William Augustus Edwards, also known as William A. Edwards was an Atlanta-based American architect renowned for the educational buildings, courthouses and other public and private buildings that he designed in Florida, Georgia and his native South Carolina. More than 25 of his works have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Masonic Temple of El Dorado, Arkansas is located at 106-108 North Washington Street, on the west side of the courthouse square. The four-story masonry building was built in 1923-24 to a design by Little Rock architect Charles S. Watts. It is one of a small number of buildings in Arkansas with Art Deco styling influenced by the Egyptian Revival. This particular styling was likely influence by the 1922 discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun.
The Yell County Courthouse is a courthouse in Dardanelle, Arkansas, United States, one of two county seats of Yell County, built in 1914. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The courthouse is the second building to serve the Dardanelle district of Yell County.
U.S. Highway 71 is a U.S. highway that runs from Krotz Springs, LA to the Fort Frances–International Falls International Bridge at the Canadian border. In Arkansas, the highway runs from the Louisiana state line near Doddridge to the Missouri state line near Bella Vista. In Texarkana, the highway runs along State Line Avenue with US 59 and partially runs in Texas. Other areas served by the highway include Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas.
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.
The Prescott Commercial Historic District encompasses the historic commercial core of Prescott, Arkansas, the county seat of Nevada County. Prescott was laid out in 1873, after the railroad was built through the area that is now Nevada County, and the railroad has played a significant role in the city's development. The railroad today bisects the commercial core of the city, which extends for several city blocks away from the railroad. The historic district includes all of the major civic buildings of the city, including the courthouse, post office, and the old Prescott City Jail.
The DeWitt Commercial Historic District encompasses part of the historic downtown of De Witt, Arkansas, the seat of the southern district of Arkansas County. It consists of roughly six square blocks, focused on Courthouse Square, location of the Southern District Courthouse. This area was platted out when De Witt was established as the new county seat of Arkansas County in 1854, replacing the Arkansas Post, which was not centrally located within the county after numerous other counties had been carved out of its territory. The city's growth remained modest until the arrival of the railroad in the 1890s, and saw most of its civic growth between then and the 1920s. The district includes 54 historically significant buildings, 32 of which face Courthouse Square. The oldest buildings in the district lie just north of Courthouse Square, either facing the square or in North Main or Gibson Streets.
The Piggott Commercial Historic District encompasses the original center of the city of Piggott, Arkansas, as originally platted out in 1887. It is centered on the square where the Clay County courthouse is located, buildings facing the courthouse square, and also buildings along some of the adjacent streets. In addition to the courthouse, the district includes the c. 1910 railroad depot, city hall, two churches, the 1930s Post Office building, a cotton gin, and a grain storage yard. The town grew because of the railroad, and the plentiful timber in the area, whose harvesting fueled the early economy in the region. The oldest building in the district is the 1897 Clay County Bank at 188 West Main Street.
The Paragould Downtown Commercial Historic District encompasses the historic central business district of Paragould, Arkansas. The city was organized in 1882 around the intersection of two railroad lines, which lies in the southwestern portion of this district. The main axes of the district are Court and Pruett Streets, extending along Court from 3½ Street to 3rd Avenue, and along Court from King's Highway to Highland Street, with properties also on adjacent streets. Prominent in the district are the 1888 Greene County Courthouse, built during the city's first major growth spurt. Most of the district's buildings are one and two stories in height, and of masonry construction. The National Bank of Commerce Building at 200 S. Pruett is a notable example of limestone construction, and of Classical Revival styling found in some of the buildings put up during the city's second major growth period in the 1920s.
The Pocahontas Commercial Historic District encompasses the historic civic heart of Pocahontas, the county seat of Randolph County, Arkansas. The district includes roughly five-block stretches of Broadway and Pyburn and Everett Streets between US 67 and Bryant Street, and extends across US 67 to include a small complex of industrial buildings and the former railroad depot. Founded in 1836, the center of Pocahontas is dominated by the Old Randolph County Courthouse, a handsome Italianate structure built in 1875 which now houses city offices. It is surrounded by commercial buildings, generally one or two stories in height, most of which were built between 1900 and 1930, although there are a few 19th-century buildings. Later growth extended away from this center. Other notable buildings in the district include the present Randolph County Courthouse and the 1930s Art Deco style Post Office building.
The Mountain Home Commercial Historic District encompasses the historic central business district of Mountain Home, Arkansas, the county seat of Baxter County. The district is centered on the Baxter County Courthouse, and is bounded on the north by East 5th Street, the south by East 9th Street, the east by South Street, and the west by South Hickory Street. Most of the buildings in this area are commercial structures, one or two stories in height, of masonry construction. They are generally vernacular in style, and most were built in one of two periods: between about 1900 and 1920, after the arrival of the railroad, and in the 1950s, when the city experienced another major period of growth. The oldest building is the 1892 Baker Building at 601-603 Baker Street.
The former Scott County Courthouse is located at 252 South Main Street in Waldron, Arkansas. The current facility is located on 1st Street. The old courthouse is a two-story brick Art Deco building, set on a high foundation, and with a flat roof that has a parapet. The building was designed by Bassham & Wheeler of Fort Smith, and was built in 1934 with funding from the Works Progress Administration. It replaced an older building on the same site that was destroyed by fire.
The Ozark Courthouse Square Historic District encompasses the historic late 19th-century center of Ozark, Arkansas. It includes an area two blocks by two blocks in area, bounded on the west by 4th Street, the north by West Commercial Street, the east by 2nd Street, and the south by West Main Street. Most of the buildings in the district were built between about 1890 and 1930, a period of significant growth occasioned by the arrival of the railroad, and are built either out of brick or locally quarried stone. Prominent buildings include the Franklin County Courthouse and the Bristow Hotel.
The Pine Bluff Commercial Historic District encompasses a portion of the historic city center of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. It extends from Barraque Street south along Main Street, extending in places to properties alongside streets. The area's commercial development began about 1840, when the courthouse square was laid out at Barraque and Main, and proceeded through the early 20th century. Most of the commercial properties of the district were built between 1880 and 1910, and are reflective architecturally of late 19th-century commercial building styles.
The Lonoke Downtown Historic District encompasses a portion of the central business district of Lonoke, Arkansas. It extends south along Center Street, from the Lonoke County Courthouse to Front Street, and then one block east and west on both sides of Front Street. It extends eastward on the south side of Front Street another 1-1/2 blocks. Lonoke was founded as a railroad community in 1862, and this area represents the core of its downtown area for the period 1900–1945. Most of the district's 23 buildings are commercial structures, one to two stories in height, with brick facades.
The Heber Springs Commercial Historic District encompasses the early commercial heart of Heber Springs, Arkansas. The district extends along Main Street, between Broadway and 6th Street, including several buildings along some of the cross streets. The area was developed beginning in 1881, and grew in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, featuring a diversity of commercial architecture from that period. Prominent buildings include the Cleburne County Courthouse (1914) and the Morton Building at 101 South 3rd Street, the city's oldest surviving commercial building (1895).
The Clinton Commercial Historic District encompasses the historic commercial center of Clinton, Arkansas. It encompasses a roughly triangular area, bounded by Main Street, Moss Street, and United States Route 65B, extending northwest along 65B as far as Oak Street. This area's development began in the mid-19th century, but most of its buildings date from the first half of the 20th century, representing a diversity of architectural styles popular in that time period. Notable buildings in the district include the Van Buren County Courthouse and the Walter Patterson Filling Station.
The Perryville Commercial Historic District encompasses the historic commercial and civic heart of the city of Perryville, Arkansas. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, and it includes two buildings already separately listed. It is centered on the courthouse square, where the 1880 Perry County Courthouse stands. It includes nine contributing buildings, including buildings facing the square, with a few included on adjacent side streets, and six non-contributing ones. This area was developed beginning in the 1840s, when Perryville was founded, and grew through the mid-20th century. Most of the buildings are vernacular commercial buildings, finished in wood, brick, or stone. The most unusual is the Rustic Perryville American Legion Building.
The Russellville Downtown Historic District encompasses an eight-block area of downtown Russellville, Arkansas. This area, developed primarily between 1875 and 1930, includes the city's highest concentration of period commercial architecture, a total of 34 buildings. Most of them are brick, one or two stories in height, and in a variety of styles. The district is roughly bounded by Arkansas and West 2nd Streets, El Paso Avenue, and the Missouri-Pacific Railroad tracks.
The Warren Commercial Historic District encompasses the historic commercial heart of Warren, Arkansas. The district's northern end is focused on the Bradley County Courthouse and Clerk's Office, and extends down Main Street to Church Street, with branches along cross streets and roads radiating from the courthouse square. This area was developed beginning in the 1840s, but its oldest buildings date to the 1890s, primarily brick commercial buildings. Of architectural note are the courthouse, a Beaux Arts structure built in 1903, and the Classical Revival Warren Bank building (1927).
