Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Cane Hill Celebrates Historic Renovations
A.C. CARROLL DRUGSTORE RESTORED FOR COMMUNITY
CANE HILL — In celebration of Arkansas Heritage Month in May, Historic Cane Hill Inc., is inviting the public to come see the restoration progress of the historic A.C. Carroll Drugstore on Arkansas 45 in the middle of town.
The theme for Arkansas Heritage Month is “Come to the Table,” and Historic Cane Hill is asking people to bring their favorite Arkansas side dish to the celebration. It will be held at noon, Saturday, May 24, and will include bluegrass music by the Flying Buzzards and free hamburgers and hot dogs furnished by Farm Credit.
The A.C. Carroll Drugstore, built in 1900, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and represents the Victorian architecture of three buildings in Cane Hill, according to Bobby Braly, executive director of Historic Cane Hill. Of these three, the drugstore is the only one still standing.
The drugstore is one of 16 properties in Cane Hill listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Most of the buildings are homes owned by individuals and are in good shape.
Historic Cane Hill plans to restore six buildings and started with the drug store because of its poor condition and its historic significance, Braly said.
The others include the Methodist Manse built in 1834 as the first Methodist Church in town, the John Edmiston House built in 1896, Cane Hill Bank built in 1907 and Shaker Yates Grocery, constructed in 1951.
The largest project will be restoring the two-story Cane Hill College, built in 1887, and work on this structure will begin in late fall after the Cane Hill Festival and is expected to take several years. The drugstore’s first floor will serve as a community center until the college is finished. The second floor of the drugstore, the meeting place for Cane Hill Masonic Lodge from 1900- 1980, will be offered as studio space for area artists.
The Cane Hill College Museum will eventually move to the Shaker Yates Grocery building, located next to the drugstore.
Braly, who grew up in the Lincoln-Cane Hill area and is a 2000 graduate of Lincoln High School, is the only paid staff for Historic Cane Hill and wears a lot of hats. He spends a lot of time on site but also speaks to various organizations to spread the word about Cane Hill. He has been researching the history of the area to make sure buildings will be restored to their historical significance. Other times, he dons old clothes and can be found painting at the drugstore.
He holds a doctorate degree in anthropology and moved from Knoxville, Tenn., to become the executive director of Historic Cane Hill and be closer to family.
“It’s such a unique opportunity,” Braly said. “It’s the chance to give back to my community.”
He said he believes that two of the buildings, the drugstore and Methodist Manse, would have deteriorated so much in five years that they would have been gone for future generations to enjoy.
“It’s sad to think that this community would lose National Register buildings,” Braly said. “Experience history and it becomes a lot more fun. People stop by and tell stories from the past. To save this in my own community is pretty special.”
Work on the drugstore has been slow and tedious, he admitted. The building was full of trash and Braly and others spent five weeks hauling about 15,000 pounds of trash to Boston Mountain Solid Waste District.
On the outside, workers have replaced all windows with original style wood and glass. Workers are using a mixture of limestone and sand to create an old-time soft mortar for the outer stone walls. A modern cement is too hard and will damage the old bricks, Braly said.
“We have to go back to using what they used when they built the structure,” Braly said.
On the inside, workers have replicated a beautiful pressed metal ceiling and installed hardware, lights and doors to match the time period. The walls are covered with sheetrock but are painted a color similar to the color of the original walls.
Braly said it is his job to pay attention to details.
The goal is to complete all restoration by 2027, in time for the 200th anniversary of the founding of Cane Hill. Cane Hill was established in 1827 and was the first settlement in Washington County. The founding families were Cumberland Presbyterians, circuit riding preachers, who traveled from Tennessee and Kentucky to the Little Rock area and then onto western Washington County.
In addition to restoring buildings, Historic Cane Hill will work on developing a heritage trail through the community and installing information panels and other signs telling about the history of Cane Hill and the history of the Civil War battle fought in Cane Hill. Some panels are already in place.
The project will cost a lot of money, Braly acknowledges, but said he “does not talk dollars.” Grants are being used to fund some of the projects and he said he will continue to apply for grants.
Historic Cane Hill Inc., was created in September 2013 when the Cane Hill College Board of Directors voted to dissolve as a nonprofit entity and be replaced by a public, nonprofit organization known as Historic Cane Hill Inc. The new group has a three-member board, which includes Braly, realtor Neil Helm and Jerry Leach, all men who grew up in the Lincoln, Cane Hill area.
The bylaws for Historic Cane Hill say its objective is to acquire, preserve and maintain historic buildings and property in Washington County for historical and preservation purposes.
Scott Davis, former president of the Cane Hill College Board of Directors, now serves on an advisory committee for the college and said he is excited about the renovation in Cane Hill.
“That’s why we were so eager to let them take over the restoration,” Davis said. “They have the funding, know what they are doing and are taking their time to do it right.”
Davis said he has seen the work on the drugstore and is impressed.
“They are doing an outstanding job and restoring that building to its original form,” Davis said.
For more information, go to the Historic Cane Hill page on Facebook.