Construction of Curran Hall began in 1842. The home was a wedding gift from Colonel Ebenezer Walter, to his wife Mary Starbuck. She unfortunately passed before the home was completed. The home would then be sold the home to James M. Curran in 1849. The home remained with the Currans until 1881, and Mary Curtis Bell, daughter of William E. Woodruff, in 1884. The home stayed in the Bell family until 1997, when local preservationists and the City of Little Rock joined forces to save it. The home was restored through this partnership to its original glory as a Greek Revival, and today serves as Little Rock’s Visitor Information Center.

The history of construction for this home is unknown, beyond that it was likely constructed before 1896. The primary owner after its construction, throughout the 1890s and early 1900s was Frank Carl, a businessman. The structure then had various owners from 1912- 1922 and was divided up as a rental property from 1922-1935. The home was officially the Broadway Apartments from 1935 to 1975 and became commercial property after that until the Miller family purchased the home for rehabilitation. The home is now a single family home once again and has been restored with historically appropriate details.

The Haile family, Andrew J. and his mother Annie, likely constructed the cottage in the late 1880s. This home appears to have been built as a rental property. The Haile Cottage did not remain under the ownership of the Haile family for long. It changed hands many times throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Throughout the early 1900s, there were several additions on the east and west sides of the home. There was also a second story added. It was not until 1989 that the home would be purchased to be restored to its original beauty.Carl Miller, Jr. purchased the home for restoration. When the home was purchased, it had seen years of deterioration and overall neglect. Miller’s rehabilitation restored the Haile Cottage to its original Folk Victorian charm.

CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 1941

509 Scott Street

In 1839, Leonidas Polk helped organize Christ Episcopal church in Senator Chester Ashley’s home. It was named after Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia, of which several of the group had been members. Bishop Polk arranged to buy property at the church’s present location, 5th & Scott Streets, in 1840. In 1846 the first church building was opened. By 1873, that building had been destroyed by fire. By 1887 the funds had been raised and a new building was opened. In 1938, before an unveiling of a new interior, this building burned as well. Plans were again drawn for a new church, this time in a neo-gothic style, with the exterior of Arkansas stone rather than the red brick of the former church. In September of 1941 the current building was opened. Guided tours of Christ Episcopal Church will begin at the front door and take place at 2, 3, and 4 p.m.

FIREHOUSE HOSTEL AND MUSEUM, ca. 1917

1201 Commerce Street

Little Rock Fire Station no. 2 is one of the most visible and well known landmarks in the MacArthur Park Historic District. The firehouse was opened in 1917 after moving from its Main Street location to the western end of City Park, now known as 1201 S. Commerce. The fire station, as seen today, is definitively Craftsman. Originally it featured a large porch and had some Spanish Revival elements as well. In 1959 the station was closed when a new station opened on 9th street. The building has served as a meeting location for clubs and organizations in the community, and has been managed by the City of Little Rock since the late 1990s. In 2006 Hosteling Arkansas, Inc. began plans to turn the firehouse into a hostel and museum. It is set to open later this year.

HERRON HORTON OFFICE/STUDIO/RESIDENCE, 2008

1219 South Spring Street

Architects Jennifer Herron and Jeff Horton designed and built their 2008 office and art studio as a separate structure beside the home they designed and built at the same time for their family of four. The two energy efficient structures are joined through a passageway and transition space that connects home to work and work back to home. As infill in an historic neighborhood at a point where residential begins to transition to commercial, the Herron Horton office/studio and residence offers a thoughtful and elegant counterpoint to the older homes and commercial businesses surrounding them.