A historical society and a group of residents are working to save the old Clarksville National Guard Armory building.
A motion to demolish the city-owned armory went before the Clarksville City Council earlier this year, but the council chose not to act on it at that time. Instead, Clarksville Mayor Mark Simpson has formed a committee to look at different avenues regarding the future of the building to see what is best for the city.
That prompted a grass-roots effort to try to save the two-story art deco structure built in 1930 and located at 309 College St. The building is only a few blocks off the city's square, and most recently it was used as a youth sports facility.
The building, with its brick exterior and metal-and-asphalt roof, has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2007. It also has been placed on the state's Most Endangered Places List, which Preserve Arkansas will make public next month.
Preserve Arkansas, also known as the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas, is a statewide nonprofit organization focused on preserving the state's architectural and cultural resources.
The most-endangered list, released annually since 1999, is designed to raise awareness of the importance of Arkansas' historic places, generate support for saving endangered properties, and provide a tool for evaluating and prioritizing preservation needs in Arkansas. Preserve Arkansas also directs property owners to the technical and financial resources needed to save properties.
"[The list] is mainly a way to bring attention to these properties that are in danger of being lost," said Vanessa McKuin, executive director for Preserve Arkansas. "Each property is kind of facing a different situation. Our hope is to bring attention to a building that most people don't realize the significance of."
The Clarksville armory was placed on the National Register because of its statewide significance in association with the Arkansas Army National Guard, McKuin said. It's one of the few surviving armories in the state built through the state military department's armory construction fund.
The National Guard built a replacement armory in Clarksville in the 1970s, and when the Guard moved out of the old building in January 1979, the state sold it to the city for $1.
The cost to build it in 1930 was about $18,700. A Russellville architect hired by Clarksville to provide an estimate for refurbishing the building said it would cost as much as $1.2 million today to fix it.
Many believe it can be done for less. Proponents of saving the building say the armory needs a new roof and some interior work where there is water damage.
The Clarksville City Council voted last week to spend up to $3,000 on a tarp to cover the building's roof, Alderman Danna Schneider said. The council also agreed to seek grants for a study to determine the actual cost of refurbishing the building and possible uses for it.
"In our opinion, it has some problems ... but the building is structurally sound," said Mark Christ, community outreach director for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, which nominated the armory for the National Register. "We've seen buildings saved that were in far worse condition than this one."
However, having a building on the National Register is "primarily honorific," Christ said. The owner -- in this case, the city -- can do what it wants with it, he said.
"All we can do is remove it from the National Register if it's demolished or altered too much," Christ said.
Christ said the organization recommends saving it because it's an important part of Clarksville's history.
After the building ceased being used as an armory, it was renamed Alston Youth Center. Sonny Alston was a prominent resident and longtime city employee who had an interest in providing activities for the youths of Clarksville, said Mark Hodge, the president of the Johnson County Historical Society who is involved in the effort to save the armory.
For years it was used as an activities center for youth basketball, volleyball and boxing, Hodge said. Even in the building's current condition, people still use it as a boxing club.
The desire to tear down the armory stems from years of neglect, according to Hodge, who said he believes some members of the City Council "would rather tear it down and not mess with it."
"They've been kicking this can down the road for years," Hodge said. "They've never spent much money to maintain it."
State Desk on 04/18/2016