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 (former) Calico Rock, Arkansas 72519 Posted by:  iconions
N 36° 07.006 W 092° 08.580
15S E 577126 N 3997239
This one-story, rough-cut stone building is located at 104 Main Street, Calico Rock, Arkansas.
Waymark Code: WM149Y3
Location: Arkansas, United States
Date Posted: 05/26/2021
Views: 2
My Commentary:
This building now houses "Peppersauce" - a ladies clothing store. Peppersauce is what the locals referred to moonshine back during the Depression.
A National Register plaque is located on the south portion of the eastern facade. It is a standard brass plaque with raised lettering. It reads:
CITY HALL
has been placed on the
NATIONAL REGISTER
OF HISTORIC PLACES
by the United States
Department of the Interior
- Marker Text
BUILDING INFORMATION:
1903.
A one story stone structure, this building was the first masonry building in town. Two cast iron supports with decorative details delineate the corners of the building. The storefront with its central double-doored entrance has a two-light transom, as do the flanking fixed single-paned windows. Alterations to the building include the probably removal of two cast iron supports on either side of the entrance, and their replacement with brick piers, the loss of an elaborate pressed metal cornice, the rebuilding of the parapet and the replacement of the originally wood bulkheads with brick panels. Recently this structure has been sensitively rehabilitated for use as a city hall.
- National Register Application
CR-2 In 1903, this one story stone structure became the first masonry building erected in town. Later alterations removed two cast iron supports on either side of the entrance and replaced the original wood bulkheads with brick panels.
The earliest remaining building from the boom that followed the fire is the Bank of Calico Rock. c. 1903. After serving the community as a Post Office from 1924 to 1964, the building was sensitively rehabilitated in 1985 and is now the I.D.C. and a Tourist Information Center.
- Historic Calico Rock Arkansas on the White River brochure
104 Main—built in 1903 and was the first masonry building constructed in town after the devastating fire of 1897. The building first housed the Bank of Calico Rock, which went bankrupt in 1909 and was succeeded by the Bluff City Bank. In 1914 a merger between Bluff City Bank and the People’s Bank of Calico Rock (chartered 1912) resulted in the creation of the State Bank of Calico Rock, which occupied the building until 1924. This was the post office from 1924 to 1964 and later served as City Hall. It is now part of the visitor center/museum/artist co-op. The building features two cast-iron storefront columns manufactured by Mesker Bros. Front Builders of St. Louis. It originally had two more cast-iron columns in place of the current brick columns by the door as well as a pressed metal cornice. Prefabricated cast-iron and metal building components were popular around the turn of the 20th century, especially for commercial buildings in small towns, where it might be difficult to find an architect. The pieces could be ordered from a catalog and shipped via steamboat or railroad.
- Calico Rock HD Tour Script pdf
COMMUNITY INFORMATION:
Though one of the oldest communities in Izard County, Calico Rock did not first take on the appearance of a town until the late 1880's. Originally the downtown faced the river, but the orientation changed prior to the turn of the century, perhaps as the result of a fire in 1897 or 1898 that destroyed many of the existing frame structures. The existing Main Street was first called Wall Street, due to a retaining wall that ran down its center.
With the arrival of the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad, a business section came into existence "with good mercantile establishments , cotton and produce markets and everything that goes to make an ideal town, including newspaper and banks." Construction of the railroad, which runs parallel to the river began in 1902. J. T. Garner, who was to be first to rebuild after the fire, opened a store in the same year. During this time Calico Rock grew to serve the railroad construction crews. Buildings replacing those destroyed by fire were of local stone and brick construction rather than wood.
On April 7, 1923, disaster struck again when a spark from a locomotive set fire to a warehouse. All structures on the east side and one block on the west side of the street were destroyed. A total of twenty-eight buildings were lost.
- National Register Application
Alternating streaks of color in blue, black, gray, red, and orange - like calico cloth – are the markings on bluffs looming over the White River in an area of north-central Arkansas known as Calico Rock. Located directly on the White River in Izard County, Calico Rock developed as a steamboat landing in the early 1800s and became a boomtown in 1902 when the railroad tracks were laid. It was the largest town in Izard County through the 1960s. However, neighboring towns grew faster, leaving this once important river port with a population of about 1,500 today.
But Calico Rock still has plenty of appeal for visitors, and all ages making it their home. It is a draw especially to retirees and tourists looking for a breath of fresh air, small town living, and tons of trout. Its ghost town and attractive, old-fashioned downtown storefronts entertain visitors too. Its historic Main Street hosts thousands of visitors each year. Brick and stone buildings from the 1920s flank the street for a few blocks. They are home to antique stores, a museum and various stores. Additional shopping is available in more modern parts of town.
Calico Rock Museum houses collections and displays exhibits beginning with the American Indian culture to about 1967 that are historically and culturally significant to the town and area. It's located in the historic Bank of Calico Rock building. The museum not only preserves the past, it also features handmade works of area artists. About 28 artists sell their items – pottery, furniture, leather, organic home products, woodworking, jewelry, and more – in the museum.
Just steps away from this historic but thriving town center is another lifetime of the town preserved. Calico Rock's Ghost Town include a pool hall/tavern, a barber shop, a theater, a café, a lumberyard, the telephone exchange, a cotton gin, a funeral parlor, and an electric company. The tour contains more than 20 different buildings and other structures, dilapidated yet holding a significant presence in the oldest part of town. All but two can be seen from the street and markers tell the history of each. You can drive it, but it's best seen on foot. Download a self-guided tour map here.
This area is also part of Peppersauce Alley, although the original trade that gave it its name is no longer there. Calico Rock was a quite a shopping center in the early 1900s with a sawmill, and water-powered corn-grinding mill. Farmers would bring produce to Calico Rock and do their shopping there. Often they came from far enough away they would need to camp overnight in the wagon yard, which became known as Peppersauce Alley because of the moonshine whiskey traded there.
Numerous annual events take place in this great downtown backdrop. Musicians are finding their way to this small town to play the festival events or at the town music hall. Lodging runs the gamut from motels on Main Street to motels and cabins on or overlooking the river. Hiking and biking trails are located in parks in the middle of town and fishing is hot here. The White River is known as an excellent trout fishery. Numerous outfitters serve the area, offering guided fishing trips or boat rentals.
While Calico Rock attracts folks in its own right, its location within The Natural State makes it a prime destination as well. Norfork Dam and Lake are about 15 miles north and Blanchard Springs Caverns lies about 15 miles south. The town is adjacent to the Ozark National Forest containing wonderful trails through the mountain ranges and streams. Calico Rock is served by Arkansas State Highways 5 and 56, both pleasingly scenic.
- Calico Rock Entry in Arkansas.com
Type of structure:: stand alone
re-enter Zip Code here:: 72519
Current Status:: Former Historic Location
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