Volume 3 |2020| July
QQA Chronicle, 3rd Quarter, 2020
In this edition:
  • Preservation Conversations Go Virtual
  • New Schedule for Upcoming Preservation Conversations
  • Photo Identification Social Media and Archive Donation
  • Reflecting on the Tour of Homes
  • Mid-Century Modern Tour and Specters, Spirits, & Stories Trolley Tour
  • Murphy-Jeffries Building Seeking Reprieve from Demolition
  • 2313 Center Street in Danger of Demolition
  • Keep Calm and Preserve on Campaign
Education
Preservation Conversations Go Virtual
The COVID-19 pandemic has meant a lot of changes for everyone, including the QQA. After trying to determine the best way to continue this free lecture series during 2020, we decided that the safest approach is to transition these talks to virtual gatherings.

Our usual schedule of the second Thursday of every month has been altered due to the necessity of rescheduling events between March and May. Pay attention to the dates on these virtual events listed below, as many dates have changed.

We broadcast Zoom events live on Facebook. Afterward, our Facebook Live event will be saved to our Facebook page and you can return to view it as you wish. If you prefer, you can watch our videos on YouTube. You can see the most recent Preservation Conversation here. It takes about a week to get these videos edited and posted to YouTube.

Our first virtual Preservation Conversation, "Solar 101 for Historic Places" with Josh Davenport of Seal Solar went well. We know that some folks had a difficult time joining on Facebook Live, so we are working to resolve this challenge for future talks. 

The best way to view these events is to RSVP with our ticketing system. We can then e-mail you a link to the Zoom event. That will get you directly into the talk without having to navigate Facebook Live. However, if you'd prefer to use Facebook Live, you can find instructions for getting to future events here.
Upcoming Preservation Conversations
Preservation Conversations: Rackensack Folklore Society Pulaski County

When: July 16, 2020
Time: 6:00 pm
Where: Virtual Zoom and Facebook Live Event. Please RSVP to get the Zoom link. It will be e-mailed to you 24 hours prior to the event.
Preservation Conversations: Treaty of 1824 and Quapaw Removal by Dr. Joseph Key

When: August 13, 2020
Time: 6:00 pm
Where: Virtual Zoom and Facebook Live Event. Please RSVP to get the Zoom link. It will be e-mailed to you 24 hours prior to the event.
Preservation Conversations: ARDOT and GIS Technology, Mapping Historic Resources by Gina Hopkins

When: September 10, 2020
Time: 6:00 pm
Where: Virtual Zoom and Facebook Live Event. Please RSVP to get the Zoom link. It will be e-mailed to you 24 hours prior to the event.
Preservation Conversations: Chimney Safety by Jason Ward

When: September 24, 2020
Time: 6:00 pm
Where: Virtual Zoom and Facebook Live Event. Please RSVP to get the Zoom link. It will be e-mailed to you 24 hours prior to the event.
Preservation Conversations: Little Rock Insane Asylum by Mike Hood

When: October 8, 2020
Time: 6:00 pm
Where: Virtual Zoom and Facebook Live Event. Please RSVP to get the Zoom link. It will be e-mailed to you 24 hours prior to the event.
Preservation Conversations: Albert Pike: The Man and the Scottish Rite Temple by Maureen Richmond

When: October 22, 2020
Time: 6:00 pm
Where: Virtual Zoom and Facebook Live Event. Please RSVP to get the Zoom link. It will be e-mailed to you 24 hours prior to the event.
Preservation Conversations: Historic Properties and Electrical -- The Gist is in What You Cannot See by Brent Staley at Staley Electric

When: November 12, 2020
Time: 6:00 pm
Where: Virtual Zoom and Facebook Live Event. Please RSVP to get the Zoom link. It will be e-mailed to you 24 hours prior to the event.
Preservation Conversations: Vestal Florists by Sarah Vestal

When: November 19, 2020
Time: 6:00 pm
Where: Virtual Zoom and Facebook Live Event. Please RSVP to get the Zoom link. It will be e-mailed to you 24 hours prior to the event.
Preservation Conversation: Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits by Toni Johnson

When: December 10, 2020
Time: 6:00 pm
Where: Virtual Zoom and Facebook Live Event. Please RSVP to get the Zoom link. It will be e-mailed to you 24 hours prior to the event.

2020 Preservation Conversations are underwritten by a generous grant from the Quapaw Nation.
Photo Identification Social Media and Archive Donations
Since April 2, the QQA has posted a daily "identify this" feature on our social media channels to get help from the community in identifying structures in a collection of photographs gifted to the QQA and in some of our older QQA Chronicle collection. The community response has been wonderful! We want to extend a huge thank you to those who helped us with this task.

As of June 30, over 80 structures (both standing and previously demolished) have been identified. The photos will be placed in the QQA Collection housed in the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at Roberts Library as soon as the "identify this" campaign ends on July 6.

In addition to sorting and identifying photographs, QQA staff have also been organizing documents that they felt needed to be in a public archive. The document collection was transported to Roberts Library on June 24 and the archival staff there has begun the process of accessioning.
Reflecting on the Tour of Homes
We were disappointed that we had to cancel this year's Tour of Homes in Pettaway, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are looking forward to 2021 when we can highlight the historic neighborhood. In the meantime, we have decided to chronicle past tours starting with the first one in 1963.

We will share photos, stories, and other memorabilia each Friday starting mid-July. Look for them on our Facebook page and our Instagram .   If you have artifacts from previous tours, we would love to share them as well. Just let us know. You can email us at [email protected] or call 501-371-0075 ext. 3.
Mid-Century Modern Tour and Specters, Spirits, & Stories Trolley Tour
The QQA is exploring creative options to continue these programs safely and effectively. We will share our plans as soon as they are finalized.
2018 Mid-Century Modern Tour
2019 Specters, Spirits & Stories
Haunted Trolley Tour
Advocacy
In 2014, The National Park Service recognized a lack of National Register nominations from underrepresented groups, including African-Americans. Little Rock irrevocably lost many important African-American properties during Urban Renewal and the construction of I-630 in the 1960s. Therefore, it is particularly important to preserve sites associated with African-American history in Little Rock.
  Focus on Preserving African-American Historic Sites in Greater Little Rock: Two Properties in Jeopardy
Murphy-Jeffries Building Seeking Reprieve from Demolition
Andrew Jeffries, courtesy of the Murphy-Jeffries Building Facebook page.
Christopher C. Mercer Jr.,
Courtesy Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
2901-2903 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive was built in 1925 as a residence and grocery business for J.F. and Ethel Murphy, who eventually sold the building when J.F. Murphy retired. The building was sold several times afterward, and various businesses occupied it including grocery and upholstery pursuits.

In 1963, the building was purchased and remodeled by Andrew Jeffries, the first African-American realtor at Block Real Estate. After being fired from his position for selling a home in a white neighborhood to an African-American family (therefore violating the rules of the Arkansas Real Estate Commission), he started his own realty and bail bonds business in the building. Mr. Jeffries was the first African-American bail bondsman in the state.

From 1963 to 1994, Christopher C. Mercer Jr., an African-American lawyer, kept an office in the building. Mr. Mercer was known for his assistance with the 1957 desegregation crisis at Little Rock Central High School. In 1967, he was appointed deputy prosecuting attorney by the city of Little Rock, making him the first person of color appointed deputy prosecutor in any southern state.

The Jeffries family is determined to preserve and restore their father's building. The earnest effort to save the structure has been ongoing since a request was made to demolish the building in 2018. The QQA was recently contacted for assistance; QQA Executive Director Patricia Blick was given the opportunity to inspect the site with Ginger Beck, a photographer for Abandoned Arkansas. At that site visit we learned that the city Board of Directors will consider removing the Murphy-Jeffries Building from the demolition list at their meeting on August 16, 2020. We will keep you updated and let you know if additional assistance is needed at that public meeting.
2313 Center Street in Danger of Demolition
The Wilson House is once again in danger of demolition. Last autumn, the city applied to the Capitol Zoning District Commission for approval to demolish the Wilson House since the building was not secure. The owner did not want the building demolished, so he boarded up and secured it. However, the City is again seeking authorization to demolish it.

Built around 1910, the house is associated with Joe Wilson, an African-American janitor at the Mosaic Templar buildings. He was also secretary of Zephro Temple No. 1 (a core group that later formed the Mosaic Templars organization), as well as a Trustee and Superintendent of the Sunday School at Bullocks C.M.E. church. Mr. Wilson occupied the home until the 1930s.

Additionally, the house's style is historically important because it is an early example of Craftsman detailing in Little Rock.

The QQA was opposed to demolition when it first was presented to CZDC and continues to oppose its demolition. The current owner is seeking to sell or donate the property to someone who will rehabilitate the home.

If you are interested in this property let us know and we will connect you with the owner. Email [email protected] or call 501-371-0075 ext. 4.
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Mr. J.W. Wilson, Photo courtesy of the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
Development
Keep Calm and Preserve On Campaign
The QQA now offers donors and members a T-shirt with every donation of $100.00 or more. The shirt features the QQA logo, and our 2020 motto "Keep Calm and Preserve On." Memberships and donations under $100.00 get two beverage koozies featuring the same image.

We started this campaign on May 5, during the "Giving Tuesday Now" event. The response has been much larger than we ever anticipated, and we are so grateful to our members and donors for their support.

Want to join or donate? Click the buttons below.