Tag Archives: Downtown Little Rock

Memorial Day: Visit Mount Holly

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mthollyToday is Memorial Day – a time to pay tribute to the men and women in uniform who died in service to their country.

As a way to give this recognition, today would be a good day to visit a cemetery. One of Little Rock’s most storied cemeteries is Mt. Holly Cemetery. There are veterans from all wars: Revolutionary, War of 1812, Mexican, Civil War, Spanish-American, World War I and II, Korean, Vietnam and Desert Storm.

Founded in 1843, Mount Holly has been called “The Westminster Abbey of Arkansas.” Thousands of visitors come each year. Those interested in history come to see the resting places of the territorial citizens of the state, including governors, senators, generals, black artisans, and even a Cherokee princess. For others the cemetery is an open air museum of artistic eras: Classical, Victorian, Art Deco, Modern––expressed in gravestone styles from simple to elaborate. Some come to read the epitaphs that range from heartbreaking to humorous to mysterious. The cemetery is maintained by the Mount Holly Cemetery Association, a non-profit organization with a volunteer Board of Directors. The cemetery is located at 1200 South Broadway in Little Rock, Arkansas. Gates are open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the summer and from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the winter.

Interred within the rock walls of Mount Holly are 11 state governors, 15 state Supreme Court justices, four Confederate generals, seven United States senators and 22 Little Rock mayors, two Pulitzer Prize recipients, as well as doctors, attorneys, prominent families and military heroes.

Sunday Food Trucks at LR Film Festival

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IMG_5408Along with an amazing line-up of films, music and parties at the 7th Annual Little Rock Film Festival this year, the LRFF in association with FOOD XING has a mouth watering line-up of Little Rock’s finest mobile eateries (a.k.a. FOOD TRUCKS!) open and available from during the festival weekend Friday  through Sunday -10:30 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Take your pick from a variety of options as you stroll down downtown Little Rock this year, while waiting on your next screening/event or are simply just hungry and want a taste of Little Rock’s finest. Eat you heart away!

Sunday, May 19 at 6th and Main at the BEST Day Parking lot (across from The Rep). Open from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

1. Blackhound BBQ– pit smoked meats and sides, turkey legs, lemonade, sausage sandwiches

2. Bryant’s BBQ– fresh cut fries, smoked pork and beef, jerk chicken and Cajun beans and rice, hand squeezed lemonade

3. Trott’s Place– burgers, gizzards, wings and fries

4. Roxie’s Hot Dogs– hot dogs, nacho’s and Frito pies

Some of the vendors will stay from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Saturday Food Trucks at LR Film Festival

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lrff_mp_hdr_logoAlong with an amazing line-up of films, music and parties at the 7th Annual Little Rock Film Festival this year, the LRFF in association with FOOD XING has a mouth watering line-up of Little Rock’s finest mobile eateries (a.k.a. FOOD TRUCKS!) open and available from during the festival weekend Friday  through Sunday -10:30 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Take your pick from a variety of options as you stroll down downtown Little Rock this year, while waiting on your next screening/event or are simply just hungry and want a taste of Little Rock’s finest. Eat you heart away!

Saturday, May 18 at 6th and Main at the BEST Day Parking lot (across from The Rep). Open from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

1. The Food Commander– catfish straws, boneless chicken wings, slaw burgers and dogs, crawfish etouffee, fried noodles, homemade fried pies

2. The Southern Gourmasian– shrimp and grits, steamed buns

3. Haygood’s BBQ– pulled pork and chopped beef sandwiches, BBQ ribs, baked beans, potato salad, turkey legs

4. KBird– garden rolls with peanut sauce, papaya salad, pad Thai (chicken/tofu), fried rice (pork/chicken/tofu), vegetable red curry with fried egg, red curry beef, green curry salmon, fresh mango & coconut sticky rice

5. Red River Catering– BBQ Nachos, catfish basket, BBQ sandwich, fried pies

6. Mexicana Alicia’s– tacos, tostadas, fajitas, burritos and quesadillas

7. Kona Ice– savor your OWN flavor! Make your own shave ice flavor.

8. LePops– gourmet popsicles

Some of the vendors will stay from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m

May 16 Architeaser: Mosaic Templars Cultural Center

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IMG_5421As part of Arkansas Heritage Month, today’s Architeaser focuses on the cornice over the entrance to the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.

The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center began as a dream by community leaders who had grown up attending events at the Mosaic Templars of American National Grand Temple. This had been a centerpiece of African American life not just for Little Rock but for the mid-south.

In 1992, the building was slated for demolition so that a fast-food restaurant could be built on the lot. In late 1993, the City of Little Rock purchased the building for $110,000  to save it from demolition as organizers were raising funds for the restoration.  In 2001, the City transferred ownership to the State of Arkansas for the establishment of the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.

Originally, the Center planned to restore the 1913 Mosaic Templars of America National Grand Temple, but the original building was destroyed by fire in March 2005. The new 35,000 square feet interior is a state-of-the-art museum complex with exhibits, classroom, staff offices, and an Auditorium that seats 400 people. The façade of the new structure is a facsimile of the 1913 building complete with the Annex building façade, which burned in 1984.

The cornice which is featured today is a copy of the original cornice.  The original cornice, as well as the cornerstone, are some of the few things which survived the 2005 fire.  The original cornice is on display.

A museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center is dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting, and celebrating African American history, culture and community in Arkansas from 1870 to the present, and informs and educates the public about black achievements – especially in business, politics and the arts.

Through special events, education programs, ongoing research and exhibits such as the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, the museum celebrates Arkansas’s African American heritage. Tours of the museum provide a detailed look at the history of African Americans in Little Rock and Arkansas.

 

RIP Picnic at Mount Holly This Evening

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MtHollyMount Holly Cemetery is like an aging, but gracious Southern lady. She is in need of ongoing maintenance! Funds raised at the picnic will help maintain this historic landmark. Visitors will walk in Little Rock’s historical footsteps at the 9th Annual Mount Holly Cemetery Picnic.  The Mt. Holly Committee calls this event Rest in Perpetuity. The Culture Vulture lovingly refers to it as Dining with the Dead.

Festivities will include:

  • Appetizers
  • Dinner
  • Wine
  • Turn of the century picnic “delicacies”
  • Live music by the Quapaw Brass Quintet
  • Silent auction of tours, elegant dinner parties and opportunities for exclusive events at Mount Holly Cemetery and many other items.

Guests will have the opportunity to join in a historic tour of the cemetery, featuring famous and infamous residents of Mount Holly Cemetery or guests can enjoy a naturalist tour!

You are invited to join us for a picnic on the grounds of Mount Holly Cemetery, 1200 South Broadway, Little Rock, Arkansas, on the last Sunday of April.

This is our annual fundraiser to raise funds to maintain this historic landmark.
Tickets are $75.00 for adults, $25.00 for children under 12.

Dating to 1843, but with grave sites that date much earlier, Mount Holly is a “living and breathing” historical treasure in the heart of Little Rock’s Historic District.

April 26 Architeaser

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IMG_4940In 1986, the main City Hall building and the former Central Fire Station building were renovated.  A new structure was built to link the two buildings.  The front facade of that structure of that structure is featured today.

The structure is basically an enclosed walkway to connect the two buildings.  Doing any more would have required extensive redesign since the two buildings have different levels for their stories.  The structure mimics the neo-classical style found in both the City Hall and Fire Station buildings without matching either of the original buildings.

With this construction, each of the buildings in the City Hall complex on the corner of Markham and Broadway is now connected.

This complex does not house all of the City offices downtown.  For three blocks to the west of City Hall, there are five other City buildings. In addition there are other City structures downtown and in a variety of locations.

April 16 Architeaser

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When Little Rock City Hall opened in April 1908, the eastern facade had a porch with two sets of double staircases going from the building to the street level.

Capping each staircase was a portico with a balcony atop.  Though these balconies were structurally sound for standing atop, they were not accessed through doorways. The only way to access them is to climb through a window.

By the 1930s, with development behind the building.  A driveway had been constructed around City Hall and going up alongside the building.  As part of this, the northern staircases were removed and the doorway changed into a window.  The southern stairways remain on the Broadway side of the building to this day.