Fayetteville Historic Square

Old Post Office

Old Post Office, located in the center of the Fayetteville Square
Location City Square, Fayetteville, Arkansas
Coordinates 36°3′44″N 94°9′35″W / 36.06222°N 94.15972°W / 36.06222; -94.15972Coordinates: 36°3′44″N 94°9′35″W / 36.06222°N 94.15972°W / 36.06222; -94.15972
Area less than one acre
Built 1911
Architect James Knox Taylor
Architectural style Classical Revival, Renaissance
NRHP Reference #

74000503

[1]
Added to NRHP August 27, 1974

The Fayetteville Historic Square (usually shortened to Fayetteville Square or just The Square), in Fayetteville, Arkansas, includes the original Fayetteville post office, the Old Bank of Fayetteville Building, the Lewis Brothers Building, the Mrs. Young Building, and the Guisinger Building. These buildings are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.[1] There are several more recent buildings located on the Square.

The historic district is defined by Center Street on the north, Mountain Street to the south, Block Avenue to the west and East Avenue to the east. The block within these one-way streets contains the Old Post Office, and formerly, the County Courthouse.

Old Post Office

The Old Post Office, built in 1911, is the centerpiece of the Historic Square. The lot contained the Washington County Courthouse until 1905, when a new structure was built 1½ blocks away.[2] The building has been renovated and now serves as office space and a startup hub.[3]

Old Bank of Fayetteville Building

Old Bank of Fayetteville Building

The Old Bank of Fayetteville Building, sometimes called the Eason Building, anchors the northwest corner of the Historic Square. Built in the Queen Anne and Romanesque revival styles, the building held the Bank of Fayetteville and First National Bank upon their merger in 1915.[3] The modern Bank of Fayetteville, located across the street in the Lewis Brothers Building, was founded in 1980, and has no affiliation to the Bank of Fayetteville of the 1915 merger.

Lewis Brothers Building

Waterfall in front of the northwest corner of the Old Post Office.
The Lewis Brothers Building currently holds the Main Branch of the Bank of Fayetteville.

The Lewis Brother Building located directly south of the Old Bank Of Fayetteville Building was constructed in 1908. Built in the Queen Anne and Classic revival styles, the building housed the Lewis Brothers Hardware Store from 1912.[3] The hardware store has since closed, and the building now contains the main branch of the modern Bank of Fayetteville ( founded circa 1980, and unaffiliated with the original Bank of Fayetteville ). The brick exterior of the building was filmed in the television program Evening Shade.

Mrs. Young Building

The Mrs. Young Building, built in the Italianate style in 1887, is one of the older building on the Square according to National Register of Historic Places information.[1]

Eponym

Mrs. Young and her husband came from Illinois in the 1870s. She was a photographer, and her husband was a travelling dental surgeon. She purchased a lot for a home in 1881. After receiving a divorce in 1883, Mrs. Young built a two-story studio on the town square in 1887. The second floor was home to her photography studio. The first floor was, at various times, a grocery and a bank. With the money from her business plus the rent, she was able to retire.[4]

Guisinger Building

The Guisinger Building is located in the southeast corner of the Fayetteville Historic Square. Built in 1886, the building consists of brick walls, a marble base, and pressed tin ceilings.[3] It was constructed by William Crenshaw, a Fayetteville native in the hardware business. Now housing a law firm, the building was recently remodeled.

Non-NRHP listed buildings on the Fayetteville Historic Square

The University of Arkansas Global Campus offices are located on the northeast corner of the square. The East Square Plaza constitutes the east side of the Square. The east half of the south edge of the Square hosts the Fayetteville Town Center. Constructed in 2001, the Town Center hosts weddings, business events, and various special events throughout the year. For events, the Town Center will close the Municipal Parking Garage for use by event patrons.

Two blocks west of the Square on Mountain Street is the Fayetteville Public Library (Blair Library). The LEED certified building was built in 2004 and named Library of the Year in 2005.[5]

Parking on the Square

Parking is free for any consecutive two hours within a four-hour time period, despite nearby Dickson Street's 2010 change to pay parking. Nearby pay lots are available for Square patrons who plan on staying over two hours.[6]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fayetteville Historic Square.

References

  1. 1 2 3 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ Tony, Wappel (2005). "History of the Historic Washington County Court House". Flashback. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Fayetteville City Plan 2025 – Appendix B, Historic Structures" (PDF). Flashback. 2010. p. B-2. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  4. ↑ Flashback (Volume 52, #1 ed.). Washington County Historical Society. 2002.
  5. ↑ "Fayetteville Public Library Earns National Award". Fayetteville Public Library. June 13, 2005. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Square Parking". The City of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
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