Limited Hours on November 23 (Day before Thanksgiving). Staff will be onsite for tours at 10 a.m. until Noon.Closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday – November 24 and 25; Resume regular hours on November 28th.
Back in April, the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program focused on downtown Lake Village for their “Walks Through History Tour.” In February, Lake Village’s downtown was added to the National Register for its local significance under Criterion A (economic development of the city) and C (mid 20th-century architecture). According to AHPP, “The Lake Village Commercial Historic District exemplifies the growth of the city through its peak in the 1950s. The period of significance extends from 1906 to 1960.”
The script for the AHPP tour, given and researched by Rachel Silva, is now available on AHPP’s website as a pdf file. My Pictures of the tour are below:
This August one of the buildings discussed in the tour, the Dixie Queen, was torn down. The tour script says, “Not in district—built about 1935 as a filling station. Later became the Dixie Queen Dairy Bar, a popular hangout for Lake Village youth in its heyday.”
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| Dixie Queen, April 2011 |
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| Dixie Queen, August 3, 2011. Photo by Ned McAffry. |
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| Slab on N. Lakeshore Dr., August 8, 2011 |
While the loss of the 1935 Dixie Queen / filing station leaves a hole in the city’s historic fabric and an empty lot along the lake front, the city of Lake Village continues with its plans to restore the historic Tushek Building for city offices.
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| Tushek Building, April 2011 |
The 1906 Tushek Builing is described in the National Register nomination as the “finest example of a commercial building designed in the Beaux Arts style in the county seat of Lake Village.” The earliest known photo of the building is from a 1908 postcard:
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| 1908 Postcard of Lake Village (corner of Main & Court Streets). Courtesy of Blake Wintory |
Meanwhile, over in Monticello (Drew County), the city celebrated the dedication of the rehabilitated Ridgeway Hotel Historic District (includes H. M. Wilson Building). The Ridgeway, a 1930 hotel and a 1912 hardware store, have been rehabed into senior living apartments. The historic district was added to the National Register in 2009.
While doing research at the Arkansas History Commission in the Clara B. Eno Collection, which contains the source material for her 1939 book, Historic Places in Arkansas, I found a June 1935 article about the Lake Chicot Garden Club’s visit to Lakeport.
By 1935 Lakeport had been vacated by the Johnsons, who moved to Greenville, Mississippi, and sold to Sam Epstein. Frank Dantzler and his wife, Fannie (both originally from Macon, Mississippi), occupied the home and ran the plantation for Mr. Epstein. Mrs. Dantzler died in 1936 and Mr. Dantzler continued to operate the plantation until 1950. He died in 1952. Both are buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery in Macon.
The article describes the house (not always accurately) as having a “spacious front lawn filled with oaks and magnolias,” “wrought iron balconies, 12-foot tall mahogany doors, arched doorways, winding stairs and beautiful coped ceilings.” Outside the house, the ladies of the club found “old slave quarters, dairies and outdoor kitchen still in perfect condition.”
Commentary: The ornamental iron is cast iron, the doors are 10′ 8″ pine with a faux grain in oak and rosewood, and there is only one arch in the house. There was probably only one dairy and the “outdoor kitchen” was likely the smokehouse, since the kitchen, with a built in cast iron stove, is attached to the house. I’m very curious about the “old slave quarters”; is it the collection of building north of the house captured in a 1927 photo during the flood? We have since decided these buildings date to after 1870, probably to the time Victor Johnson ran the plantation.
Eno listed 11 historic places in the Chicot County (vs. 34 in her home county of Crawford).
Eno’s Historic Places in Chicot County (1939)
1. Battlefield of Dutch [sic Ditch] Bayou.
2. A Skirmish during the War between States occurred on the Tecumseh Plantation.
3. Confederate Monument at Lake Village, erected by the Capt. McConnel Chapter of Lake Village, George K. Cracraft Chapter of Eudora, and the citizens of Chicot County. It stands on the Court House lawn on the lake front.
4. Site of the Corneil Warfield home on Grand Lake on Highway 65 just beyond Eudora. It contains secret closets.
5. Home of Lycurgus Johnson, a noted family.
6. The John Saunder home, occupied as a hospital during the War between the States. Now the home of Judge Harry C. Cook.
7. Lewellen [sic Llewellyn] Place 12 miles above Luna Landing.
8. Luna Landing in the northern part of the county on the Mississippi river, where the inhabitants of the nearby county received their supplies from 1840 to 1903. From the Steamboat Landing on Grand Lake, those in the southern part were supplied.
9. A monument marks the sight where Lindbergh made his first night flight in 1923. This is on Highway No. 2, two miles north of Lake Village. Marked by the Delphian Club.
10. Indian Mounds, Mt. Tecumseh, about 50 feet high.
11. Lake Village County Seat, marked by Centennial Commission.
I plan on visiting Eno’s sites and updating their description. Check back for more information.
Good News:
Lakeport will be open this summer on Saturdays from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm.
Saturday Hours began June 4, 2011 and will continue until September 3 August 27, 2011.
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| Rows of Cotton, June 7, 2011 |
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| Snow at Lakeport, February 11, 2011 |
Updated: June 10, 2011
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| Cash home in its current condition |
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| ASU Staff in front of Johnny Cash’s boyhood home in Dyess |
Friends & Johnny Cash fans — Help Arkansas State University and the City of Dyess preserve and open the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home to the public. Vote to help us win $25,000 to go towards the restoration of the house that inspired and cultivated Johnny’s songwriting and music.
ASU and the City of Dyess were chosen from a national pool of applicants to be one of 100 historic “places that matter” who are eligible to win $25,000 to go towards the restoration of the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home. We are competing for votes with 99 other sites, so we’re trying to get our name and link our there as much as possible – please pass on to friends and family.
A quick one-time vote and a valid email address is all it takes for you to support the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home project. Contest ends June 30th. VOTE TODAY! (registration required to vote)
http://www.preservationnation.org/take-action/this-place-matters/community-challenge/places/arkansas.html
A little more info:
Technical Report #1: Parge Coating
Technical Report #2: Chimneys
Technical Report #3: Foundation & Footers
Technical Report #4: Windows
Technical Report #5: Shingled Roof
Technical Report #6: Guttering & Sheet Metal Work
Technical Report #7: Cornice, Siding & Paint
Technical Report #8: Lakeport Porches
Technical Report #9: Braced Frame Construction
Technical Report #10: Smokehouse & Mechanicals
Archeological Investigations at Lakeport Plantation: Randall Guending, May 2003
Technical Reports are also planned for the brick walkway, plaster work, shutters, restoration of the exterior doors, mantels, and rose window.
Lakeport will be closed on Memorial Day–Monday, May 30, 2011.
However, we will be open Saturdays this summer starting in June.
On June 4th — Lakeport is part of the Lake Chicot State Park’s Civil War Event:
8:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Civil War Writings – Visitor Center
The letters, reports, and diaries of the Civil War show us the personal story of what these men went through during our country’s tragic split. Join the Park Interpreter, as we examine these writings and discover what they tell us about the Civil War. Visitors will also have a chance to write using the same tools the soldiers used 150 years ago.
10:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. The Life of Civil War Soldiers
Join the Park Interpreter as he conducts a living history programs that represent what life was like for both the Union and Confederate soldiers in Arkansas. There will be reproduction equipment and uniforms so don’t miss your chance to see history come alive. If you have any questions about life as a Civil War solider this is your chance to ask.
1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. The Battle of Ditch Bayou
Join the Park Interpreter as we take an in-depth look into the battle fought on the other side of the lake. Firsthand reports from soldiers and civilians will show us what really happen here on June 6th 1864.
2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p. m. The Battle of Arkansas Post
Join us for a look into the Union assault on Fort Hindman that took place on January 9-11, 1863. Joe Herron, Park Ranger for Arkansas Post National Memorial will be giving us a presentation on what occurred during this battle and the effect it had on the surrounding area.
3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Lakeport Plantation and the Civil War
Join us as we travel to the other side of Lake Chicot to visit the historic Lakeport Plantation. Dr. Blake Wintory, Assistant Director of Lakeport Plantation, will provided visitors with a guided tour of Lakeport Plantation. During his tour he will discuss the effect the Civil War had on Lakeport Plantation. Maps from Lake Chicot State Park to Lakeport Plantation will be handed out at the end of “The Battle of Arkansas Post” presentation.
LITTLE ROCK–The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program now offers free cell-phone tours of historic sites around the state, AHPP Director Frances McSwain announced today.“These cell-phone tours will allow visitors to get in-depth information on historic properties at the touch of a button,” McSwain said. “We currently have 15 cell-phone tours recorded and will add more in the coming months.”The cell-phone tours can be accessed by calling (501) 203-3015 or by visiting http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/ tours-events-workshops/audio- tours/. Current tours include Boyle Park (Stop 21), First Lutheran Church (Stop 41), Robert E. Lee School (Stop 51), Little Rock City Hall (Stop 61) and the Fourche Bayou Battlefield (Stop 11) in Little Rock; Crestview Park (Stop 31) and the Park Hill Fire Station and Water Company (Stop 71) in North Little Rock; Cane Hill Battlefield (Stop 10) in Washington County; Elkins’ Ferry (Stop 12) and Prairie D’Ane (Stop 13) Battlefields in Nevada County; Poison Spring Battlefield (Stop 14) in Ouachita County; Fort Southerland (Stop 18) in Camden; Marks’ Mills Battlefield (Stop 15) in Cleveland County; Jenkins’ Ferry Battlefield (Stop 16) in Grant County, and Ditch Bayou Battlefield (Stop 17) in Chicot County.
The Ditch Bayou Battlefield markers (A)are approximately 5.5 miles from the Lakeport Plantation (B). The AHPP is the Department of Arkansas Heritage agency responsible for identifying, evaluating, registering and preserving the state’s cultural resources.
The Lakeport Plantation house is an Arkansas State University Heritage Site. Built for Lycurgus and Lydia Johnson in 1859, the Greek Revival home is one of Arkansas’ premiere historic structures and is now the only remaining antebellum plantation home in Arkansas on the Mississippi River. The Johnson family retained ownership of the house until 1927, when the Chicot County plantation was purchased by Sam Epstein. The house was added to the National Register in 1974 and was gifted to Arkansas State University in 2001 by the Sam Epstein Angel Family. Following a massive restoration effort, the home opened to the public on September 28, 2007.
Read more about the Battle on the Encyclopedia of Arkansas or in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly:
