El Dorado Commercial Historic District

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El Dorado Commercial Historic District
Rialto Theater, El Dorado, AR IMG 2629.JPG
LocationCourthouse Square, portions of Main, Jefferson, Washington, Jackson, Cedar and Locust Sts., El Dorado, Arkansas
Area11 acres (4.5 ha)
ArchitectMann, George R. & Howard Stern; et al.
Architectural styleEarly Commercial, Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No. 03000773 [1]
Added to NRHPAugust 21, 2003

The El Dorado Commercial Historic District encompasses the historic commercial heart of downtown El Dorado, Arkansas. The city serves as the seat of Union County, and experienced a significant boom in growth during the 1920s, after oil was discovered in the area. The business district that grew in this time is anchored by the Union County Courthouse, at the corner of Main and Washington Streets, where the Confederate memorial is also located. The historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 includes the city blocks surrounding the courthouse, as well as several blocks extending east along Main Street and south along Washington Street. Most of the commercial buildings are one and two stories in height and are built of brick. Notable exceptions include the Exchange Bank building, which was, at nine stories, the county's first skyscraper, and the eight-story Murphy Oil building. There are more than forty contributing properties in the district. [2]

See also

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References

  1. "National Register Information System  (#03000773)". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "NRHP nomination for El Dorado Commercial Historic District" (PDF). Arkansas Preservation. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2014.