The Governor's Mansion Historic District is a
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
covering a large historic neighborhood of
Little Rock, Arkansas
(The Little Rock, The "Little Rock")
, government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager
, leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_ ...
. It 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 ...
in 1978 and its borders were increased in 1988 and again in 2002. The district is notable for the large number of well-preserved late 19th and early 20th-century houses, and includes a major cross-section of residential architecture designed by the noted Little Rock architect
Charles L. Thompson
Charles L. Thompson and associates is an architectural group that was established in Arkansas since the late 1800s. It is now known as Cromwell Architects Engineers, Inc.. This article is about Thompson and associates' work as part of one ...
. It is the oldest city neighborhood to retain its residential character.
[NRHP nomination for Governor's Mansion Historic District (1988 enlargement); available by request from Arkansas Preservation]
Description and history
The district is located south of Little Rock's central business district, in an area that was, until 1869, a country estate. The area was heavily developed between 1880 and 1940. It includes a number of high quality Queen Anne Victorians, including the
Hornibrook House, a particularly fine example of the style in brick. One of the city's finest examples of Colonial Revival architecture, the
Hotze House, stands at 1619 S. Louisiana Street. The Craftsman style is the best represented of the period styles in the district, with more than 92 houses, most two-story brick structures built in a modest scale. The district includes five historically significant churches, out of ten within its bounds.
[
When the district was first listed in 1978, the district covered a area bounded by the ]Arkansas Governor's Mansion
The Arkansas Governor's Mansion is the official residence of the governor of Arkansas and Arkansas' first family. The mansion is located at 1800 Center Street in Little Rock, and is included in the Governor's Mansion Historic District, a distric ...
grounds, 13th, Center, Gaines, and 18th Streets. However, there was concern over the scope of this listing, and the city later performed a detailed survey of a much larger area. This resulted in a significant expansion of the district in 1988, adding and including 473 contributing buildings, roughly bounded by Louisiana St., Twenty-Third St. & Roosevelt Rd., Chester and State Sts., & Thirteenth & Twelfth Sts.[ It has since had smaller amendments and enlargements in 1993, 1996, 1999, and 2002. The 2002 increase added 12 contributing buildings in a area located roughly along Louisiana Ave., from W. 23rd St. and 24th St.
Facade_in_Historic_District_Near_Governor%27s_Mansion_-_Little_Rock_-_Arkansas_-_USA_-_01.jpg, Building facade in historic district
Outside the Gates of Governor's Mansion - Little Rock - Arkansas - USA.jpg, Outside the Gates of Governor's Mansion - Little Rock - Arkansas - USA
]
See also
*
References
{{National Register of Historic Places
Queen Anne architecture in Arkansas
Colonial Revival architecture in Arkansas
Victorian architecture in Arkansas
Houses in Little Rock, Arkansas
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Arkansas
National Register of Historic Places in Little Rock, Arkansas