List of National Historic Landmarks in Arkansas
Encyclopedia
The National Historic Landmarks in Arkansas represent Arkansas's history
from the Louisiana Purchase
through the Civil War
and the Civil Rights Movement. It contains the landmarks designated by the U.S. Federal Government for the U.S. state
of Arkansas
. There are 16 National Historic Landmark
s (NHLs) in Arkansas. Another NHL was formerly listed in the state but was moved to Oakland, California
.
This page includes a list of National Park Service
-administered historic areas in Arkansas.
s in Arkansas.
, and certain other areas listed in the National Park system are historic landmarks of national importance that are highly protected already, often before the inauguration of the NHL program in 1960, and are then often not also named NHLs per se. There are four of these in Arkansas. The National Park Service lists these four together with the NHLs in the state, The Arkansas Post National Memorial
, the Fort Smith National Historic Site
(shared with Oklahoma) and the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site are also NHLs and are listed above. The remaining one is:
Other National Park Service-administered areas in Arkansas are the Buffalo National River
and the Hot Springs National Park
(not historic per se but which includes Bathhouse Row
, an NHL listed above).
History of Arkansas
Arkansas was the 25th state admitted to the United States.-Exploration and early inhabitation:Indigenous peoples inhabited the area now known as Arkansas for thousands of years before the first European explorers....
from the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
through the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and the Civil Rights Movement. It contains the landmarks designated by the U.S. Federal Government for the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. There are 16 National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
s (NHLs) in Arkansas. Another NHL was formerly listed in the state but was moved to Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
.
This page includes a list of National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
-administered historic areas in Arkansas.
National Historic Landmarks in Arkansas
This is a complete list of the 16 National Historic LandmarkNational Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
s in Arkansas.
| Landmark name | Image | Date desig. | Locality |
County | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Post Arkansas Post National Memorial Arkansas Post National Memorial, located about 8 miles southeast of Gillett, Arkansas, commemorates key events related to European-American history that occurred on site and in the vicinity: the trading post was the first successful French settlement in the Lower Mississippi River Valley ; site... |
image pending | Gillett Gillett, Arkansas Gillett is a city in Arkansas County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 819 at the 2000 census. Gillett is the home of the annual Gillett Coon Supper. The Arkansas Post National Memorial is located southeast of the town.... 34.01907°N 91.34835°W |
Arkansas Arkansas County, Arkansas Arkansas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,019. The county has two county seats, De Witt and Stuttgart... |
Commemorates the first semi-permanent European settlement in the Lower Mississippi Valley (1686); an American Revolutionary War skirmish (1783); the first territorial capital of Arkansas (1819–1821); and the American Civil War Battle of Fort Hindman (1863) | ||
| Bathhouse Row Bathhouse Row Bathhouse Row is a collection of bathhouses, associated buildings, and gardens located at Hot Springs National Park in the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas... |
 |
Hot Springs Hot Springs, Arkansas Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County... 34.51212°N 93.05361°W |
Garland | In Hot Springs National Park Hot Springs National Park Established from Hot Springs Reservation, Hot Springs National Park is a United States National Park in central Arkansas adjacent to the city of Hot Springs. Hot Springs Reservation was initially created by an act of the United States Congress on April 20, 1832, and the area was made a national... ; largest collection of bathhouses in the United States; remains of the only federally-run spa |
||
| Beginning Point of the Louisiana Purchase Survey Louisiana Purchase State Park Louisiana Purchase State Park, in Arkansas near Blackton, Arkansas, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993 under the title Beginning Point of the Louisiana Purchase Survey., It is the point from which the lands acquired through the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 were subsequently surveyed. A... |
image pending | Blackton Blackton, Arkansas Blackton is an unincorporated community in Monroe County, Arkansas, United States. It is near Louisiana Purchase State Park.... 34.64489°N 91.05139°W |
Lee - Monroe Monroe County, Arkansas Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population is 8,149. The county seat is Clarendon, while its largest city is Brinkley... - Phillips border |
Point from which the lands acquired through the Louisiana Purchase Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S... of 1803 were subsequently surveyed |
||
| Camden Expedition Sites Camden Expedition Sites Camden Expedition Sites is a National Historic Landmark consisting of eight historic sites where events of the Civil War's Camden Expedition occurred... |
 |
8 or 9 sites | several counties | Camden Expedition Camden Expedition The Camden Expedition was a military campaign in southern and central Arkansas during the American Civil War. It involved Union forces stationed at Little Rock and Fort Smith under the command of Major General Frederick Steele... Civil War battle sites:
|
||
| Centennial Baptist Church Centennial Baptist Church Centennial Baptist Church, in Helena, Arkansas, is significant for its 1905-1922 association with Elias Camp Morris, who was the pastor of the church from 1879 and who was a leader of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc... |
image pending | Helena-West Helena Helena-West Helena, Arkansas Helena-West Helena is the county seat of and the largest city within Phillips County, Arkansas, United States. The current city represents a consolidation, effective on January 1, 2006, of the two Arkansas cities of Helena and West Helena. West Helena is located on the western side of Crowley's... |
Phillips | Where Elias Camp Morris preached, unofficial headquarters for National Baptist Convention | ||
| Daisy Bates House Daisy Bates House The Daisy Bates House, in Little Rock, Arkansas, is significant for its use as a command post for those working to desegregrate the Little Rock Central High School during the desegregation crisis of 1957-1958. It was a sanctuary for the nine students involved.... |
image pending | Little Rock Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census... |
Pulaski | Supporting site for desegregation of Little Rock Central High School | ||
| Eaker Site Eaker Site Eaker Site is an archaeological site on Eaker Air Force Base near Blytheville, Arkansas that was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1996.... |
Blytheville Blytheville, Arkansas Blytheville is the largest city in and one of the two county seats of Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 15,620 at the 2010 census.... |
Mississippi | Archaeological site; shows evidence of pre-historic Nodena populations and also Quapaw occupation | |||
| Fort Smith Fort Smith National Historic Site Fort Smith National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located primarily in Fort Smith, Arkansas along the Arkansas River, and also along the opposite bank of the river near Moffett, Oklahoma.... |
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Fort Smith Fort Smith, Arkansas Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas... 35°20′36"N 94°25′22"W |
Sebastian | Protects the remains of two 19th-century U.S. military forts and the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas. | ||
| Joseph Taylor Robinson House Joseph Taylor Robinson House Joseph Taylor Robinson House, in Little Rock, Arkansas was the home of Arkansas governor and U.S. Senator Joseph Taylor Robinson during 1930-1937, the period of his greatest influence.The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994.,,... |
image pending | Little Rock Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census... |
Pulaski | Home of influential Arkansas governor and U.S. senator | ||
| Little Rock Central High School |  |
Little Rock Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census... 34.73775°N 92.29775°W |
Pulaski | Focal point of the Little Rock Integration Crisis of 1957 | ||
| Menard-Hodges Site Menard-Hodges Site The Menard-Hodges Site , is an archaeological site in Arkansas. It includes two large mounds as well as several house mounds. It is the type site for the Menard phase, a protohistoric Mississippian culture group. It is considered as a possible candidate for the Province of Anilco encountered by the... |
image pending | Nady Nady, Arkansas Nady is an unincorporated location in Arkansas County, Arkansas, United States. It is the location of a National Historic Landmark, the Menard-Hodges Site.-See also:*List of National Historic Landmarks in Arkansas... |
Arkansas Arkansas County, Arkansas Arkansas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,019. The county has two county seats, De Witt and Stuttgart... |
Site includes two large mounds and several house mounds. | ||
| Nodena Site Nodena Site The Nodena Site is an archeological site east of Wilson, Arkansas and northeast of Reverie, Tennessee in Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. Around 1400–1650 CE an aboriginal palisaded village existed in the Nodena area on a meander bend of the Mississippi River. The Nodena site... |
Wilson Wilson, Arkansas Wilson is a town in Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 939 at the 2000 census.The town was named after Robert E. Lee Wilson, a landowner and logging business owner in the area in the late 19th century.... |
Mississippi | Located on Nodena Plantation; type site for an important Late Mississippian cultural component, the Nodena phase; date from about 1400-1700 AD; first excavations in 1897. | |||
| Old State House, Little Rock Old State House (Little Rock) The Old State House is a historic building in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. It is the oldest surviving state capitol building west of the Mississippi River. It is known best as the site of President Bill Clinton's election night celebration in 1992.... |
.jpg) |
Little Rock Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census... 34.74856°N 92.27333°W |
Pulaski | Oldest surviving state capitol building west of the Mississippi River. | ||
| Parkin Indian Mound Parkin Archeological State Park Parkin Archeological State Park, also known as Parkin Indian Mound, is an archeological site and state park in Parkin, Cross County, Arkansas. Around 1350–1650 CE an aboriginal palisaded village existed at the site, at the confluence of the St. Francis and Tyronza Rivers. Artifacts from this... |
Parkin Parkin, Arkansas Parkin is a city in Cross County, Arkansas, in the United States, along the St. Francis River. The population was 1,602 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Parkin is located at .... 35°16′37.4"N 90°33′16.5"W |
Cross | A Late Mississippian and protohistoric palisaded village with one mound; may be the town of Casqui Casqui Casqui was a Native American tribe discovered in 1541 by the Hernando de Soto expedition. This tribe inhabited fortified villages in eastern Arkansas.... mentioned by 16th century Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (explorer) Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who, while leading the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day United States, was the first European documented to have crossed the Mississippi River.... . |
|||
| Rohwer Relocation Center Cemetery Rohwer War Relocation Center The Rohwer War Relocation Center was a World War II Japanese American internment camp located in rural southeastern Arkansas, in Desha County. It was in operation from September 18, 1942 until November 30, 1944, and held as many as 8,475 Japanese Americans forcibly evacuated from California... |
 |
Rohwer Rohwer, Arkansas Rohwer, Arkansas is an unincorporated community in Desha County, Arkansas, United States. The community is located on Arkansas Highway 1. The area was a Japanese internment camp during World War II, and is now the site of the Rohwer War Relocation Center.... 33.76456°N 91.28016°W |
Desha Desha County, Arkansas Desha County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,008. The county seat is Arkansas City. Desha County is Arkansas's 40th county, formed on December 12, 1838, and named for Captain Benjamin Desha who fought in the War of... |
Site of a World War II Japanese American internment camp | ||
| Toltec Mounds Site Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park , also known as Knapp Mounds, Toltec Mounds Site or Toltec Mounds, is an archaeological site from the Late Woodland period in Arkansas that protects an 18-mound complex with the tallest surviving prehistoric mounds in Arkansas. The site is on the banks of... |
 |
Scott Scott, Arkansas Scott is a census-designated place in Lonoke and Pulaski counties in the central part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The population was 72 at the 2010 census... 34°38′49"N 92°03′55"W |
Lonoke | One of the most significant remnants of Native American life in the state. | ||
| Table notes: see below. | ||||||
Former National Historic Landmarks in Arkansas
| Landmark name | Image | Date desig. | Locality | County | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USS HOGA (Tug) USS Hoga (YT-146) The USS Hoga was a United States Navy yard tug named after the Sioux Indian word for "fish." After World War II, the tug was known as the Port of Oakland and then the City of Oakland when it was a fireboat in that city.... |
 |
North Little Rock North Little Rock, Arkansas the city was 62.55% White, 33.98% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.18% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races... |
Pulaski | Tugboat; at Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet... fought ship fires and helped push sinking USS Nevada USS Nevada (BB-36) USS Nevada , the second United States Navy ship to be named after the 36th state, was the lead ship of the two Nevada-class battleships; her sister ship was... out of the ship channel; served Oakland harbor for many years; The vessel was transferred to the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum (AIMM) in 2005 and was scheduled to be moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas in 2007. The move has been delayed by damage from Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall... along the proposed tow route to AIMM and transport costs. As of November 2009, the vessel was moored at Suisun Bay Suisun Bay Suisun Bay is a shallow tidal estuary at in northern California, USA. It lies at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, forming the entrance to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, an inverted river delta... , California. |
Historic areas administered by the National Park Service
National Historic Sites, National Historical Parks, National MonumentsU.S. National Monument
A National Monument in the United States is a protected area that is similar to a National Park except that the President of the United States can quickly declare an area of the United States to be a National Monument without the approval of Congress. National monuments receive less funding and...
, and certain other areas listed in the National Park system are historic landmarks of national importance that are highly protected already, often before the inauguration of the NHL program in 1960, and are then often not also named NHLs per se. There are four of these in Arkansas. The National Park Service lists these four together with the NHLs in the state, The Arkansas Post National Memorial
Arkansas Post National Memorial
Arkansas Post National Memorial, located about 8 miles southeast of Gillett, Arkansas, commemorates key events related to European-American history that occurred on site and in the vicinity: the trading post was the first successful French settlement in the Lower Mississippi River Valley ; site...
, the Fort Smith National Historic Site
Fort Smith National Historic Site
Fort Smith National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located primarily in Fort Smith, Arkansas along the Arkansas River, and also along the opposite bank of the river near Moffett, Oklahoma....
(shared with Oklahoma) and the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site are also NHLs and are listed above. The remaining one is:
| Landmark name |
Image | Date established | Location | County | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pea Ridge National Military Park Pea Ridge National Military Park Pea Ridge National Military Park is a United States National Military Park located in extreme northwestern Arkansas near the Missouri border. The park protects the site of the American Civil War Battle of Pea Ridge which was fought March 7 and March 8, 1862... |
20 July 1956 | Pea Ridge Pea Ridge, Arkansas Pea Ridge is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The name Pea Ridge comes from a combination of the physical location of the original settlement of the town, across the crest of an Ozark Mountains ridge, and for the hog peanuts or turkey peas that had been originally cultivated by... |
Benton Benton County, Arkansas Benton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, the population was 153,406. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 population is 221,339. The county seat is Bentonville. Benton County was formed on 30 September 1836 and was named after Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S... |
Site of Battle of Pea Ridge Battle of Pea Ridge The Battle of Pea Ridge was a land battle of the American Civil War, fought on March 6–8, 1862, at Pea Ridge in northwest Arkansas, near Garfield. In the battle, Union forces led by Brig. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis defeated Confederate troops under Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn. The outcome of the... , March 7 and 8, 1862, a Union victory in the American Civil War American Civil War The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25... |
Other National Park Service-administered areas in Arkansas are the Buffalo National River
Buffalo National River
The Buffalo River, located in northern Arkansas, was the first National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River is slightly more than in length, with the lower flowing within the boundaries of an area managed by the National Park Service, where it is designated the '. The...
and the Hot Springs National Park
Hot Springs National Park
Established from Hot Springs Reservation, Hot Springs National Park is a United States National Park in central Arkansas adjacent to the city of Hot Springs. Hot Springs Reservation was initially created by an act of the United States Congress on April 20, 1832, and the area was made a national...
(not historic per se but which includes Bathhouse Row
Bathhouse Row
Bathhouse Row is a collection of bathhouses, associated buildings, and gardens located at Hot Springs National Park in the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas...
, an NHL listed above).
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Arkansas
- List of National Historic Landmarks by state