OLDEST Building in Mena, AR
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 34° 35.015 W 094° 14.394
15S E 386283 N 3827564
Located in the center of what is today Janssen Park, this one room log cabin was built in 1851.
Waymark Code: WMWTV0
Location: Arkansas, United States
Date Posted: 10/13/2017
Views: 0
This log cabin and Janssen Park are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Register nomination describes the cabin in two ways which show that it is the OLDEST building in this area. The Register indicated that in 1895 when the railroad surveyors arrived to survey for the new tracks through this area, this cabin, which was already 40 years old, was the only building in sight. It is also indicated to be the only visible link to Mena's pre-townsite past.
This is a one-room log cabin with a single door on the front and back. A small window is on each side. The original chimney was made of mud and sticks. In the 1870's when brick was available, it was re-worked in brick. Then in 1933, the CWA restored the chimney, using the earlier brick. The front and back have an overhanging porch roof.
And what a history this modest little cabin has:
1851 - Built by William Shelton, the first settler in the area that was to become Mena, AR.
1860's - Occupied by the family of Polk County Judge Thomas Mills.
1895-1899 - During construction of the railroad, it was used as office space for surveyors, railroad personnel and townsite promoters.
1896 - Park founded, surrounding the site of this cabin, where it remains today.
1906-1907 - After a decade of neglect, a local Catholic priest led a project to restore the cabin and park.
1910-1940 - During WWI and through WWII, the cabin housed Mena City Hall.
It was used by political speakers, including William Jennings Bryant and Huey P. Long and others, to speak before voters.
It has been used as a post office, hospital and hotel, and can be rented today for local events.
This park is quite a sight to see, and filled with memorials and items from the past.
Type of documentation of superlative status: Derived from the narrative on the NRHP nomination (see link below)
Location of coordinates: At the cabin in center of Janssen Park
Web Site: [Web Link]
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