Marble Hall -- West Garrison Ave. Historic District -- Fort Smith AR
N 35° 23.340 W 094° 25.647
15S E 370357 N 3917118
The Marble Hall building is the oldest building on Garrison Avenue. It is listed as a contributing building to the West Garrison Ave. Historic District on the US National Register of Historic Places.
Waymark Code: WMN7RK
Location: Arkansas, United States
Date Posted: 01/14/2015
Views: 2
Marble Hall (built 1859) is the oldest building on Garrison Avenue in Fort Smith.
It is listed as a contributing building to the West Garrison Ave. Historic District on the US National Register of Historic Places in downtown Fort Smith AR.
Today it is the home of the Fort Smith Junior League.
The district nomination form can be found through the Preservation Arkansas website here: (
visit link)
“Significant Buildings:
Marble Hall, 311 Garrison, 1859, two stories, solid cut native stone built by E. B. Bright (Oldest building on Avenue)."
A city historic marker across the street reads as follows:
MARBLE HALL IN 1863
Marble Hall, the oldest building on Garrison Avenue, was built in 1859 by Ethelbert Britton Bright. Judging from the surviving newspaper ads, his mercantile store held the very wonders of the world, steadily supplied by steamboats docking at the foot of Garrison. The son of a missionary to the Osage tribe, Bright became fluent in their language. He came to Ft Smith in 1853 and set forth in business at a lightning pace. By 1857 he ran The Old Red Mill on Tenth Street, had married the niece of Sand Waite, and built a mansion on Sixth Street. Marble Hall was used as a hospital during the Civil War. By 1862, Bright had enlisted in the 51st Arkansas Militia Regiment. Bright returned from the war and launched back into business, but his obituary notes that he met with reverses and lived quietly until his death in 1890. Marble Hall has housed many businesses including a shooting gallery in 1900. Marble Hall was restored by Phil White in 1977."