Historic Buildings and Areas of Fayetteville

[Mith242]

Evergreen Cemetery was founded in the 1830s or 1840s, the Mary Stirman Pollard gravestone reads that she died in 1848, but the cross-bar on the 4 is eroded and very difficult to make out.

If you're interested in Evergreen, there is a web page devoted to it here:

http://www.projectpast.org/gvogel/Evergreen/Evergreen.html

Yeah welcome to the forum. And thanks for the link. I probably would have never thought to look for info about the cemetery on the internet. It's sad I've lived here this long and never really even paid much attention to it until recently. That's the bad thing about always driving around. You sometimes don't notice things as if you just got out and walked around more. I'm glad someone took some interest in my Evergreen Cemetery pics. I had some more but didn't think many people had a lot of interest.

[gvogel]

Yeah welcome to the forum. And thanks for the link. I probably would have never thought to look for info about the cemetery on the internet. It's sad I've lived here this long and never really even paid much attention to it until recently. That's the bad thing about always driving around. You sometimes don't notice things as if you just got out and walked around more. I'm glad someone took some interest in my Evergreen Cemetery pics. I had some more but didn't think many people had a lot of interest.

Yes, I live in West Fork right now, but will be moving to Kampsville, Illinois in February. I started a recording project at Evergreen Cemetery a few years ago, and just saw the post on Urban Planet about it. Glad to see that other people are interested in the cemetery too!

[masons_dad1]

Yes, I live in West Fork right now, but will be moving to Kampsville, Illinois in February. I started a recording project at Evergreen Cemetery a few years ago, and just saw the post on Urban Planet about it. Glad to see that other people are interested in the cemetery too!

Welcome G! What type of recording project are you involved in? Just wondering because there are many very interesting cemetaries in NWA.

[Mith242]

Yeah I wouldn't mind hearing some more info on Evergreen. There was a lot more there than I ever would have expected. Certainly didn't expect to see the burial site of one of the Arkansas governors. I expect it's probably the oldest cemetery in NWA. I don't think the Benton County cities or towns were founded till a while after Fayetteville.

[gvogel]

I began the recording project as a class exercise for archaeology students several years ago (details here: http://www.projectpast.org/gvogel/Evergreen/evrecording.htm). So far it's the only cemetery I've attempted to fully record (the project is still not quite finished), but I'd like to work on more.

I don't think Evergreen is the oldest cemetery in the area, although it is one of the oldest, and certainly the largest cemetery in the area for one of its age. It is on the National Register of Historic Places largely because of the famous people buried there -- Archibald Yell, Lafayette Gregg, Sophia Sawyer, Peter Van Winkle, and many others. Recently Senator J. William Fulbright was buried in Evergreen.

It has an interesting history that is still not completely clear. It was started as a private family cemetery in the late 1830s or early 1840s, was later bought by a Masonic lodge, and (I think in 1929?) was given to a private board (Fayetteville Evergreen Cemetery Association). It has an almost unique status of being a private cemetery but still "open" to a great deal of the local community.

We still have some fieldwork and data-entry work in the recording project -- when it is finished, it will be a fully searchable "on-line cemetery" with information about all of the stones and interments, along with digital images of each one. I'm going out of town this afternoon but will be back next week, and will send out another call for volunteers to help finish the recording. If anyone is interested, just let me know ([email protected]) and I'll put you on the e-mail list. We're also trying to compile a complete history of the cemetery and a complete list of resources about it - if you know of anything that isn't on the web page yet that should be, I'd be happy to hear about it!

Oops -- this link may work better: http://www.projectpast.org/gvogel/Evergreen/evrecording.htm

[Mith242]

An interesting idea. What all is involved with recording the cemetery? Not sure what all I'd be able to do but maybe I could help out a little when I'm not busy on the weekends or something.

[Mith242]

Okay I think I posted that Headquarters House was the oldest house and building in the city. Well I was wrong. Here's one that's older and I think there way be an older one that I'm still trying to find. Anyway here's some pics of the Stone House.

[mcheiss]

Where's this house located?

I've never heard of it or seen it before.

[Mith242]

Where's this house located?

I've never heard of it or seen it before.

It's actually on Center St, which is one of the streets by the Square. It's just further west of the Square. I think there's also a Ridge House or Ridgeway House that's older. But I'm still trying to track it down.

[mcheiss]

It's actually on Center St, which is one of the streets by the Square. It's just further west of the Square. I think there's also a Ridge House or Ridgeway House that's older. But I'm still trying to track it down.

Nice, it's great to see historical buildings in the downtown vacinity.

[Mith242]

Nice, it's great to see historical buildings in the downtown vacinity.

I found out where the Ridge House is. Apparently just across the street from the Stone House. I guess I was so busy looking at it that I never looked across the street. Okay now I have to go walk back and take some more pics.

[mcheiss]

I found out where the Ridge House is. Apparently just across the street from the Stone House. I guess I was so busy looking at it that I never looked across the street. Okay now I have to go walk back and take some more pics.

Awesome, can't wait to see them.

[NCB]

I had a question that I never posted, so here it is.

Of all of the historic buildings around Fayetteville, what are most of them being used for? I know that alot of older buildings in downtowns across the country are being converted into condos, small office buildings, and many other different things.

Not a very interesting question, but I'm just curious.

[Mith242]

Before I move on to another building just wanted to post one more pic and give some info on the Walker-Stone House. It was built in the 1840's by David Walker and then in the 1850's sold to Stephen K Stone. It's an example of a Georgian and Federal style brick house. Rare in NWA and more common in the eastern US. The west side of the house (the left side of the previous pics) was damaged in the Civil War by Gen hagan's Confederate attack on the city of Fayetteville in 1864.

[Mith242]

Okay now here's some pics of the Ridge House. The one I missed because I was too busy looking at the Walker-Stone House across the street. Ridge House is the oldest house in Fayetteville. It was originally built in 1836 by H M Clark. It was later bought by Sarah Ridge and used it as a refuge after the murder of her husband John Ridge a Cherokee Indian leader. The house has been modified but the original log home is still intact and visible in some areas.

[NCB]

^Thats an very nice looking old house.

[Mith242]

I used to mainly just be a fan of the Victorian/Queen Anne style of house architecture. But I've gotten where I appreciate some of the other styles as well. I've mainly just been taking pics of the older stuff pre 1930's. But eventually I'd like to focus a little on some of those historical houses and buildings too.

[masons_dad1]

That's a very nice historic house. It's amazing how well maintained they are kept. It also amazing how much they liked their fireplaces back then! I'd settle for just one.

I believe there are well over 100 historic houses in NWA but I can't remember where I saw that information.

Oh yeah here's the links to the National Register of Historic Places for NWA:

Washington County

Benton County

[Mith242]

That's a very nice historic house. It's amazing how well maintained they are kept. It also amazing how much they liked their fireplaces back then! I'd settle for just one.

I believe there are well over 100 historic houses in NWA but I can't remember where I saw that information.

Oh yeah here's the links to the National Register of Historic Places for NWA:

Washington County

Benton County

Thanks for the links. I hadn't thought to post them. As far as the fireplaces just remember that houses back then were a lot draftier then today's homes. I have relatives who have homes that arywhere near as old as these and can tell you that. That and winters used to be a lot worse in this area. There have been some times with some winters torms here that today people would probably associate with more the northern part of the country.

[Mith242]

Okay I have pics for one more home that was in the area. It's the Rieff House built by Henry Rieff in 1857. It's now a funeral home. Interesting story about the house. During the Civil War there was a custom of putting lighted candles in the windows of homes occupied by women and children so the home would be spared destruction by the soldiers. The Rieff family had fleed from their home and forgot to leave candles but a neighbor put some in the windows for them so their home was spared.

[Mith242]

Fayetteville seemed to had a history of education before the U of A came around. Arkansas College was chartered in 1852 and offered the first collegiate degrees in the state. There were also two girls schools. One of them being the Fayetteville Female Seminary. It was founded by Sophia Sawyer who was a missionary to the Cherokees. The school was established in 1839 with 14 Cherokee girls. Unfortunately all of these were lost during the Civil War. Here's some pics of that current site of the Fayetteville Female Seminary site.

[Mith242]

Here's some pics of the Confederate Cemetery in Fayetteville. Took me a while to finally find it. Unfortunately I guess you have to make an appointment to actually get in so I just took some pics from outside the walls.

[mcheiss]

I love those shots of the Fayetteville Downtown in the Background.

Great Shots Mith!!

[Mith242]

I love those shots of the Fayetteville Downtown in the Background.

Great Shots Mith!!

Yeah the Confederate Cemetery has a really nice location. Now if I could just figure out who I'm supposed to contact to be able to go inside and take some more pics and see what other views I might be able to get.

[Mith242]

Here's a shot I took over the weekend that I like. In it you can see the three 1880's buildings on the Square in one shot. I also found out a little more info about the Bank of Fayetteville Building, the one with the tower. It was originally a hardware store. The exterior of the building was also apparently used in the tv series Evening Shade . I still haven't got an exact year for it yet. I've also not had much luck on the other two buildings so far either.