Couchwood is the summer estate of
Harvey C. Couch, an industrialist and founder of Arkansas Power and Light in the early 20th century. The estate, located at 601 Couchwood Road, is southeast of
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs for which the city is n ...
, straddling the border of
Garland
A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance.
Etymology
From the ...
and
Hot Spring
A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...
counties on the north shore of
Lake Catherine.
The estate was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
for two separate reasons. It was first listed on 1986 for the five naturalistic sculptures by
Dionicio Rodriguez
Dionicio Rodriguez (1891–1955) was a Mexican-born artist and architect whose work can be seen in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Texas, as well as Washington, D.C. and Mexico City.
Dionicio Rodrígue ...
that are located on the property; these were commissioned by Couch. The estate was again listed on 2001 for its association with Couch, and for its well-preserved collection of Rustic architecture. Several of the estate's eight buildings were designed by the noted Arkansas architect
John Parks Almand
John Parks Almand (May 8, 1885 – March 24, 1969) was an American architect who practiced in Arkansas from 1912 to 1962. Among other works, he designed the Art Deco Hot Springs Medical Arts Building, which was the tallest building in Arkansas f ...
.
Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt both spent time at Couchwood as guests. There are five red cedar log-houses on the estate: the Big House, Calhoun, Little Pine Bluff, Remmelwood and the Traincar.
Today, the estate serves as a retreat for descendants and visitors. The estate is sometimes available for renting for such purposes as weddings, business trips or as a vacation getaway.
Gallery
File:Couchwood Historic District, Little Pine Bluff.JPG , Little Pine Bluff, Vaughn 2016
File:Couchwood Historic District, Magnolia Railroad Car.JPG , Magnolia Railroad Car, Vaughn 2016
File:Couchwood Historic District, Remmelwood.JPG , Remmelwood, Vaughn 2016
See also
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References
External links
CouchwoodEncyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture: Couchwood Historic District
Buildings and structures completed in 1939
Houses in Garland County, Arkansas
Houses in Hot Spring County, Arkansas
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Arkansas
National Register of Historic Places in Garland County, Arkansas
Rustic architecture in Arkansas
1939 establishments in Arkansas
Outdoor sculptures in Arkansas
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