1836 Hempstead County Courthouse (Tour)

Entries on This Tour

1. Moon Tree (1976)

This loblolly pine tree orbited the moon aboard Apollo 14 as a seedling in 1971, and was planted next to the 1836 Courthouse in 1976. Part of an experiment to see how space travel effected plant life, it is one of eighty such "moon trees" still standing today, and one of two in the state of Arkansas.

2. Richard Davies Northern Catalpa

The northern catalpa grows straighter and its limbs do not branch out as much as the southern catalpa. The northern and southern catalpa are both grown for shade, and as an ornamental. The northern catalpa is native to the midwestern stretch of the Mississippi River, while the southern catalpa stretches from the Mississippi Delta across the Deep South. The northern catalpa grows straighter with tighter limbs than its southern cousin. This is a younger catalpa, planted in honor of retiring Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism director Richard Davies in 2015.

3. The Tragedy Of James Black

James Black had been successful serving in different posts for the county as deputy jailor, road overseer, juror, and was elected in 1834 as 1 of 5 trustees for the community of Washington. Not long after the birth of his fifth child, Black’s life began a series of hardships starting with the death of his wife, Anne, on September 12, 1835. Many of the events that followed in his life took place at the 1836 Hempstead County Courthouse. Guided tours are available of the building. Visit the Historic Washington State Park Visitor Center for more information.

This Tour is a Virtual Museum or Site Tour.

1836 Hempstead County Courthouse

Created by Historic Washington State Park on October 28th 2020, 7:58:13 pm.

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Description

One of the oldest Federal-style buildings standing in Arkansas, the 1836 Courthouse was the first proper courthouse in Hempstead County. It hosted one of the founding members of the Arkansas Grand Lodge, Mt. Horeb Lodge No. 4. In 1864, the county courthouse housed a special session of the Confederate General Assembly, following the government’s flight from Little Rock. After county business moved to the new 1874 Courthouse, the structure served as a schoolhouse for the next 40 years. In 1929, an effort was made to preserve the structure as a historic site, as it is today.This building is available on guided tours.

Entries on This Tour

1836 Hempstead County Courthouse

Description

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