Little Rock Citywide Historic Preservation Plan 2009 City of Little Rock Planning and Development Department Thomason and Associates The Walker Collaborative Table of Contents Acknowledgments……………………………………………………………………………...….ii I. Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………...……….1 II. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………...2 III. What Historic Preservation Means to Little Rock: An Essential Component of Community Economic Development…………………………………………………...…………..6 IV. How Historic Preservation Works in Little Rock……………………………………………..10 V. Previous Historic Preservation and Planning Efforts……………………………………...…...18 VI. Historic Preservation Trends Today—What Works/Challenges……………………………...42 VII. Goal—Increase Identification and Recognition of Little Rock’s Historic Resources…….....54 VIII. Goal—Expand the Range of Incentives and Protection to Property Owners…………….....71 IX. Goal—Increase Effectiveness of City Agencies and Organizations……………………….....90 X. Goal—Enhance Education Efforts on the Economic Benefits and Sustainability of Historic Preservation………………………………..……………………………………..……..105 XI. Implementation…………………………………………………………………………..…..110 Appendix A. Little Rock’s Proud Past—Historical and Architectural Development………..…..A.1 Appendix B. Little Rock’s National Register-Listed Properties (April 2009)…………………...B.2 Appendix C. Zoning, Land Use and Historic Preservation……………………………………....C.1 i Citywide Historic Preservation Plan, Little Rock, Arkansas Acknowledgments The Little Rock Citywide Historic Preservation Plan was developed through the City of Little Rock’s Planning & Development Department and funded in part by a Preserve America grant through the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. This project was coordinated and assisted by Brian Minyard, Planner with the city. Thanks are due to the many Little Rock citizens who pro- vided input and information during the course of this project. Assistance in the completion of this study was provided by the Little Rock Historic District Commission and the Citywide Historic Preservation Plan Steering Committee. Citywide Historic Preservation Plan Steering Committee Members Tony Bozynski Director, Little Rock Planning and Development Department Brian Minyard Little Rock Planning and Development Department Eve Gieringer Little Rock Planning and Development Department Boyd Maher Arkansas Historic Preservation Program Susan Bell Randy Jeffery Kwendeche Carolyn Newbern Cheri Nichols Marshall Peters Randy Ripley Julie Wiedower Roger Williams Robert Wood Citywide Historic Preservation Plan, Little Rock, Arkansas ii I. Executive Summary Over the past two decades, communities across the coun- try have found that an increased emphasis on the preser- vation of their architectural and historic resources results in economic growth, an enhanced quality of life, and vi- brant downtowns and neighborhoods. To guide historic preservation efforts, many cities have completed plans to assist policy makers and community leaders with the complex issues involving historic resources. The Little Rock Citywide Historic Preservation Plan builds on the city’s renewed emphasis on downtown and neighborhood revitalization efforts. Over the past decade, Little Rock has initiated a number of programs to spur redevelopment downtown, improve the appearance of its major highways, increase recreational and cultural oppor- Little Rock has a rich architectural legacy reflected in its residential, public and com- tunities and encourage investment in inner city residential mercial buildings (1300 E. 6th Street). areas. The intent of the Little Rock Historic Preservation Plan is to outline additional goals and actions to preserve, maintain and enhance the city’s large stock of historic buildings both downtown and in center-city neighbor- hoods. The plan also provides recommendations for in- creasing heritage tourism efforts as well as raising public awareness of the importance of historic preservation in the community. The Hillcrest Historic District is the largest National Register District in the city (205 N. Palm Street). 1 Citywide Historic Preservation Plan, Little Rock, Arkansas II. Introduction Overview With a population of 193,000, Little Rock is Arkansas’s most populous city, the state capital, and the county seat of Pulaski County. The cities of Little Rock, North Little Rock, Conway and Pine Bluff clustered in the center of the state comprise Arkansas’s primary metropolitan corri- dor, with a total population of 850,000. The heart of this metropolitan zone is Little Rock, platted in 1820. Little Rock became the Territorial Capitol in 1821. Little Rock derived its colorful name from a rock formation on the south bank of the Arkansas called la Pe- tite Roche ("the little rock") by French explorers. A land- mark for early river traffic, the site became a popular river crossing. This Second Empire style dwelling at Little Rock has been identifying and protecting its historic 1321 Scott Street in MacArthur Park is resources for over 50 years. The city has a rich heritage the Villa Marre and reflects the rich which is displayed in its architecture and efforts to pre- legacy of the city’s older neighbor- serve and protect this legacy began in 1968 with the es- hoods. tablishment of the Quapaw Quarter Association, the city’s non-profit historic preservation advocacy organization. The Arkansas Legislature also made a strong commitment to historic preservation when it created the Capitol Zoning District in 1975 to protect residential areas around the Capitol and Governor’s Mansion. In 1976, the Little Rock Historic District Commission was established. This was followed in 1981 with the creation of the city’s his- toric preservation ordinance. Little Rock is the center of the state’s historic preserva- tion efforts. On the state level, the Arkansas Historic Pres- ervation Program is located downtown and provides assis- tance and outreach to citizens across the state. This office Downtown Little Rock contains an im- pressive collection of late 19th and serves as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) early 20th century commercial build- and its responsibilities include carrying out federal pro- ings (212 Center Street). grams under the requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act. The non-profit statewide organization, the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas is also headquartered downtown. On the local level, the Quapaw Quarter Association continues to provide a valuable non- profit voice for preservation efforts and there are numer- ous neighborhood associations which play important roles in preserving older dwellings and improving the quality of life. Citywide Historic Preservation Plan, Little Rock, Arkansas 2 Like many cities across the country, Little Rock expanded rapidly after World War II and many residents moved to suburban neighborhoods on the west and southwest sides of the city. This led to a loss of retail stores downtown and a shift to suburban shopping areas and malls. Center- city neighborhoods also lost population and there was a change in demographics as residents increasingly moved out of downtown neighborhoods to new areas to the west and southwest. As a result, many of the city’s older neighborhoods and downtown began to suffer from ne- glect and abandonment. This alarmed many citizens and revitalization efforts to counter these trends have been underway since the 1970s. Little Rock’s past revitalization and preservation efforts have had a number of positive results. The Governor’s Mansion and MacArthur Park Historic Districts contain the largest number of protected historic dwellings in the state and rehabilitation and property values have both in- creased significantly. Central High School was listed as a National Historic Landmark and the adjacent Visitor’s The Old State Capitol was one of the Center now attracts thousands of tourists annually. The early restoration projects undertaken Clinton Presidential Center has exceeded its original goals in the city. of visitation and spurred additional development along the river. The River Market District is thriving and downtown residential development is increasing. The City currently has nineteen historic districts listed on the National Regis- ter and additional districts are being proposed. Financial incentives for rehabilitation have been enhanced, espe- cially through the passage in 2009 of the Arkansas His- toric Rehabilitation Tax Credit. Despite these successes there remain many challenges to Little Rock’s heritage. Many of the center-city neighbor- hoods continue to lose population, and this disinvestment results in abandonment and demolition. While the River Market area has developed into a thriving entertainment and tourism district, this success has not yet benefited Main Street which continues to have high vacancy rates. Historic neighborhoods such as Hillcrest and the Heights have become so attractive to builders and homebuyers that some houses are being razed or remodeled to make way for larger homes out of keeping with the area’s over- all character. Central High School was named a Buildings fifty years old or older now constitute over one- National Historic Landmark for its fourth of all buildings in the city and their repair and role in the nation’s Civil Rights strug- maintenance is important to a healthy city. In the year gle. 2000, the US Census Bureau counted 84,888 housing 3 Citywide Historic Preservation Plan, Little Rock, Arkansas units in the city of Little Rock. Of that number, 23,329 were built