New Year, New Look
We have a new look and a new logo! See "QQA Launches New Branding" for more information.
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2019 Members Reception at the Mills-Davis House
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Join the QQA for our annual Members Reception at the Mills-Davis house (523 E. 6th St),
January 30, 2019
, 5:30 pm. The Mills-Davis House was first occupied starting in 1878 by Abraham Anderson Mills and his family. Jennifer Carman and Donna Thomas rehabilitated this beautiful Italianate home through 2016 and 2017. It now serves as the offices of J. Carman, Inc. Fine Art Advisory and Appraisal Services and Norton Arts, Inc. and a small Airbnb apartment.
This reception is only for current QQA members, but memberships will be sold at the door.
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Preservation Conversations 2019
In 2019, the QQA is hosting Preservation Conversations on the second Thursday of each month, increasing lectures in this series to twelve in 2019. Nine of this year’s talks focus on practical knowledge important for purchasing or owning a historic property, including building styles, National Register listing, historic tax credits, insurance for historic properties, historic windows, historic stained glass windows, roofing, historic hardware, and weatherization. Three focus on historical topics relevant to greater Little Rock, including Quapaw tribal pottery, the 140th anniversary of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and the impact of Urban Renewal on Little Rock landscapes.
All events are located at the Mixing Room at the Old Paint Factory in the East Village, 1306 East 6th Street, 72202, starting at 5:30 pm (reception), and 6:00 pm (lecture). All lectures are free and open to the public, however, space is limited.
Please RSVP here for the January event.
Preservation Conversations 2019 is underwritten in part by a gift in honor of Carl H. Miller, Jr., a long-time supporter of the QQA and preservationist.
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First Quarter Preservation Conversations
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January 10 | 2019
Building Styles in Little Rock
by Mason Toms
Our built environment is a tangible link to our past and our collective history. Walking the streets of our cities can be a lesson in architectural history, if you know where to look. Due to its economic and cultural prominence, Little Rock boasts the best collection of architectural styles in the state of Arkansas. Join us as we explore the multitude of different forms that the architecture of the city has taken on over the last 189 years.
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February 14 | 2019
The National Register of Historic Places by Callie Williams
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources.
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March 14 | 2019
Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits by Antoinette Johnson, PhD.
Owners of properties that contribute to a historic district or that are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places may be eligible for tax credits for property rehabilitation. Join us as Dr. Antoinette Johnson explains federal and state tax credits and how owners can take advantage of these opportunities.
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Upcoming Events:
55th Spring Tour of Homes, MacArthur Park,
Little Rock’s First Historic District
March | 2019
Keep an eye out for an announcement of the
55th Spring Tour of Homes Preview Party
. We’ll keep you updated via email. Not on our email list?
JOIN NOW
May | 2019
The
55th QQA Spring Tour of Homes
is scheduled for May 11-12. Keep an eye out for more information. We’ll keep you updated via email. Not on our email list?
JOIN NOW
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2019 Legislative Reception
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On February 20, 2019 the QQA, Preserve Arkansas, and other supporters will host a legislative reception at Curran Hall. This biennial reception gives preservationists from throughout the state an opportunity to connect with legislators and administration officials to advocate for historic preservation during the legislative session.
In this upcoming legislative session, we have proposed a modification to the state’s historic rehabilitation tax credit. Our proposal would lower the minimum expense threshold for non-income producing properties to qualify for the tax credit from $25,000 to $5,000.
QQA Executive Director, Patricia Blick, said in an article published the
Arkansas Times
that “this change will assist historic homeowners with basic repair and maintenance projects, like roof repair or replacement, upgrading their electric, even repair or replacement of their HVAC systems; necessary property maintenance whose costs simply do not rise to the current minimum level for the tax credits. By taking advantage of the tax credits and following the treatment standards, there is an assurance that the work will not diminish the historic integrity of the property or historic district.”
Working with our partners, we will monitor activity during the session and keep an eye on legislation that has the potential to impact historic resources.
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2018 Membership Meeting Recap
On November 14, 2018 the QQA presented the 2018 Greater Little Rock Preservation Awards at the yearly membership meeting, located at the Historic Arkansas Museum. The Awards of Merit and the Peg Smith awards were nominated and reviewed by a group of QQA Members, Dana Boyster, Denise Ennett, Patrick Anders, Hunter Windle, and Shalah Brummett. The recommendations were then approved by the QQA Board of Directors.
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George and M’Liss Collins and Al Hobby
for the rehabilitation of 601 Willow, the Humphries House and 615 Willow, the Peacock House in the Argenta National Register Historic District.
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Bruce Moore (not pictured), City Manager for the City of Little Rock, and Cindy Doramus (not pictured), CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Central Arkansas
for the restoration of the WPA Stone Bridges behind Lamar Porter Field. Award accepted by Brian Minyard.
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John Bowyer, Joy Scates, and their consultant, Antoinette Johnson
for the meticulous rehabilitation of the Farrell House #2, at 2111 S. Louisiana Street in the National Register Listed Governor’s Mansion Historic District.
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Jennifer Carman and Donna Thomas (not pictured)
for the transformative rehabilitation of the Mills-Davis House, 523 E. 6th Street.
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Save Hillcrest!
For their grassroots advocacy efforts to halt teardowns of historically significant properties in the Hillcrest National Register Historic District and adoption of stronger tools on infill and additions to preserve the neighborhood’s historic character.
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The Mitchell School rehabilitation led by
Chad Young, a Principal and the Vice President & Director of Design of WD&D Architects and Earnest Duckery an Associate of WD&D Architects and Dr. Phillis Nichols Anderson, Founder and CEO/Superintendent ScholarMade Achievement Place of Arkansas.
The Mitchell School, originally constructed in 1908 in the Central High School Neighborhood was an amazing edifice that was in a serious state of disrepair since it was shuttered in 2005.
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Main Street Lofts. Rehabilitation of the mixed use buildings started several years ago, and until recently, this prominent corner saw little significant progress. The current team, comprised of Deep Creek LR, LLC, Jeremiah Russell of Rogue Architecture, Matt Foster of MWF Construction, LLC and David Robinson of Block 2 Real Estate, took on the challenge and has completed the work to put these properties back in service.
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The Peg Smith Award has been given since 1980 to recognize “a Quapaw Quarter Association member whose volunteer work on QQA projects and programs has been particularly exemplary.”
The 2018 Peg Smith Award went to the Spring Tour of Homes Street Committee: James Metzger, Jeremiah Gardner, and Mike Metzler. For several years, these three volunteers are first on the scene to set up and the last on the scene to break down. The Spring Tour of Homes would not run as smoothly without their dedicated efforts.
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Beginning in 2000, this award has been presented sporadically by the QQA Board of Directors to recognize a member of the board for outstanding service.
The 2018 winner was retiring board member Laura Sergeant.
Laura Sergeant, a Peg Smith Award Winner in 2015, is the embodiment of an outstanding QQA Board member. Since joining the QQA Board of Directors, she has gone above and beyond her duties as a board member. Laura joined the QQA Board of Directors in 2010 and has served three complete terms. She has served as Board President-Elect, as well as two full terms as board president, and is currently serving as the Vice President of Advocacy.
She’s volunteered with the Spring Tour in nearly every capacity since she moved to downtown Little Rock. She chaired the tour in 2011 and 2012, and has stepped in to assist whenever called upon. She was part of the team that hosted a very successful 50th Spring Tour and helped with the important task of recognizing former tour chairs at the Sunday brunch. The Mother’s Day Brunch at Curran Hall is masterfully orchestrated by Laura and her co-chair Marcella Dalla Rosa each year, and has become so popular that it is regularly a sold out event.
Laura was instrumental in getting the Summer Suppers program started, has chaired the series since inception in 2015, and consequently raised tens of thousands of dollars to support the work of the QQA. She makes the time to attend nearly every QQA function, and is usually responsible for food, decorations or flowers. She won’t hesitate to ask for anything when the QQA needs donations, and she always offers to help out when she can. She’s the kind of board member and volunteer most organizations can only dream of.
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QQA Launches New Branding
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In early 2019, the QQA will launch a new branding effort including a new moniker, a new website, a logo and tag, a branding color palette, and a new e-newsletter format. A branding and digital communications team at Little Rock marketing and communications firm CJRW helped the staff and board develop the project.
The name “Quapaw Quarter Association” was chosen in the 1960s by the organization’s founders. They chose this name because, at the time, the organization focused only on properties in the MacArthur Park area. In 1818, the United States government signed a land treaty with the Quapaw Nation that put the border for the tribe’s land right through what became MacArthur Park.
Over the years, the organization’s scope has broadened to include all historic properties in the greater Little Rock area. As the scope grew, so did confusion about where, exactly, the “Quapaw Quarter” is located. There is no historic district with that name and so the way Little Rock residents referred to the “Quapaw Quarter” has always been in flux. With the help of CJRW, the Quapaw Quarter Association will now be referred to as “the QQA.” This change honors the organization’s past, and will help alleviate confusion over its mission.
The existing QQA website is not keeping up with changes in how our members and stakeholders use technology. It was not designed for use on mobile devices and the structure makes it difficult for users to find the information they want. The new website will be optimized for use on mobile devices and shifts focus to greater Little Rock’s historic districts. It will also make it easier for users to find information on events, donations, and technical issues.
The CJRW design team created a new logo, tag, and color palette as a way to emphasize the organization’s shift to calling itself “The QQA.” The new tag “Preserving the Past. Shaping the Future” emphasizes that historic preservation is not just about preserving old buildings, it is also about making sure that our neighborhoods remain sustainable and people-friendly. The new color palette is broader than the older palette, allowing for more flexibility in design choices and reflecting the diversity of the QQA in resources, membership, and stakeholders.
The QQA Chronicle
has not been published in a consistent manner for many years. QQA staff have been working on methods to make the newsletter publication more regular and more useful to members. The new newsletter format allows staff to create content that is focused on specific aspects of the QQA mission that may have been ignored or cursory in editions over the past decade. Staff have created a more consistent publishing schedule and content strategy to improve how we communicate with members and stakeholders.
Following this new newsletter design, the new website and other materials will go live. Keep an eye out for updates.
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Officers
Ashli Ahrens, President
Molly McNulty, President-Elect
Chuck Cliett, Secretary
John Herzog, Treasurer
Jean Block, VP of Development
Shana Graves, VP of Education
David Robinson, VP of Advocacy
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Members
Ngozi “Nome” Brown
Kenya Eddings
Stacy Hamilton
Gabe Holmstrom
Toni Johnson
Kathy McCarroll
Martie North
Tricia Peacock
Joshua Price
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Martins Gift the QQA Memories of Little Rock and
Designing Women
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QQA members Joann and Garth Martin exemplify the spirit of the organization. They attend several events every year, they volunteer, and they remember the QQA when they think about their own legacy. At the QQA Membership Meeting & Greater Little Rock Preservation awards on November 14, the Martins gave the QQA a gift of their memories: a print of the Villa Marre signed by the cast and crew of the sitcom
Designing Women
.
Long term QQA members know that the organization’s headquarters were located at the Villa Marre, 1321 Scott Street, from 1979 to 2002. It was built in 1881 by a notorious saloon owner and liquor importer Angelo Marre and his wife Jennie. The house has maybe the most nationally well-known in the SoMa area because it was used as the façade for the fictional business of Julia Sugarbaker and her sister Suzanne Sugarbaker in
Designing Women
, which aired on CBS from 1986 to 1993.
The Martins gift is particularly important to them because Joann had a small role in the sitcom. The role was a silent auction item during a 1987 fundraiser at the Villa Marre benefiting the The Arkansas Repertory Theatre
. Garth Martin purchased the role for his wife. In January of 1988, Joann went to California for five days where she was given her own trailer and driver.
“It was great fun and I enjoyed every minute of it,” Joann said.
Joann appeared on Season 2, episode 19 titled “The Incredibly Elite Bona Fide Blue-Blood Beaumont Driving Club.” The part was supposed to just be a walk-on, but when the cast discovered that Joann had some theater training, they rewrote the script to give her a small speaking part. She portrayed “Muffin Farenholdt,” chairperson of membership for the Beaumont Driving Club, patterned off a club in Atlanta. When the Sugarbaker sisters applied to the club, only Julia was accepted. Joann’s character’s job was to tell Suzanne Sugarbaker that her membership application was rejected.
A picture of the Villa Marre was given to the show’s producers by Deborah Phillips, with the promise that it would be on the set. At the end of her week on set, the cast and crew signed the print and gifted it to Joann.
Fourteen years ago, the Martins moved to the Rainwater Flats and became more involved in the QQA. “At 83 I’m beginning to think about what will go where,” Joann said. “I wanted to give the print to the QQA because the Villa Marre was a big thing for the organization.”
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