1900-1960

City of Waldron Commercial Historic District

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 12, 2024

1. 1900-1960 Marker

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Mountains.

South,

South,

Ozarks.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 12, 2024

2. 1900-1960 Marker
Waldron Hardware Mercantile Building

From the National Register Nomination:  The building at 282 South Main Street contains Italianate features that include arched windows on the second floor, arched doorways on first floor, decorative brickwork on front façade, and a bracketed roof. This building is circa 1880 and referred to as the Waldron Hardware Mercantile Building. John T. Forrester, who was a prominent businessman in Waldron at the turn of the century, originally owned it.

America,

Hemisphere,

World,

Anglosphere.

Culture,

Purchase,

America,

South.

From the National Register Nomination prepared by Angela Clifton, 4/7/2008:
The Kansas City Southern Railroad came to Waldron in 1902, as well as the First National Bank and the Bank of Waldron both opening in 1901. The majority of the construction during this time period was on the east side of South Main Street between East Second and East Fifth Streets. Eleven buildings from this time period remain in the historic district. The one and two-story brick buildings from this period

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 12, 2024

3. 1900-1960 Marker

The marker is located between the Stone Brothers Building (left) and the Waldron Hardware Mercantile Building (right), both contributing properties in the Waldron Commercial Historic District.

represent standard twentieth century architecture. During the 1920s, the streets of South Main Street were paved, and a central water system replaced the cisterns, wells, and outhouses. The 1930s marked the era of the Great Depression. Waldron’s First National Bank closed its doors, but the Bank of Waldron stayed in business. The New Deal brought the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to Scott County, and Waldron opened a WPA office on South Main Street in the 1930s. The WPA provided jobs for many people living in the area. The Civil Works projects were headed by Mrs. G.C. Bates, which provided work for 81 women in Waldron. These women worked in canning and sewing centers all over the county.

Excerpt:  In the 1930s, the New Deal brought the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to Scott County to provide jobs for people in the area who were suffering during the Depression. Main Street was paved for the first time

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 12, 2024

4. Waldron Commercial Historic District Marker

Waldron Commercial Historic District
Has Been Listed in the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
2008

between 1st and 5th streets. In 1931, the Pines Theatre opened on South Main Street. A new courthouse was completed in 1934 with help from the WPA. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Waldron shifted from a commercial center to an industrial town, with less focus on the Main Street area.

Excerpt:  The Waldron Commercial Historic District encompasses the historic central business district of Waldron, Arkansas. This area, a five-block stretch of Main Street was primarily developed between 1880 and 1920 but was an active commercial area from the town's incorporation in 1852. An unknown number of its early buildings were destroyed during the American Civil War. Most of the buildings are one- and two-story brick structures, with a variety of commercial architectural and vernacular styles present.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 12, 2024

5. Waldron Commercial Historic District

Looking north along South Main Street from East 5th Street.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 12, 2024

6. First National Bank Building
230 South Main Street

From the National Register Nomination:  In 1901 the Bank of Waldron and First National Bank both opened on South Main Street.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 12, 2024

7. The Pines Theatre
281 South Main Street

From the National Register Nomination:  The Pines Theatre built in 1931, reflects an Art Deco style.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 12, 2024

8. Bank of Waldron Building (right corner)

From the National Register Nomination:  The Bank of Waldron located at 245 South Main Street is a two-story brick structure built in 1901 that has one- and two-story cornices over the windows with inlaid stonework over the two-story double-hung windows.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 12, 2024

9. Historic Post Office Building

From the National Register Nomination:  The Post Office Building located at 251 South Main Street was built circa 1910. This is the only building that remains with a beveled, side entrance. The building shows Italianate influences with its arched doorways and windows and decorative brickwork, even though most Italianate buildings do not post-date the nineteenth century.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 12, 2024

10. Historic Scott County Courthouse
184 South Main Street

From the National Register Nomination:  The Scott County Courthouse, built in 1933, replaced the 1904 courthouse after it was destroyed in a fire. This courthouse was completed in 1935 with the help of the Public Works Administration workers. The courthouse is a great example of the Art Deco style constructed with concrete and brick detail and has fixed windows with central inset awnings. A modern courthouse was erected on First Street and the 1933 Scott County Courthouse now lies vacant.