Cane Hill College Celebrates Reopening

CANE HILL — The community celebrated the completion of the Cane Hill College restoration project with a grand opening on Saturday.

Members of the Historic Cane Hill executive and advisory board held a ribbon cutting on the front steps of the college and Bobby Braly, executive director of Historic Cane Hill, presented Tim Leach, the main benefactor for the project, with a key to the city.

After the ceremony, which was attended by Congressman Steve Womack and Washington County Judge Joseph Wood, the large crowd gathered for the event poured through the newly renovated building for a tour. The celebration also included live music, free food and drinks, a horseshoe tournament and tours of other historic buildings in the community.

It has taken more than 2 1/2 years and $1.4 million to restore the 4,000-square-foot building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building reflects the history of the community, one of the earliest white settlements in Washington County dating back to 1829.

Cane Hill College was granted a charter from the Arkansas General Assembly in 1852, making it one of the first four-year colleges in

Arkansas. The college’s three main structures were burned by Union troops during the civil war. The college was reopened in 1868, but the classroom building was destroyed by fire in 1885. The current building was constructed in 1886, but the college closed in 1891 and its charter was moved to what would become the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville. After its closing, the building was used as a public school for grades 1 through 12, and then as a community building.

The restoration was done in three phases, which included stabilizing the structure, restoring the exterior and restoring the interior. The interior of the building features original wood floors and walls painted the historically-correct color.

The college building includes a working kitchen and two large rooms downstairs, as well as a large room upstairs and an auditorium with new audio and video equipment. In the future, the college could be used for community activities such as weddings, recitals, movie nights and events associated with the annual Cane Hill Harvest Festival.

“We’re really proud of the history that is out here and we are thankful for what is being done,” Braly said.

Many of the people who attended the ceremony on Saturday grew up in the area and had memories of the building before it was restored.

Ralph and Penny Prince of Morrow, who attended the event, said they both had memories of the community and the college building. The couple has been excited to see the building get a face lift and have followed the progress on the Historic Cane Hill website.

“It’s been in really bad shape,” Penny said. “This is the first time it’s been brought back to its beauty and glory.”

They also feel a special connection with the building because their daughter attended the University of the Ozarks.

“It’s just thrilling that they’re doing this,” Penny said. “It had so much history and it was just dying.”

More information about Historic Cane Hill is available online at historiccane hill.org.

JANELLE JESSEN ENTERPRISE-LEADER Historic Cane Hill executive and advisory board members held a ribbon cutting for Cane Hill College on Saturday. During the ceremony, Bobby Braly, executive director of Historic Cane Hill, presented Tim Leach, the main benefactor for the project, with...

PHOTO BY JANELLE JESSEN ENTERPRISE-LEADER Visitors toured the interior and exterior of the building, and gathered for a picnic on the Historic Cane Hill College lawn.

PHOTO BY JANELLE JESSEN ENTERPRISE-LEADER A horseshoe tournament was part of the festivities at the Historic Cane Hill College grand opening on Saturday.

PHOTO BY JANELLE JESSEN ENTERPRISE-LEADER Jonathon and Sharron Bieber played checkers inside one of the first floor rooms.

PHOTO BY JANELLE JESSEN ENTERPRISE-LEADER Musicians performed on the stage in the newly restored auditorium on the second floor of the college.

PHOTO BY JANELLE JESSEN ENTERPRISE-LEADER Joan Johnson of Fayetteville used her finger to trace names, presumably carved by school children, in the old bricks at the back of the college.