Third Quarter Newsletter
August 2020
From the Executive Director

Dear Members and Friends,

I hope this email finds you well. The past few months have been filled with new preservation advocacy efforts, and we have exciting things to report on some long-term campaigns. We transitioned our Mid Mod Arkansas - Fort Smith tour to a virtual format, premiering three videos in July. And we are currently accepting nominations for the 2020 Arkansas Preservation Awards. Winners will be honored in January 2021, in a safe way that adheres to CDC and state health department guidelines. Award nominations are accepted until August 31. Keep reading for additional information on these items and more!

As always, please don't hesitate to reach out if we can help you with a preservation question or issue in your community.

Thank you for your continued support,
Rachel Patton
Executive Director
Preservation Award nominations accepted until 8/31
The Arkansas Preservation Awards recognize outstanding preservation achievements, people who make a difference in their communities, and projects that inspire others to protect Arkansas’s special historic places. Learn more and nominate here.
Preservation Advocacy
Preserve Arkansas is working with the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce to advocate for the protection and reuse of the Historic Army and Navy Hospital property at Hot Springs, which was included on our 2020 Most Endangered Places List. For now, the property remains in state ownership, awaiting a determination from the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and the U.S. Secretary of the Army. See the latest update here.
The Great American Outdoors Act was signed by the President on August 4, providing up to $9.5 billion in dedicated funding over a 5-year period to address deferred maintenance in our National Parks and public lands. The Act fully and permanently dedicates $900 million per year for the Land and Water Conservation Fund to protect and conserve our public lands. In 2018, Preserve Arkansas participated in a fly-in to Washington, DC to advocate for our National Parks and provided written testimony for a House Committee on Natural Resources Field Hearing held at Hot Springs on September 17, 2018. This legislation has been years in the making!
Since the beginning of June, Preserve Arkansas has worked with our partners at Main Street America, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Main Street Arkansas to coordinate support for a Main Street Community Recovery and Revitalization Program to assist Main Street coordinating programs at the state level and provide operational support for local Main Street organizations and small businesses. This $100 million competitive grant program would be administered through Main Street America via the U.S. Economic Development Administration to help Main Streets survive the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding would directly benefit Main Street Arkansas and our state's 40 Main Street and Downtown Network programs as they provide critical assistance to downtown property owners and merchants during the pandemic.
Preserve Arkansas submitted written comments to the Arkansas State Review Board for Historic Preservation ahead of their August 5 meeting. We wrote to support the nomination for Fair Park/War Memorial Golf Course at Little Rock to the National Register of Historic Places and in support of retaining National Register designation for the Latimore Tourist Home at Russellville if the house is relocated to the nearby James School Park for rehabilitation by the City of Russellville. Both measures passed the State Review Board and will be sent to the National Park Service for an official determination.
Preserve Arkansas completed the final report for the Perry Depot's Rural Community Grant in May, and the grant was administratively closed in June. Thanks to the generous support of the Perry County Historical and Genealogical Society, private donations, and in-kind support from Weiss Lumber Company and R and A Roofing, the depot's roof was replaced on August 3. It looks great! Preserve Arkansas will now assist with preparing a National Register nomination for the depot.
Mid Mod Fort Smith videos
The Mid Mod Arkansas - Fort Smith Virtual Tour premiered as a series of three videos in July. Between Facebook and YouTube, these videos reached more than 2,600 people! Check them out below.
Chambers House
by Ernie Jacks
Crow House
by John G. Williams
United Hebrew Congregation Tilles Memorial Temple
by E. Chester Nelson and
Bob Laser
Thank you, Stone's Throw!
Big thanks to our friends at Stone's Throw Brewing in Little Rock's MacArthur Park Historic District for donating a portion of the proceeds from the Drive-Thru Block on Rock event to Preserve Arkansas! Hopefully, we can enjoy the block party in person next year.
Thank you to our Capital Partners!
Preserve Arkansas is the only statewide nonprofit advocate for the preservation of Arkansas's historic and cultural resources. Our organization works to build stronger communities by reconnecting Arkansans to our heritage and empowering people to save and rehabilitate historic places. Become a member today!