U.S. Arsenal Building (Arkansas)
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Images
U.S. Arsenal Building
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The arsenal was originally built to protect the then Oklahoma Territory from Native Americans and held ammunition. After the Civil War, the arsenal was renamed the Little Rock Barracks and served as a place of residence for married officers and their families; front and back porches were added, as well as interior walls, and stairs. In 1893, the building was traded to the city of Little Rock on the grounds that it would be set in a public park; today, that park is known as MacArthur Park. The Little Rock Æsthetic Club moved into the building in 1894 and is still headquartered there today. IN 1912, Little Rock’s first Public Library was located on the building’s 2nd floor.