The Arlington dates back to 1875, when it was the largest hotel in the state. Two notable legacy properties in the district are the Arlington Hotel and the Majestic Hotel. The DeSoto is home to administrative offices and a visitor center for the nationally known Mountain Valley Spring Co., which has bottled spring water continuously in Hot Springs since 1871. Two buildings that are also especially noteworthy in the district are the neoclassical Thomson Building, designed by George Mann, and the DeSoto Mineral Springs Building. Most were two to three stories and made of brick, with many having ornamental metal fronts.Īlong with the entire Central Avenue Historic District being named to the National Register of Historic Places, individual structures in the district that have been named to the register include the Citizens Building, Malco Theatre, Medical Arts Building, Riviera Hotel, Wade Building, and the nearby Park Hotel, as well as the legacy buildings of Bathhouse Row. Built in a variety of architectural styles, they were often designed by the region’s most distinguished architects, including Charles Johnson and George Mann, designer of the Arkansas State Capitol. Especially devastating was the fire of 1913, as well as the fire accompanied by a flood in 1923.Īfter each setback, the commercial structures along Central Avenue were constructed more and more elaborately, utilizing progressively better materials. However, much of Central Avenue was destroyed repeatedly, along with most of downtown Hot Springs, in the catastrophic fires of the late 1800s and early 1900s. The construction of the bathhouses led to the launch of nearby hotels, restaurants, shops, and theaters to support the tourist trade. The magnificent bathhouses located there are the Buckstaff, Fordyce, Hale, Lamar, Maurice, Ozark, Quapaw, and Superior. Along with the Grand Promenade, Bathhouse Row was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1987. By the late 1870s, the street was named Central Avenue to reflect its status as the city’s commercial center.īetween 18, elaborate spa buildings were constructed along Central Avenue’s Bathhouse Row. Supreme Court decision regarding who held title to the land in Hot Springs. Few substantial buildings on Central Avenue were constructed until after the 1876 U.S. It has been the hub of commerce for the city since early settlement around the thermal springs, which at first consisted of simple wooden shacks. The thoroughfare was originally called Valley Street, being located in the valley of Hot Springs Creek. Fronting Bathhouse Row, the stores, hotels, offices, and restaurants located on Central Avenue served local residents as well as the visitors who drove the city’s booming tourist trade until the last half of the twentieth century. The Central Avenue area has traditionally been the main commercial district of Hot Springs. The buildings reflect the growth of Hot Springs as one of the nation’s premier resort destinations in the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 25, 1985. It contains some of the state’s finest historic buildings built between 18. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the National Park Service.The Hot Springs Central Avenue Historic District extends from 205 Park Avenue to 702 Central Avenue in Hot Springs (Garland County). A number of trails start and stop at the Grand Promenade. The 1930's is when the Grand Promenade began as a project of the Public Works Administration. The state has used the facility which was built as the 2nd Army-Navy hospital during 1933 for over forty years. The Hot Springs Rehabilitation Center is above the south entrance. The first superintendent's residence was demolished during 1958 and the original site can be seen from the Grand Promenade's north end. In 1982 the brick promenade became a National Recreation Trail and is something all visitors to the area should see. Grand Promenade is a half mile long providing a unique view of the quartz veins found in the tufa and sandstone cliffs, hot springs cascade, Arlington Lawn and the historical downtown of Hot Springs. It is the United States Park with the smallest area. The area became a national park on the 4th of March 1921 after it was initially created on the 20th of April during 1832 by an act of Congress. Grand Promenade located in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas is a U.S.
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