Two Catholic institutions were recently added to the National Register of Historic Places, bringing the diocesan and religious order-owned property on the list to 15.
In March, St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith and St. Joseph Church in Tontitown were notified by the State Review Board of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program that they had been added to the national registry.
The listing was the culmination of a process that began when architectural reports were submitted to the board in December 2005.
Listing in the National Historic Registry recognizes a property’s significance in its community. Listed properties can be eligible for federal tax benefits and federal assistance for historic preservation, if funding is available.
“When a building is listed on the National Register it is really an honor, but property owners can still make improvements to, sell, or even tear down their building,” Brenda Andrews, planner for the City of Fort Smith, said. “Hopefully the changes will be compatible to the historic nature of the property. For buildings located in historic districts, there are restrictions on exterior renovations, but individually listed properties have no restrictions.”
 Famed architect designed three parishes on list Click here |
In making its determination to present a property to the National Historic Registry, the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program conducts a site visit, takes photographs and completes an architectural survey. Each recommended property is reviewed by an 11-member committee that meets quarterly in Little Rock.
The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program compiled detailed histories and architectural reports on St. Scholastica Monastery and St. Joseph’s Church and their significance in the development of the Catholic Church in Arkansas.
The Benedictine sisters first came to Arkansas from Indiana in 1878 after railroad companies asked their order to establish churches and schools along the railroad and minister to German railroad workers. They first established their convent in Shoal Creek, but in 1922 they moved to Fort Smith.
Working with architect F.W. Redlich, they planned a five-story building with buff-colored native brick, ornamented with Carthage and Bedford stone, with a green tile roof. Redlich designed the building in Gothic/Tudor Revival style with extensive window treatments and cut stone accents.
In 1925 the sisters bought an additional 28 acres, and an addition was completed in 1929, including a chapel with seating for 300, gymnasium and swimming pool. The total cost of land, building and chapel addition was $500,532.
In subsequent years, the sisters built a freestanding building with dormitory and academic wings housing St. Anne Academy. Since 1990, the dormitory wing has been used as a retreat center with kitchen and room facilities for local businesses and organizations, while the academic wing has been leased to Trinity Junior High School.
The convent is being listed in the National Register under Criteria A and C. Criterion A recognizes St. Scholastica’s contribution to the spread of religion in Fort Smith in the 19th century. Criterion C recognizes the building as an example of late Gothic/Tudor Revival style.
“When the announcement came that our building had been placed on the registry we were extremely happy and pleased and it made us appreciate the architectural structure of our building,” Sister Pierre Voster, OSB, said. “We went out and looked at it. ’Is that really our building?’ It is so beautiful and we are so proud of it.”
On May 15, Fort Smith Mayor C. Ray Baker and Brenda Andrews of the Fort Smith Planning Commission joined prioress Sister Cabrini Schmitz, OSB, and the Benedictine sisters for an unveiling/blessing ceremony of the National Register of Historic Places plaque. The bronze plaque was placed at the main entrance of the convent.
St. Joseph Church in Tontitown was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places with local significance under Criterion A, because of its connection with the Italian immigration movement and the growth of religion in Tontitown. The Italian immigrants who founded St. Joseph Parish first settled in southeastern Arkansas to grow cotton on the Sunnyside Plantation near the Mississippi River.
When 125 settlers died in a malaria outbreak, leaving many children orphaned, the St. Joseph Society of New York helped the survivors relocate to farmland on a prairie west of Springdale.
Father Pietro Bandini, who led the group and purchased the farm for $15 an acre, named the area Tontitown in honor of the first Italian to explore Arkansas, Henry de Tonti.
At first, earlier settlers harassed the immigrants, burning the school building they used for education and church services. But the Italians prospered. Their farms, vineyards and orchards brought in substantial revenue. They built a whole town of single-family residences with a new school and church at its center.
When a devastating tornado destroyed the church on June 18, 1934, the community set out to rebuild it. Using only one paid worker, Albano Maestri, each parish family donated one day a week to erect the structure. They hauled gravel and water in team wagons, molding 8-by-22-inch cement blocks, constructing the A-frame roof beams of oak and altar rails of cedar. Nine families purchased stained glass windows and each family purchased its own pew.
The building was painted white because Leo Pianalto declared that the House of God should be white. Gene Ardemagni inserted a time capsule into the east side of the church.
Because of substantial growth in the Springdale area, a new church was built in 1994, and the bell in the east side tower of the old church was moved to the new church. The stained glass windows were given back to the nine founding families who had donated them.
Currently, the historic church is used for storage.
“The old church was dear to the people because it was built with volunteer labor,” said Msgr. James Mancini, St. Joseph pastor. “So it’s really a church of the people. The Tontitown Museum has expressed an interest in using the church to expand its present site, but on Bishop (J. Peter) Sartain’s recommendation, we have a long-range building committee which is looking into ways we can use it for church purposes.”
Jim Driedric, property services manager for the Diocese of Little Rock, said the diocese doesn’t encourage parishes and other diocesan-owned property to get listed on the registry as a way of being eligible for federal grants to improve their property. Because many stipulations come with the grants, the diocese will not allow parishes to apply for the money.
Driedric said the grant restrictions relate to “architectural easements” and how the parish is repaired, renovated or landscaped.
“The reason to be on it (the registry) is to apply for the grants,” he said.
Some historic Catholic buildings like St. John Center (formerly a seminary) in Little Rock would not apply to be on the registry, Driedric said.
According to the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, St. Anthony Hospital in Morrilton, Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Marche and St. Joseph Home (formerly an orphanage) are listed, as well as 10 churches throughout the diocese:
Cathedral of St. Andrew, Little Rock (built in 1878)
St. Agnes Church, Mena (1921-1922)
St. Luke Church, Warren (1907)
St. Richard Church, Bald Knob (1939)
St. Anthony Church, Ratcliff (1903)
St. Edward Church, Little Rock (1901)
St. John Church, Brinkley (1875 and 1928)
Christ the King Church, Fort Smith (1903)
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (St. Mary) Church, Altus (1902)
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Marche (1932)
Some churches may be included in the National Registry because of their location.
“Immaculate Conception Church (in Fort Smith) is not listed individually but is included in the Garrison Avenue Historic District expanded in 1997,” Andrews said. “All the buildings within the boundaries of historic districts are listed in the National Register.”
Some are magnificent structures; some are humble buildings built with volunteer labor. Some were designed by renowned architects; others were designed by self-taught construction workers. All of them are a testament to the simple faith of Arkansas’ first Catholics — settlers, priests and sisters — who endured many hardships building the extensive network of churches, schools and hospitals Catholic Arkansans use today.
Malea Hargett contributed to this story.
Famed architect designed three parishes on list
Three Catholic churches listed on the National Register of Historic Places — Christ the King Church in Fort Smith, St. Edward Church in Little Rock and Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Marche — were designed by a famous architect.
Charles L. Thompson is the subject of a book by F. Hampton Roy called “Charles L. Thompson and Associates: Arkansas Architects, 1885-1938.” A collection of his drawings is on permanent display at the Old State House Museum in Little Rock.
Thompson, who was born in November 1868, was one of seven children. Orphaned at age 14, he started working at an Indiana mill to help support his younger siblings. When he was 18, he visited Little Rock and decided to settle there because it was the “farthest of the wilderness,” and he believed he would have lots of opportunity to use the drafting and architectural skills he had learned at the Indiana mill.
Benjamin Bartlett took him on and made him a full partner two years later.
Although Thompson never had any formal training in architecture, he took many correspondence courses and was a voracious reader. He founded the first professional organization for engineers, architects and surveyors in the state and in his later years mentored many young architects who eventually went on to start their own firms.
He designed many of the homes in the historic Quapaw District of Little Rock, the Rector Bath House in Hot Springs, the Fordyce National Bank Building and Little Rock City Hall. Five percent (or 125) of the 2,500 buildings designed by Thompson’s firm were churches.
Thompson practiced architecture in Little Rock from 1888 through 1938, and these three churches reflect the different styles of his era. St. Edward Church, a Gothic style edifice, was built in 1901. Two years later, Christ the King Church was built in Spanish mission style. In 1932, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church was designed in Gothic Revival style. All three of these churches were placed on the National Register on Dec. 22, 1982, as part of a thematic nomination.
