Historical Preservation Society to unveil new addition Tuesday

Gallery of History features county Sports Hall of Fame, Hall of History and more

Forty years since its inception and purchase of the Newton House Museum, the South Arkansas Historical Preservation Society will unveil a new 2,200-square-foot addition to its campus with the opening of the Gallery of History at 412 E. Faulkner on Tuesday.

Work on the expansion to the museum’s campus began in late 2015 and, by April 2016, the society opened new offices and unveiled its first exhibit, “South Arkansas Through the Years,” a pictorial history of the area from the 1800s to present day. Preservation Society business manager Jack Wilson said the first exhibit was a huge success for the society.

“This exhibit brought attention to the fact that our organization represents a large area geographically, as well as a long and continuing timeframe,” Wilson said. “This has prompted an amazing array of donations to the Preservation Society that represent our area from before Arkansas was a state to the Civil War to the Oil Boom and beyond, providing a very unique look at South Arkansas.”

With the influx of donations and its recent expansion, the Preservation Society’s Gallery of History offers five distinct, immersive exhibits complete with video installations, directional sound and interactive apps to help illustrate the stories about the people who have shaped South Arkansas:

• The Union County Sports Hall of Fame, relocated from its former location on Elm Street, houses sports memorabilia that serves as a historical record of Union County athletes up through present day.

• The Hall of History provides rotating exhibits illustrating life in South Arkansas from the 1800s to present day. Currently the exhibit has more than 200 artifacts and original documents and photographs on display.

• The Fitzgerald Collection is a dedicated exhibit area showing an ever-changing display of more than 10,000 artifacts of El Dorado native Michael Fitzgerald’s unique connection to early Hollywood, including more than 600 16mm films that are currently being digitized by the society.

• The Hallway currently houses two exhibits – a collection of seven original survey maps of the Ouachita River donated by Richard and Vertis

Mason and the Parnell Political Collection, a vast assortment of political memorabilia from the “Last of the Blue Dog Democrats,” donated by Dr. Marc and Pattie Parnell.

• The Traveling Exhibit offers 1,000 square feet for traveling and special exhibits and is currently occupied by the Quilts of the South Arkansas Historical Preservation Society.

The public is invited to explore the new expanded campus at its grand opening from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday. The Board of Directors and staff will be on hand to not only guide patrons through a history of the region but of the Preservation Society itself, which currently provides several educational programs throughout the community.

Over the past two years, the society has put forth a concerted effort to expand its educational programs

and community partnerships. In 2017, it instituted a yearlong engagement with Washington Middle School’s gifted and talented program for fifth and sixth-graders. The project included collaboration with the Murphy Arts District for the students to examine how buildings can be reused while still preserving their history. Plans are currently underway to continue this collaboration into the current school year.

The Preservation Society continues to partner with South Arkansas Community College to preserve the area’s history and to bring in speakers that will appeal to a wide range of interests. The two institutions recently entered into an agreement to partner on an oral and visual history project for South Arkansas, which will identify and document restoration projects and unique histories of the region.

The society also continues to work closely with the South Arkansas Arts Center. The recent monthlong exhibit, “’Portraits’ – A Painted History of El Dorado 1852 – 2016,” showcased in the SAAC galleries is now on tap for a display in 2020 featuring all-new heirloom portraits of many of El Dorado’s most influential families.

The educational outreach programs offered by the society are funded almost entirely through the organization’s membership dues. Membership to the Preservation Society is open to the public and levels range from $25 to $1,000. More information can be found on the recently overhauled website at soarkhistory.com.

Wilson said that the Preservation Society’s decision to expand from its crowned jewel – the Newton House Museum – to a full campus of exhibits offering new interactive museum technologies is an important step in continuing the society’s mission to preserve the region’s history and provide an immersive experience for patrons to explore South Arkansas’s culture and history.

“We want to continue to be an invaluable resource to our community,” Wilson said. “Download the South Arkansas History app and come see what the Preservation Society has been doing.”