Preserve Arkansas to hold meeting
Preserve Arkansas, a nonprofit based in Little Rock, will hold an informational meeting from 1-2:30 p.m. today at The Hotel Hot Springs & Spa to discuss the Pleasant Street Historic District and the preservation and restoration resources available to property owners and stakeholders.
Preserve Arkansas is committed to year-round preservation education, advocacy and assistance to the state’s architectural history, historic neighborhoods and commercial district revitalization.
Every year, during Arkansas Heritage Month in May, Preserve Arkansas announces a list of the
eight most endangered historic places. This year Pleasant Street, located just a block east of Malvern Avenue, was added to the list.
Preserve Arkansas has been working with the city of Hot Springs since late February of this year. Today’s meeting will be under the direction of Rachel Patton, who has headed up the nonprofit for just over a year. It is intended to start a dialogue with those in the community about how they can work to restore the area, and the resources available to them.
“It’s specifically going to address topics that would matter to people who own property in the district, but anyone with an interest in this district, preservation of the area’s history and downtown development will have something to gain from (today’s) meeting,” said Patton.
“This meeting isn’t going to fix everything, but its going to be the first conversation in what I hope to be several meetings we can set up. It also matters what people there in the neighborhood think.”
Pleasant Street Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. According to a news release, the district includes approximately 93 buildings, representing the most intact area of the city’s African American community. It is also the largest African-American historic district in the state.
“Before the neighborhood was nominated for this year’s list, we had been contacted by people in the neighborhood concerned about demolition that had already happened,” Patton said.
The buildings located within the district were erected over the course of 50 years beginning in 1900. The area was once a vibrant staple in the African-American community, serving as the hub for many African American owned businesses throughout the 20th century. Despite still serving as this centralized hub, on a much smaller scale, many of the residential and commercial structures are at risk of deterioration or demolition.
“It was a little alarming for us (to see how many structures were in danger), because the local ordinance is supposed to keep that from happening,” said Patton.
Albert Harris IV, owner of Harris Funeral Home, has owned property in the district for several generations. Harris told The Sentinel-Record there is a great need to preserve the structural integrity of many commercial business in the area, noting buildings that housed these African-American businesses are rich in history and add to the district’s historic ambiance.
“My hopes are that (people with Preserve Arkansas) are serious about making a difference in the community, and sticking around to see it through,” said Harris.
“It’s vital to (us) that they work directly with members of the community, so that every voice is heard and no one is speaking on another property owner’s behalf.”