and by 1939 the structure had been converted to apartments, commission
documents said.
City staff declared the structure to be unsafe/vacant in 2008.
The property most recently changed hands in September, when it was acquired by a limited liability company with ties to Stephens Inc., the Little Rockbased financial services firm.
SJ Family Digital Assets LLC purchased the Woolford House from Al-Joy Properties LLC VI for $80,000, according to records of the Pulaski County assessor’s office.
Joe Rantisi, an official with Stephens Real Estate Investments LLC, appeared before the commission on Thursday as members considered whether to grant the request for demolition.
The application for demolition said the stone retaining wall and piers would be preserved and landscaping work performed after the removal of the debris.
A structural assessment dated June 13 and addressed to Rantisi that was included with commission documents said the building was in “very poor condition,” citing issues such as numerous roof leaks, collapsed floors in several locations and rotten wood.
The Woolford House is considered to be “non-contributing” with regard to the historic fabric of the MacArthur Park area.
Commission documents attributed the status to the absence of sufficient evidence about additions or alterations that may have occurred during the “period of significance” for the MacArthur Park Historic District, which runs from 1842 to 1960.
“It is possible that if the vinyl siding was removed evidence of a structure predating 1885 might be found,” commission documents said.
Because of its “non-contributing” status, demolition of the Woolford House would not affect the MacArthur Park Historic District’s status on the National Register of Historic Places, city staff wrote.