Project to save, fix up black architect's 1900s house

HOT SPRINGS -- At a time when historically significant buildings and homes have burned down or been demolished, a woman and her philanthropic organization are working to save one key structure in the hope it will inspire and spark a movement to preserve more of Hot Springs' past.

Cheryl Batts, president and founder of P.H.O.E.B.E. (People Helping Others Excel by Example), which works to document black history and culture in Hot Springs, has started a fundraising campaign to save the former home of John Lee Webb, a prominent and influential figure not only in Arkansas but also around the country.

The house, built around 1900, is at 403 Pleasant St., in the middle of the Pleasant Street Historic District, and just a few blocks from the Webb Community Center, which was donated to the black community by Webb in 1945 and named for Emma Elease Webb, his only daughter, after her death.

A native of Alabama, Webb was a builder and contractor and was the "supreme custodian" of the Supreme Lodge of the Woodmen of the Union, a black fraternal organization established in Mississippi around 1903 and later based in Hot Springs. The Webbs moved there in 1918.

Working with Walter Bailey, renowned as one of the nation's best black architects, Webb built the five-story Woodmen of the Union building, now known as the National Baptist Hotel, on Malvern Avenue in 1923, and it soon became the center of black culture in Hot Springs. In 1924, Webb founded the National Laymen's Auxiliary of the National Baptist Conference.

Batts said Friday that her group's goal "is not only to preserve the house but to energize the neighborhood and show them this can be done."

Kwendeche, a Little Rock-based preservation architect consulted to work on the project, said Friday, "This is a starting point for the restoration of the whole district, which is being threatened by continued demolition with no rhyme or reason why. We're going to fight that. Anything being demolished elsewhere impacts the legacy of the Webb house."

Kwendeche goes by one name.

Batts stressed that "we're not talking about in-your-face confrontation. We'll fight by finding someone to buy the properties if necessary. We want to stop the encroachment on the historic district in a smart, intelligent and creative way."

Kwendeche noted that his interest in the Webb house and the district "goes beyond architecture." He said his mother was a teacher who would take him and his siblings to Hot Springs for the annual black teachers meeting held at the National Baptist building.

"She had no baby sitter so she would bring us and we would run up and down the streets. I ran errands for her and the other teachers," he said, noting he still has fond memories of the neighborhood and its history.

The goal for the Webb house is to restore the exterior to its appearance in 1926 and transform the interior into a community resource center and museum of local black history, especially that of the Pleasant Street Historic District, which is the largest black historical district in Arkansas.

Batts said previous fundraisers were able to take care of the taxes on the house and survey work and paid to fix up the grounds. They now have a three-year, three-phase plan for restoration of the house.

The first phase, which the preservationists have budgeted at $75,000, will be to protect the house by repairing the roof and ensuring the perimeter brick, window and door openings are weather-tight and secure.

"The roof is always critical," Kwendeche said, noting the group plans to remove the antique tiles temporarily, redo the shingles, repair the damaged areas, "put in a proper waterproof membrane," and then replace the original tiles on top.

"Based on historical photos, there was also a chimney and we plan to put that back as it was," he said.

"Some windows can be restored and the ones that can't will be replaced to match the originals," he said, noting he plans to use thermoglass inside but "you won't be able to tell the difference from the outside."

He noted the house was originally a wood frame house that Webb "reclad in brick" after he bought it in 1925. "Over the years, patchwork repairs have been made, but we plan to preserve the integrity of the building. It will have to be insulated from the inside. We can't take the bricks down and put them back."

The house was built in the Queen Anne style popularized in the late 19th century with extensive exterior detailing, and he noted the brick joints used by Webb in his remodel were unique. "You don't see those very often in brick construction."

Kwendeche also noted the bricks used on the house are exactly the same as the ones used in the National Baptist building, which was built "around the same time frame" and he believes Webb likely used leftover bricks from that project on his house.

Batts said the group hopes to have the first phase completed "by hook or by crook" by January "before it gets cold" and noted that by November or December this year "it's going to look a lot different than what you are seeing now."

The second phase will involve a complete makeover of the interior in a period design "to create an inviting and functional atmosphere for guests and users of the house." This will include administrative offices, gallery areas, an audiovisual screening room, a kitchen for events and the Cornelious Leron Hollinshed Learning Center.

Batts said Hollinshed was a founding member of P.H.O.E.B.E. and has worked with the Arkansas Career Training Institute and the Quapaw Children's Center. "There's not anyone who works with children in Hot Springs who doesn't know him," she said, noting his devotion to young people mirrored that of Webb.

"It was always [Webb's] desire to raise up young men and women to be godly, positive, productive members of the community. They both shared the same ideas about youth and building a stronger community."

Regarding the gallery space, Batts said she wants to see the walls not only covered with historical photos of the Pleasant Street and Malvern Avenue communities, but also has "a good working relationship" with the artist community and "would like to feature artwork that reflects our theme at the time."

The final phase will be to rebuild the garage that once stood at the rear of the property, and Kwendeche suggested possibly turning it into a pottery workshop with a kiln for children to use.

"We have photos of the garage and hope to re-create it as it was," he said, noting it had the same tiles and shingles as the house and matched the basic design.

Batts said the house sat empty for many years and in 2011 she began checking and discovered the last owner of the house had lived in New Orleans and was killed when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.

The house was bought by Patricia Perrin, who was interested in restoring it after learning it was on Arkansas' Most Endangered Places List and after reading the John Lee Webb, The Man and His Legacy, a biography of Webb written by Batts, Janis Kearney and Patricia McGraw.

"She and I just clicked," Batts said, and after some complications arose and Perrin was unable to complete the work she had planned, she donated the house to P.H.O.E.B.E.

The project is funded in part by a grant from the Black History Commission of Arkansas and Batts noted that the group has "several fundraisers lined up" and many families and organizations "have voiced their support."

Events include a community family reunion in October, a book signing Nov. 5, a fashion show and numerous plans in conjunction with Black History Month in February.

She said immediate concerns are continued maintenance of the grounds and increased security, noting she has contacted Hot Springs police and notified them of the "active project" and the need for increased patrols.

She noted the project hasn't had much problem with vandalism though since the last of the copper was removed. "We are officially copper free now," she said, laughing.

Batts said she felt it was so important to preserve the house because of Webb's lasting legacy and that the completed center and other similar projects could be an asset to the Hot Springs economy, which is "based on hospitality and tourism."

"Let's look toward the future. Historic tourism is one of the biggest things going now," she said, noting it is not dependent on good weather. "It keeps people coming in the winter and summer," she said.

Metro on 09/20/2015

Upcoming Events