Category Archives: Architecture

Little Rock Look Back: Groundbreaking for Robinson Auditorium

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ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT photo of Mayor Overman, Mrs. Robinson and Mr. Allaire at the groundbreaking. The Broadway Bridge balustrades are visible in the background.

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT photo of Mayor Overman, Mrs. Robinson and Mr. Allaire at the groundbreaking. The Broadway Bridge balustrades are visible in the background.

On December 24, 1937, at 11:30 a.m., Little Rock Mayor R. E. Overman, Ewilda Gertrude Miller Robinson (the widow of Senator Joseph Taylor Robinson) and  Alexander Allaire of the PWA turned dirt to participate in the brief groundbreaking ceremony for Little Rock’s municipal auditorium.  That morning, the Arkansas Gazette ran a brief story on the upcoming groundbreaking.  The story mentioned that the building would be named in memory of the late beloved Arkansas politician.  This appears to be the first public pronouncement of the Robinson name for this civic structure.

Among others in attendance at the groundbreaking were Mrs. Charles Miller (sister-in-law of Mrs. Robinson), Mr. and Mrs. Grady Miller (brother and sister-in-law of Mrs. Robinson), the mayor’s wife, the three architects (George Wittenberg, Lawson Delony and Eugene John Stern), and D. H. Daugherty and Will Terry of the City’s Board of Public Affairs. 

Construction had to start by January 1, 1938, in order to receive PWA funds.  By breaking ground on December 24, there was over a week to spare.  The site had been selected in late October 1937, and the purchase had not been finalized.  But the PWA did give permission for the City to let a contract for excavation, demolition and filling on the site.

The groundbreaking took place at the corner of Garland and Spring Streets which was on the northeast corner of the block set aside for the auditorium.  Today, Spring Street does not extend north of Markham; the street was closed to make way for the parking structure and what is now the Doubletree Hotel.  Garland Street is basically an alley that runs parallel to Markham north of City Hall, Robinson Auditorium and the Doubletree Hotel.

Approximation of site of Robinson Auditorium groundbreaking

Approximation of site of Robinson Auditorium groundbreaking

As Part of Entergy Arkansas 100th Birthday, Downtown Bridges Officially Illuminated Tonight

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Arkansas River LightsEntergy Arkansas, the City of Little Rock, Pulaski County Facilities Board Authority, the William J. Clinton Foundation, the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, the City of North Little Rock and the Downtown Little Rock Partnership will be celebrating the official illumination of the Main Street, Junction and Clinton Presidential Park Bridges at First Security Amphitheater.

Event Schedule:

5:00-6:00 PM      Entertainment by the Natural State Brass Band

6:00-6:20 PM      Official Event – Opening remarks followed by the flipping of the switches and the illumination of all three bridges with a festive light show (bridges will remain illuminated)

Following              Entertainment by the Big Dam Horns

8:00 PM                 Event Ends

Ottenheimer Market Hall will be open for this event, so food and beverages will be available. This is a public event and all who want to attend and participate in this historic event will be welcomed – it is sure to be great fun, and an exciting day in our city’s history.

This once-in-a-lifetime event is made possible by a $2 million gift by Entergy Arkansas as part of its 100th anniversary in Arkansas, as well as support from the William J. Clinton Foundation, the Pulaski County Bridge Authority, Philips Lighting, Koontz Electric, the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau and the North Little Rock Visitors Bureau. Total project cost is $2.4 million.

According to James Jones of Entergy Arkansas:

Entergy Arkansas has much for which to be thankful, and much to celebrate. A century in business is a rare achievement, and we appreciate the opportunity to have been a part of Arkansas’ history since 1913. The utility industry and Arkansas have come a long way in 100 years, and Entergy Arkansas is proud to have played a part in “Helping Build Arkansas,” a phrase founder Harvey Couch said often.

Architecture and Design Network presents HIGHLIGHTING HILLCREST: History, Architecture and a Sense of Community

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HillcrestThe monthly Architecture and Design Network lecture takes place tonight. This month’s topic is “HIGHLIGHTING HILLCREST: History, Architecture and a Sense of Community.”  The program begins at 6pm at the Arkansas Arts Center following a 5:30pm reception.

In 1891 two young  Michigan attorneys purchased 800 acres of land northwest of the city of Little Rock. Within a year, ten blocks were platted on a section of that acreage by the Pulaski Heights Land Company. Other suburban developments, including Hillcrest, followed.

A diversity of housing styles prevailed in those turn-of-the-century neighborhoods. A generous sampling of the area’s homes, including Colonial Revival and Craftsman style dwellings as well as vernacular  “pyramid cottages”, survive. Hillcrest’s historic housing stock includes  a variety of architecturally significant structures, built between 1893-1940. All are part of the Historic Hillcrest District, an area of the city listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The story of Hillcrest, a popular Little Rock neighborhood, distinguished by its history, its architecture and its unrivaled  community spirit, will be explored by Rachel Silva, Preservation Outreach Coordinator for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Tommy Jameson, an architect whose firm focuses on the restoration, rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of historic buildings, and Jim McKenzie, executive director of Metroplan and a  founder of the Hillcrest Residents  Association.

While demographics may provide information about an area’s population and its proclivities, it is the mindset of people who live in a particular section of town that determines the parameters, both social and physical, of a neighborhood.

Supporters of the Architecture and Design Network include the Arkansas Arts Center, the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture and the Central Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Festivus 2013

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QQAAn organization dedicated to historic preservation continues to make history by hosting the third ever official Festivus party in Little Rock.

Festivus is a festival for the best of us.

Festivus attendees will not be required to perform feats of strength, air grievances or decorate the pole.  All they will be required to do is have a fun time and enjoy the opportunity to bid on great auction items.

When: Tuesday, December 10 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Where: Arkansas Governor’s Mansion

Tickets are $50 at the door.  QQA memberships are also available at the door.  The price includes food and open bar.

Proceeds benefit the preservation programs of the Quapaw Quarter Association.

Architect Eric Höweler to Present Lecture on November 12th in Little Rock

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Howeler_November_12thc713d7Eric Höweler will present a lecture titled FAIL FAST on Tuesday, November 12th at the Arkansas Arts Center at 6 p.m., in the Center’s lecture hall, following a 5:30 p.m. reception. His talk is free and open to the public. Asked about the title he chose for his lecture, Höweler said FAIL FAST was part of a longer phrase, “Launch early, fail fast, iterate”, which, he believes, could easily serve as his firm’s motto.

Born in Cali, Colombia, Höweler (AIA, LEED AP) received a Bachelor of Architecture and a Masters of Architecture from Cornell University. He is currently an assistant professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and principal at Höweler + Yoon Architecture/MY Studio in Boston.

Prior to forming Höweler + Yoon Architecture, a multidisciplinary practice, operating in the space between architecture, art, and landscape, he was a senior designer at Diller + Scofidio and an associate principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. He is the co-author of Expanded Practice, Höweler + Yoon Architecture/MY Studio (Princeton Architectural Press 2009) and author of Skyscraper: Vertical Now (Rizzoli/Universe Publishers in 2003).

Awarded the Audi Urban Future Award in 2012, the Architecture League’s Emerging Voices award and Architectural Record’s Design Vanguard in 2007 for its efforts, the firm has participated in numerous exhibitions. Among their venues are the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston), the Institut Valencia d’Art Modern, the Museum of Arts and Design (New York), and the National Art Center (Tokyo). Höweler has lectured both nationally and internationally.

The Art of Architecture lecture series is sponsored by the Architecture and Design Network, a nonprofit organization. Supporters include the Central Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Arkansas Arts Center and the Fay Jones School of Architecture. For additional information, contact ardenetwork@icloud.com.

Fright Night at the Museum

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frightTonight there is a chance to spend Halloween at one of Little Rock’s historic sites.

The 1836 Club presents Fright at the Museum on Thursday, October 31st from 7 to 10 p.m. This 21 and up party will be held at the Old State House Museum. Costumes are optional but encouraged. Dinner, drinks and live music will be provided.

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $40/person at oldstatehouse.com/RSVP. For more information call (501) 324-8647. The 1836 Club is a non-profit friends group that supports the Old State House Museum.

Some over the years have claimed that the Old State House is haunted, though staff have dismissed this.  The ghosts have been alleged to have been Rep. J. J. Anthony who was stabbed in a fight there, Speaker of the House John Wilson who killed Anthony, or even Joseph Brooks who made a claim to be governor of the state and was removed from office after President Grant intervened.  This building has also been a site of the University of Arkansas med school, which brings about its whole other set of options.

While the building may not be haunted, it is historic.  And will certainly be the site of a fun evening.

New theater in Arcade Building to be named for Ron Robinson

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Ron Robinson TheaterLast week the Central Arkansas Library System announced that the new theater in the Arcade Building would be named in honor of Ron Robinson.

If Arkansas was included in a piece of music or a film, Ron Robinson wanted it represented in his collection. The Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) will house and begin to catalog Robinson’s vast collection of sheet music, film posters, and other memorabilia connecting those industries with Arkansas’s history and culture.

The Ron Robinson Theater in the Arcade Building on the Main Library campus, the newest performance space in the River Market district will bear Robinson’s name. Programming in the 325-seat multi-purpose event venue will be designed for all ages and will include films, music performances, plays, readings, lectures, speakers, and children’s activities. Equipped with a state-of-the-art projection system for films and a separate sound system for spoken word and music, the theater will receive the highest rating from the Digital Cinema Institute.

The Ron Robinson Collection includes a large number of pieces of sheet music of songs about Arkansas or with the state’s name in the song’s title, containing everything from Tin Pan Alley tunes describing the state to hits by Arkansas musicians such as Patsy Montana and the Browns to would-be state songs. The collection also includes a number of vintage recordings-including Edison disks of the “Arkansas Traveler”-and other materials depicting the state’s music. It will include Robinson’s huge collection of Arkansas-related movie posters, from which the Butler Center co-produced with him an exhibition last year called “Ark in the Dark,” as well as a vast number of pieces of Arkansas political memorabilia.

A native of Little Rock, Robinson has been an avid collector of all things Arkansas for the past fifty years. He is past chairman and chief executive officer of Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods, a full-service advertising, marketing, and public relations firm. He has served on numerous boards and committees including the Friends of Central Arkansas Libraries (FOCAL), Arthritis Foundation, United Way,American Red Cross Public Information Committee, Arkansas Arts Center, and Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Other organizations using the theater space include the Clinton School for Public Service and the Little Rock Film Festival. As with other CALS meeting space, the theater may be used by the public, based on availability.

Little Rock voters approved a bond issue in 2012 that provided funding for the Arcade Building. Through a public-private partnership between CALS, Clinton-Commerce LLC (which includes Moses Tucker Real Estate), and Monroe Cache, retail stores, offices, and a restaurant will fill the Arcade Building, a three-story, 60,000 square foot structure.