United States Department of the lnterlor Yb\'.ltional Park Service

~tional Register of ~istor ic Places Registration Form JM8 form Ir lor use in mlnrRng or rsquasrlq d.termlnnllonc of rli@blHty fw IndMdurt proprrllw w dltlrldl. S u ImtrwHOnb In Q- br brmktlng Nohwraf Register Foms (Nelionnl Rwlstor Bullrtln 18). Complas ouch ltlm by mahlnp "x" In the mppvprlmte bbx M by rntahng the request& inmetton. H an item does not appry to the propsmy Wng doeurnentd, enter "NIA" lor "not sppllcable." For hrnctbfim, slytm, matunale, and areas of slgn~f~cance, anter only the cregorlas and rubcltqprlsu listed In the mntnret~ons. For rddltlonrl 8- urs contlnuatlon r h n t l (Form 1091X)a). Type alp entries.

hi8toric name Howard County Courthouse other nameslalte number

2. Locrt lon nlnst & number Main Street not for publlcrtlon N /A dty, town Nashvi l le U vlclnlty U t l f O Arkansas cod# AR OOunty Howard ood@ 061 rlpoode 7 1 8 5 7

3, Clarrfllcmtlon Ownersh~p o+ P~opsrty C~tegory of Proplrly Mumkr of Rmwurme wlthln PropeRy

prlvuto bulldlno(fi) Contrlbutlng Noneontrlbutlng dlrtrlel 1 bulldlngl

mitre rtnreturr mtruotunl a obJacE6

_1 .O Totrl J 91 related multiple property Ilrtlng: Number of. cocantdbilng r~aurcms ptrvloully

N/ A l l~ted In the Natlonal Register

4. StatelFederal Agency Csrtfflcstton - -- -- - -

As the designated authority under the Nationel Hlloric Preaewatlon Act of I-, an rrnendsd, I hereby certify that thir nomination [7 requsst for determknetim of sliglblllty meets the documentation standards Iw rsglrterinp propmias in the

Netional Register at Historic Places and meets the procedural and profsaslonal requlrsmenls mt forth In 36 CFR B n ~ 60. t the Matima! Repi~ter criteria. 6 r conlinumii~n EM.!

S-+-+~-~L) omte

Arkansas Historic ~ ~ s e r v a t i o n Propram W e w federal agency srd bureau

In my opinlon, !ha property U metvta doea not meet the Netlonnl Rsglster eritsrla. L] 3~ contlnurtlon shm.

5. Nmtlonrl P ~ r k Servlcs CertlFlertlen I, hereby, cenlfy that t h ~ s property I$

entered In the Natlanal ReglrJtsr. Saa con4,numtlon ahset.

detemhnsd nllgl bis lor the Nltion~l qegister. a See comEnutlon awl.

errnlnsd not digible lor the rational Register.

Fsrnwed from the NatlOnal Register. other, (explain:)

*

6. Function w Usa -+.' .*:, '- Historic Functions (enter categories from iqstiuctions), Current Functions (enter categories from instructions)

7. hscrlptlon Archrtecturaf Classification Materials (enter categories from instructions) (enter wtegor~es from instructions)

foundation Concrete walls Brick

Marble tool -- Asphalt othw ( :ramie tile

Describe present and hlslwic physics1 appearance.

$em minuation sheet

UnRd 8trtw Doprdrnbnt of ?ha Intorlor Natlonef Park Servlca

National Reglster of Historlc Places Continuation Sheet

Section number ' Page I

Summary

The Howard County Comhouse is a two story public building with load-bearing brick walls designed in the later, Art Moderne incarnation of the Art Deco. It features an essentially 'H*- shaped plan, with the court soom occupying alaost the entire second story of the c e n d block,

The Howard County Courthouse is a zwo s t ~ f y county coflrthouse building with load-bearing brick walls designed in the architectural style known as Art Modeme. It features a symmeaical, 'H'-shaped plan - the axis of which runs east and west - formed by the talk, central block that is augmented by two slightly Iower blocks placed at the eastern or front corners and a tong office blmk that runs dong the western or rear elevation and that projects from both the northern and southern elevations. A single brick chimney is attached to the western wall at the sourhem end AU mfs are flat behind n brick parapet and covered with a built-up tar system. The walls are buff brick with black marble around the enmces and all is supported by a continuous cast concrete foundation.

The eastern or front elevation is symmetrically organized around the monumental black marble entrance with its double-leaf door and m s o m . The fmed aluminum windows above and to the side of the e n m c e light the front of the c o m m and the offices on the Mt floor, they are set into canmete panels incised with thin geomDic details. The identical windows in the flanking comer blocks light jury ~ w r m s and other ofices behind and are also set into decorated concrete panels. The black marble enmce is inscribed with the courthouse name above the door and supports a central, integral flagpole.

The northern and southern elerasions are vimrally identical. The messed, central block is highlighted by the o e n ~ d , black marble entry which is flanked by a single window bay to each side. The projecting eastern and western bays are fenestrated with three and two window bays, respectively. The eastem and western elevations of these projecting bays are each lighted with two window bays. The western or rear elevation is symmetrically organized, with two entrances being separated by four cenaal windows and flanked by two window bays to the outside. The windows on these three elevations largely retain their original eight-pane double metal casement windows.

Other exterior decoration of note includes the band of shallow, geometric detail mund the cornice of the main block and several of the original electric lighting fixtures.

The interior is vitrually unaltered The halls and staimeus throughout the building are

United States Department of the Intador National Park Service

, a datlonal Reglster of Hlstorlc Places ContlnuaZlon Sheet

W l o n number page 2

dominated by fields of original tile, all of the various colors of which fall within a rich, earth- tone palette. The tile covers the floors and extends up the walls to create a high dado in the hallways and the stainvells. The comrwm retains all of its original stylized Art Moderne detail, including caned dccmtions above the chmays, origind wood panel d m and stylized geometric decoration of the applied w d pilasters which run dong the walls. The judge's desk, the recorder's table and the juq box are all original, down to the same jurors' chairs that were installed in 1939. Other noteworthy derails include the original metal venetian blinds and original Iinoleum in several .of the surrounding offices, and several original light - fixtures throughout.

The only alterations of note have k n the replacement of the original casement windows in the a t e r n elevation with f m d aluminum windows and the addition of a large HVAC system in the upper hallway at the fear of the courtroom.

UnStad Stdam Department of the Intarfor Natlonal Park Sewlee

-4atlonal Reglster of Hlstorlc Place8 Contlnuetlon Sheet

Section number page 1

Summary atexiun C, local signifkance

The Howard County Courthouse, constructed in 1939 and partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA), is architecturdly significant as the finest example in Nashville of the later Art Deco style, popularly known as Art Modeme. It is also significant as one of the most handsomely appointed public buildings built in rhe state of A h s a s during the Great DepTession.

Elaboration

Howard County was created on April 17, 1873 from parts of Hempstead, Pikc, Polk and Sevier counties. It was named for James Howad, the state senator for the area at that b e . The original county seat was at Cenm Point (approximately IS miles to the nosth) until the completion of the railroad in 1884 between Hope and Nashville; thereafter the focus of county activities gradually shifted, and the county seat was moved to Nashville by 1905.

The Howard County Courthouse was cmmcted in 1939, partially as a Public Works Adminismation (PWA) project. The PWA was one of the lesser-known federal assistance agencies which, Iike the Works Projects Administration W A ) , undertmk public consmction projects, but much less often and only with financing h m emergency appropriarims. By the late 1930's and early 1940'~~ the number of PWA projects nationally had begun to dwindle as did the number of people it employed.

The relative infrequency with which PWA jobs were awarded and the fact that 1maI labor and designers were generally hired to work on such jobs discowaged the stylistic uniformity which characterized the contemporaneous work of the W A and the Civilian Consewation Corps (CCC) and resulted in some surprisingly distinctive construction. The Howard County Courthouse is an example of this trend. Designed by the Little Rock architectural firm of Erhart & Eichenbaum and built by the Fayetleville contractor E. V. Bird, the exterior of the building is similar to other Art X3ea, county courthouses in Arkansas of the perid with the notewortby exception of the greedblack m b l c which frames the principal enmces and separates the second stmy windows from she first on the Front elevation. Marble was and always has k n an expensive finish material, and so it is unusual to find it on the exterior of a PWA-financed public building in Nashville, Arkansas during the &at Depression. However, when the lack of anifonnity common to PWA projects is considered with the fact that the citizens of Howard County had to contribute the balance of the budget for the project ($66,000 of the total budget of $120,000) and therefore had a p t e r voice in the aesthetic decisions regarding their new courthouse, this contradiction is less baffling. - The use of expensive materids was not confined to the exterior. The vast fields of ceramic

UnRed Stuter Department of the lrrtmrlor Natlenal Park Servlce

Aatlonel Register of Historlc Places Continuation Sheet

&ctlon number Page 2

tile which lend the interior hallways and stairwells thck rich, golden hue literaily cover the flm and part of the walls throughoul: the fist story. Furthermore, the courtroom itself presents an abundance of handsome carved w d w o ~ k and elegant w d frvniture typical of the pericd. Clearly, the architects and the people of Howard County were making a statement of civic prick in spite of the p~ssing economic conditions pmvalent throughout the nation via the ~1aziveIy lavish outfitting of their new cowthouse. As such, she I-Ioward County Courthouse survives as an archi tecmall y remarkable example of pu blicly-fmanced consmcrion during the Depression in Arkansas.

Unlted 8tatst Deprrtrnmnt of the lntsrlor Natlonal Park Servlce

Natlonal Reglster of Hlstorlc Places Contlnuatlon Sheet

Ssetlon number Page 1

Bibliography

The Nashville N e w , Nashville, Arkansas, October 21, 1938.

, November 11, 1938.

December 16, 1938.

, Decemkr 30, 1938.

, September 26, 1939.

, September 29, 1939.

Report on Progress of The WPA Program, June 30, 1941, pp. 83-88.

Unltad Stater Department of the lntcrrlor National Park Service

. qatlonal Register of Hlstorlc Places Contlnuetlon Sheet

Sclctlon number lo Prpo 1

Verbal Boundarv Description

Beginning at a point formed by the interaxtion of the western edge of N m h Main Street with the southern edge of Bishop Seeet, proceed westerly along Bishop Smet to a point f m e d by its intersection with a perpendicular line running along the western or rear elevation of the Courthouse; thence proceed southerly along said line to a point formed by its intersection with a perpendicular line running along the southern elevation of the Courthouse; thence proceed easterly along said h e to a point formed by its intersection with the western edge of North Main Smet; thence proceed northerly along North Main Street to the point of beginning, comprising in all less than one acre.

8. Statement of Significance Cerlrfvina offtc~al has considered the sianificanea of this ~rowm in relation to other w W i @ s : * " " . . .

nat'malty ]statewide locally

Micable National Register Criteria I A B 0

~rtteria Cr>nsi*rations (~xceptions~ DA II& UC 1 1 0 OE OF OG

Areas of Signficama [enter categories from instnrctiwts) ARCHITECTtrRE

Period of Significance Significant Dales 193 9 N/A

Signiiicant Person N/X

Cultural Aflfliation N/ A

ArChitectlBullder P u b l i c Works Administrat i o n -

Stale significance of properly, and justify criteria. miteria considerations, and amas and period3 of signikanoe noted a b e .

9. Major Blbllographlcal Rnfesancea

Pnvlour docrurnrntatlon on fll6 (NPS): pr@lirninrry dmtormlnrtlon ot IndlvMual llrtlq CFR d n h u b n n rqurrtd

1 prrvlourly Ihtd In the Natlonrl Rlgl@ter prrvlourly drlrrmlned mllplblo by thc Nwtlonrl Rogbtmr dorlpnatbd a Natlonrl Hl8torlc Lnndmmrk ?.corded by Hlmtorlc Amartcan Bullding# Burvmy P rworded by Hlatorlc Amerlcmn En~ lnnr tng

'Prlmrry lmrtlon d nddttlonrl data:

1 8trtm hlmtorle pnrmrvntlon offlor Othrr Btrt, ngonoy FodrnI 8pancy Lmd govlrnmrnt a Unlvmrulty ahor

8prcl7y nporhory:

10. Osoprrphlcal Pmta Acreage 07 property kss than one

WTM References A 1115 I 1 4 : 2 , 1 16,8 1 13, 7[5161 510i0t

Zone Easting Norlhlng s w u -

Lone Eastlng North lng

o w u u See continuation sheet

Verbal Boundary Description

Ewnddry JuIltlllcatlon This boundary Includes a l l the property historically associated with this resource.

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11. F m Ptspmmd By narnehltle Kenneth Story. Architectural Historian wgsnizatbn Arkansas His tor ic Preservation Pro~ram date 4 M ~ v - 1990 gtreet 6 number 225 E Markham. Suite 300 telephone 1591) 3 7 1 - 7767 city ar town L i t t l e Rock Stat0 Arkansas ZIP 72201