Eureka Springs Historical Museum
Established 1971 in Calif House
This three-story limestone building with metal-clad roof enclosing the top story was constructed in 1889 by Samuel L. Calif. For fifty years it served as a residence, general merchandise store, and boarding house. About 1948 the building was converted for use as a meeting hall for the B.P.O.E., and was known as the Elks Lodge until 1970 when the organization relocated.
Since 1947 the original Ozark Folk Festival is held annually in Eureka Springs, directed by a non-profit corporation of local citizens. In 1971 the festival board of directors purchased the Calif House for the purpose of establishing a museum of local history, a museum advisory board accepted the task to collect, preserve and exhibit artifacts in the building, and the museum opened to the public October, 1971.
In 1980 the festival board created Eureka Springs Historical Museum, Inc., an association open to membership by all interested persons which assumed ownership of the museum property and oversight of its operation. The wood and glass store front and two-story ornamented wood porches were replaced as the building was restored to its original appearance.
Calif Spring
Located adjacent to the museum building is Calif Spring situated in a spring reservation established by the City of Eureka Springs February 15, 1886 and maintained as a public
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Cora Pinkley Call Cabin and Heritage Garden
The log cabin and garden were established as a museum property beginning in 1997 in an effort to preserve the pioneer history of the vicinity. The cabin was constructed in 1930 using hand-hewn logs from the James Seaton cabin built at Blue Spring about 1830 as well as logs from other surviving pioneer cabins in the vicinity. Door and hearth stone are from G. W. Pinkley homestead of 1865 date. Cora Pinkley Call, noted Ozark folklorist and author, used the cabin as a studio and organized the Ozark Writers and Artists Guild there about 1933.
Erected by in partnership with the Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce and the Community Development Partnership.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Environment • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1971.
Location. 36° 23.96′ N, 93° 44.456′ W. Marker is in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in Carroll County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street (State Highway 23) and Armstrong, on the left when traveling north on Main Street. Touch for map
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Calif Spring (a few steps from this marker); 85 South Main Street (within shouting distance of this marker); Bank of Eureka Springs (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bank of Eureka Springs Community Room (about 600 feet away); The Western District Courthouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Civic Center (approx. 0.2 miles away); Civil War Healing (approx. 0.2 miles away); Chandler Mall Buildings (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Eureka Springs.
Also see . . .
1. Eureka Springs Historical Museum. (Submitted on November 17, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. City of Eureka Springs. (Submitted on November 17, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. Eureka Springs History. (Submitted on November 18, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 16, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 17, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 406 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 17, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
