Walker, Vol, Library--University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Vol Walker Hall, completed in 1935 as the new University library, was hailed by University President John C. Futrall (1913-39) as "the most beautiful building in Arkansas."

Funding became available in January 1934, with loans and grants of $1,165,000 coming from the federal Public Works Administration (PWA) for the construction of the library and a science building (later named the Chemistry Building).

In March 1931, the architectural firm of Haralson and Nelson of Fort Smith, along with the consulting architects of Jamieson and Spearl of St. Louis, were employed to design the new library. President Futrall, Mr. Haralson, and others visited several new library buildings and selected one at the University of Rochester to generally follow in design. An agreement could not be reached between the architects and consulting architects about the exterior, however. At his own expense, President Futrall employed Gordon and Kaehler, architects for the Rochester library, to make drawings for the front elevation. This resulted in the Georgian (Colonial) front on this Classical Revival building that lives in harmony with the Collegiate Gothic of other nearby buildings.

At a Board of Trustees meeting on March 22, 1934, the new library was named the Vol Walker Memorial Library, in memory of James Volney "Vol" Walker who died December 20, 1933. Walker was an 1877 graduate of the University, a well-respected lawyer in Fayetteville, and a former member of the Arkansas Legislature. As a legislator, he successfully championed the cause to keep his Alma Mater in Fayetteville when the "removal" forces were working hard to move all or part of it to other locales.

First occupying the building on September 16, 1935, was the library, with offices of the president of the University in the southwest corner of the main level and the museum in the front wing of the basement. In 1950, a west outside entrance was made from the northwest hall of the main floor. In 1952, the museum moved from the basement of Vol Walker back to the fourth floor of Old Main.

When Mullins Library was completed in 1968 and the library moved there, the School of Architecture occupied the former library space in Vol Walker, except for the museum which began using the six-tiered stack area for storage. The name of the building was then changed to Vol Walker Hall. A year later, the offices of the president and other administrators were moved to the new Administration Building, and the dean’s offices of the College of Arts and Sciences were moved in. When the last renovation of Old Main was completed in 1991, the dean’s offices moved to Old Main and Vol Walker was occupied only by architecture and for museum storage. The museum moved from the stack area of Vol Walker in summer 2001.

Vol Walker Hall was accepted for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in September 1992 under the name Vol Walker Library.

Above text from (visit link)

Street address: University of Arkansas Campus Fayetteville, AR USA 72701 County / Borough / Parish: Washington County Year listed: 1992 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event Periods of significance: 1925-1949 Historic function: Education Current function: Education Privately owned?: no Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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