QQA Chronicle, Third Quarter, 2022 |
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- 5H Events This Month! (Members Only)
- Advocacy Updates
- Keep an Eye Out! QQA Historic Survey Project
- Uncovering the Rich History of African-American Neighborhoods
- Upcoming Preservation Conversations
- Member Profile: Amber Haugen
- Become a Member!
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Four Fridays in July, join us for our members-only 5H program located at a historic site in Little Rock, covering a special historical topic. On Tuesdays, we'll announce the location and you'll need to sign up by Thursdays at midnight. Limited to 25 people. Sign up is first-come-first-served, so check your email on Tuesday mornings at 8:00 a.m.!
First event announcement: Tuesday, July 5, 8:00 a.m.
Reservation Deadline: Thursday, July 7, 11:59 p.m.
First event: Friday, July 8, 5:30 p.m.
These events are free and for QQA members only. Not a member but want to attend? You can join here.
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Curran Hall and the Little Rock Visitor & Information Center |
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Curran Hall was the site of the Little Rock Visitor Foundation reception on May 18, 2022, the 20th Anniversary of the opening of Curran Hall as the official Little Rock Visitor Information Center. A great crowd celebrated the milestone and included original donors as well as more recent supporters.
The QQA continues to engage in a dialogue with the Little Rock CVB and their consultants at JLL and the City of Little Rock to restore funding and explore options for continued operations at this historic site. In addition to the QQA’s efforts, the Little Rock Visitor Foundation and the Pulaski County Master Gardeners are looking at opportunities to support Curran Hall and maintain its use as Little Rock’s Official Visitor Center.
Phillip Martin clearly explains the challenges facing Curran Hall in his opinion piece from May 17, 2022, in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette—which you can read here.
QQA’s Executive Director, Patricia Blick, also had a guest essay on the anniversary of the opening—which you can read here.
We will continue to update you as this situation progresses.
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Wally Nixon, Jeane Hamilton , and Ed Sergeant |
Tommy Jameson and Laura Sergeant |
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Taber-Patterson House Update |
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We are happy to report that the efforts to get the Taber-Patterson House to new owners are moving forward. According to Bryan Hosto, who is leading the legal team and the effort to get the house on the market, a sale should take place in the next couple of months, after which the new owner can get the rehabilitation underway.
Once again, we would like to thank the many donors who contributed to covering the cost of tarping the house. We would also like to thank Cornerstone Restoration for doing the work. They have been out a couple of times to tack down the tarp. Unfortunately, the wood is severely rotten, and the nails aren't holding. We look forward to the day the house is properly restored.
Donors to the Taber-Patterson House Tarping Campaign include:
- Mary Baker
- Brenda Barber
- Catherine Barrier
- Linda Bell
- Timothy Bovard
- George Campbell
- Alix Darden
- Thomas & Ellen Fennell
- Lynn & Betti Hamilton
- Sarah Henry
- Gabe Holmstrom
- Dennis & Beverly Jones
- Kathi & David Jones
- Kerry Kraus
- Denise Leeson
- Cheri & Mark Nichols
- Marshall Peters
- Jim Pfeifer
- Anne Taylor Mourning
- Diana Wilson
- Peter Callaway & George Wittenberg III
- Carol Young
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Keep an Eye Out! QQA Historic Survey Project
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Be on the lookout for Joi White Casanova this summer. You may see her walking around the Capitol Zoning Historic District taking notes and photos. She is a UCA student working on an independent study with her professor Ann Ballard Bryan.
They are surveying buildings in the Capitol Zoning Historic District to assess those resources that are in a deteriorated state and need attention. This survey will be helpful to prioritize our advocacy efforts.
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Uncovering the Rich History of African-American Neighborhoods
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Property research can be difficult even when a wealth of information is available. The lack of historical records related to the African American experience in Arkansas can make the task of conducting this research for homes in historically African American neighborhoods even more daunting. Join us at the CALS Williams Library in the Dunbar Historic District to learn some tips and tricks for researching the history of homes and their inhabitants in historically African American communities using resources available through the Central Arkansas Library System and the archival collections at the CALS Roberts Library.
Danielle Afsordeh, Community Outreach Archivist at the CALS Roberts Library/Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, presents this program in coordination with the Quapaw Quarter Association and the Dunbar Historic Neighborhood Association.
DATE AND TIME: August 6, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
LOCATION: Williams Library, 1800 Chester Street, Little Rock, AR. 72206
PHONE: 501-376-4282
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Upcoming Preservation Conversations |
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Preservation Conversations: A Conversation and Book Signing for Arkansas Made with Swannee Bennett, Jennifer Carman, Victoria Chandler, and Bill Worthen
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Join the QQA as we listen to a panel of the editors of Arkansas Made, followed by a book signing. Books will be available for purchase by Wordsworth Books.
This event is in-person only.
In person: Reception starts at 5:30 p.m., event starts at 6:00 p.m. Limited to 40 people. We request that attendees be vaccinated against Covid-19. Must RSVP in advance by emailing qqa@quapaw.com. Event at the Meeting Room in the Old Paint Factory building, 1306 E. 6th Street, Little Rock.
Want to buy books in advance?
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Preservation Conversations: A Conversation on Public Art and the Scipio Africanus Jones Portrait by Wade Hampton, Featuring John Gill and Colin Thompson |
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Reception: 5:30 p.m.
Program: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Philander Smith College, 900 W Daisy L Gatson Bates Dr, Little Rock, AR 72202, in the Harry R. Kendall Health and Science Center.
We are so excited about this event in conjunction with Philander Smith College, the Dunbar Historic Neighborhood Association, Bethel AME Church, Shorter College, Hearne Fine Art, and the Central Arkansas Library System focused on the portrait of Scipio Africanus Jones by Wade Hampton that is now hanging in the Scipio Jones Post Office on South Main Street. Join us in person for this event! The artist, Wade Hampton, will be joined by Little Rock attorney John Gill and Colin Thompson, Art Administrator at Central Arkansas Library System.
Directions: Enter the Philander Smith campus off Daisy Bates. Follow the road as it turns to the left. Go straight across the cross street (Izard) and into the parking lot straight ahead. If you are in the parking lot looking west, the Harry R. Kendall Health and Science Center is to your right. Enter the building via the south door. Look for QQA signage.
Other important information: We request that attendees be vaccinated against Covid-19.
Email us to reserve a spot!
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Preservation Conversations: Chimney Safety by Firefighter Jason Ward of Firecrest Service |
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Join the QQA for a conversation about chimney maintenance in historic buildings by Firefighter Jason Ward of Firecrest Services.
This event is in-person only.
In-person: Reception starts at 5:30 p.m., event starts at 6:00 p.m. Limited to 40 people. We request that attendees be vaccinated against Covid-19. Must RSVP in advance by emailing qqa@quapaw.com. The event is at the Meeting Room in the Old Paint Factory building, 1306 E. 6th Street, Little Rock.
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City Garden Beer & Ice Cream Family Social |
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We'll be featuring George Bros. Historic Arkansas Ale from Stone's Throw Brewing to celebrate the German heritage of early Little Rock settlers, and ice cream from Loblolly Creamery. The social will also offer activities for kids, lemonade, root beer, and popcorn. Lili's Mexican Street Food food truck will have food available for purchase on-site. Tickets get two drinks and two scoops of ice cream!
When: August 28, 2022, 5:00-7:00 pm
Where: Curran Hall, 615 E. Capitol
Price: $25.00 over 21 and $15 under 21 (in advance). $10.00 more at the door.
Questions? Email qqa@quapaw.com
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Come Fly with Us to Italy |
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Come Fly with Us to Beautiful, Historic Florence, Italy!
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October 15-22, 2022
Itinerary available on request
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Member Spotlight: Amber Haugen |
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"It's a front porch lifestyle" |
Amber Haugen, the 2022 QQA Tour of Homes Chairperson, really loves her neighborhood.
In 2020, after unexpectedly selling their Robinwood home quickly, Amber and her husband Chris bought the Wait house at 1521 Spring Street in Little Rock. The house was built around 1902 by Robert E. Wait, a lawyer, and business executive, born in Pennsylvania, but raised in Arkansas by wealthy parents.
Robert Wait, his wife Isabel, and their four children lived next door at 1515 Spring for many years. A QQA Chronicle story from February 1993 states that the Waits asked architect Frank Gibb to build the smaller house at 1521 Spring because Mrs. Wait wanted a one-story home. The 1970s-era QQA historic survey described the Wait house’s architectural style as “free classic,” or a mixture of Queen Anne and Classical Revival styles. A second story was constructed in 1925.
Amber Haugen and her husband Chris chose to live in the Governor’s Mansion Historic District because of the sidewalks, literally.
“One of our favorite things is we'll sit on the front porch on Sunday mornings and you know, the church people are coming in, they stop and say ‘hi.’ The neighbors are walking their dogs and they stop and say hi. It's a front porch lifestyle essentially down here,” Amber said.
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Amber Haugen in her front parlor. |
The Wait House, 1521 Spring |
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Know a QQA Member that you think we should highlight? Let us know!
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Want to support historic preservation in greater Little Rock? Join the QQA and help us continue our hard work to advocate for historic places. Members also get discounts to our events and special invitations to free members-only events. Join the QQA today!
Members who join at the $100 level or higher get a free preservation-focused gift that changes from year to year. This year, the gift is this tote bag, a sticker, and other fun goodies with our motto for the year, "Buildings aren't good because they are old, they are old because they are good."
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