What are the opening hours?

Monday 8am - 5pm Tuesday 8am - 5pm Wednesday 8am - 5pm Thursday 8am - 5pm Friday 8am - 5pm

Little Rock Historic District Commission

Home
United States
Little Rock, AR
Little Rock Historic District Commission

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Little Rock Historic District Commission, Government Organization, 723 W. Markham Street, Little Rock, AR.

The HDC and staff work with residents, property owners, neighborhoods, local and state nonprofit organizations, and City of Little Rock departments to protect and enhance our community’s cultural and architectural heritage for the benefit of the future.

06/09/2026

Step back in time with this week’s historic gem: the Knoop House. The Knoop House was listed to the National Register of Historic Places on 8/3/90 for its status as a unique example of the Art Moderne style in Little Rock’s residential architecture. Built in 1936 by the architecture firm Brueggeman, Swaim & Allen, the Knoop House features a smooth façade, a flat roof, coping at the roofline, and casement windows. The house was built for Werner and Faith Knoop. Werner Knoop was a founding principal of what is now Baldwin & Shell Construction Company, and he was the first Mayor of Little Rock after the City switched to a Council/City Manager form of government in 1957. Faith Yingling Knoop was a famous author whose works included children’s books, short stories, an Arkansas history textbook, and over 250 published articles. Knoop Park in Hillcrest is named after the couple. Now, the home still serves as a single-family residence.

For more information on this site and other Little Rock Landmarks, follow this link https://littlerock.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/sidebar/index.html?appid=358a709d8d984fba99104e5eb1d2328e or find it in the bio.

Slide 1: 2026, photo by City staff.
Slide 2, top to bottom: south elevation, undated, photo courtesy of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program; south elevation, 2005, photo by Charles Bloom.
Slide 3: top to bottom: front, north elevation, 2005, photo by Charles Bloom; front, north elevation, 2016, photo by Luann Glenn.

06/08/2026

Little Rock’s history lives on in the Railroad Call Historic District. The Railroad Call Historic District was listed to the National Register of Historic Places on 7/9/97 and expanded in 2024 as a significant example of intact railroad worker housing that developed as the Missouri Pacific Railroad expanded. At the turn of the 20th century, the Missouri Pacific Railroad station brought jobs and development to this section of Little Rock. Several homes were built around the station for railroad workers. Catering to the working- and middle-class neighborhood, these homes blended the Folk Victorian style with Colonial Revival, which were simpler and more affordable to build while incorporating the character of Victorian and classic styles. Railroads made the Folk Victorian style popular nationwide, as they allowed wood working machinery and products to be more accessible. Despite loss of historic fabric around the station, the historic character lives on through the deep connection to the railroad and the intact architectural details that reflect their provenance.

For more information on this historic district and other Little Rock Landmarks, follow this link https://littlerock.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/sidebar/index.html?appid=358a709d8d984fba99104e5eb1d2328e or find it in the bio.

Slide 1, clockwise from top: 104 S. Pulaski St.; 1302 W. 2nd St.; 108 S. Pulaski St
Slide 2: 112 S. Pulaski St.
Slide 3: 114 S. Pulaski St.
Slide 4: 1304 W. 2nd St.

06/04/2026

Join us today for the Little Rock Historic District Commission meeting at 4:00 p.m. in the Board Room at City Hall, 500 W. Markham St.

View the agenda under the Historic District Commission tab linked here or in our bio: https://littlerock.gov/government/city-departments/planning-and-development/commission-agendas/

06/02/2026

Step back in time with this week’s historic gem: the First United Methodist Church. The First United Methodist Church was listed to the National Register of Historic Places on 10/9/86 as a unique example of Romanesque Revival architecture and as the first Methodist church in the city of Little Rock. Built in 1900 by architect Frank Gibb, this Romanesque Revival church features two asymmetrical square towers with pyramidal roofs, a round tower with a conical roof, emphasized rounded windows and doors, and rusticated masonry. The Education Building and the Activities Building were added in 1951 and 1971, respectively, using cohesive materials and detailing. The congregation of the First United Methodist Church of Little Rock was organized in 1831, making it the oldest in Little Rock. This congregation established at least five other United Methodist Churches in just 50 years in central Arkansas while continuing to grow this one. In the early 20th century, it was the 9th largest congregation among Southern Methodist churches nationwide. Now, the building still serves the First United Methodist Church.

For more information on this site and other Little Rock Landmarks, follow this link https://littlerock.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/sidebar/index.html?appid=358a709d8d984fba99104e5eb1d2328e or find it in the bio.

Slide 1: 2026, photo by City staff.
Slide 2: undated, postcard courtesy of the J. N. Heiskell Photograph Collection at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture (CAHC).
Slide 3, top to bottom: 1978, photo courtesy of the Quapaw Quarter Association; undated, southeast elevation, photo courtesy of the Downtown Little Rock Partnership Collection at UALR CAHC.

06/01/2026

☀️🏡May Recap!

🎤On Tuesday, May 19, the Little Rock Historic District Commission Chair and Vice Chair updated the Board of Directors on preservation progress from 2020-2025, including sharing the 4 historic districts listed to the National Register, describing the 7 grant projects accomplished, and outlining the 3 new GIS tools available to the public.

🎂May 2026 was the Historic District Commission’s 50th birthday! The HDC was established in May 1976 by City ordinance to enhance and preserve Little Rock’s architectural and cultural heritage for the benefit of the future. The commissioners who have served help make this mission possible!

🏛️May was nationwide Preservation Month! Communities and stakeholders join together to celebrate preservation progress and look forward to future preservation opportunities, making May the perfect month to update the Board and community on HDC progress and to celebrate the HDC’s 50th birthday.

05/29/2026

Mark your calendars for the Historic District Commission meeting on June 4, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. in the Board Room at City Hall, 500 W. Markham St. View the agenda at the link in our bio.

05/19/2026

Step back in time with this week’s historic gem: the Albert Retan House. The Retan House was listed to the National Register of Historic Places on 12/3/1980 for its architecture and its representation of community planning in Little Rock. Built in 1893 in the Queen Anne style by Charles L. Thompson, this home features an asymmetrical porch, a hipped roof with cross gables, free Classic porch dentils and rails, spindle work porch supports, textured shingles, and half-timbering details. Albert Retan moved his family from Michigan to Arkansas to settle in a new suburb of Little Rock, called Pulaski Heights, and he commissioned this house. His and eight other families were among the first to build in the area. The expansion of streetcar lines made Pulaski Heights especially attractive to professionals working downtown who wanted to live outside the central city. Pulaski Heights was annexed into the city in 1905. Now, the home is in the Hillcrest Historic District and still serves as a single-family residence.

For more information on this site and other Little Rock Landmarks, follow this link https://littlerock.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/sidebar/index.html?appid=358a709d8d984fba99104e5eb1d2328e or find it in the bio.

Slide 1: 2026, photo by City staff.
Slide 2: undated, easy elevation, photo courtesy of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.
Slide 3, top to bottom: 2016, east elevation, photo by Luann Glenn; 2016, east elevation, photo by Luann Glenn.

05/12/2026

Step back in time with this week’s historic gem: the Gazette Building. The Gazette Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 10/22/76 for its remarkable architecture and its association with the Arkansas Gazette newspaper. Architect George R. Mann designed and built the building 1908 using reinforced concrete and terracotta. The Gazette Building features decorative floral motifs; segmented pediments with open base ends supported by Ionic columns over the entryways; three-sided window bays; miniature Doric columns between each window; and Ionic columns separating each bay. Peter Hotze, a wealthy businessman who started his fortune in New York City before returning to Little Rock, commissioned and owned the Gazette Building. The Gazette Building housed the Arkansas Gazette for 83 years. As Arkansas’s newspaper of record, the Gazette shaped public opinion, influenced elections, and chronicled pivotal moments in state and national history. When the paper closed in 1991 after 172 years of publication, it was the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas Democrat bought the Gazette’s assets and now publishes as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The building maintained political significance when Bill Clinton used it as his 1992 presidential campaign headquarters. Now, the building serves as an elementary and middle school for eStem Public Charter School.

For more information on this site and other Little Rock Landmarks, follow this link https://littlerock.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/sidebar/index.html?appid=358a709d8d984fba99104e5eb1d2328e or find it in the bio.

Slide 1: 2026, photo by City staff.
Slide 2, top to bottom: c. 1911, west facade, photo courtesy of the UALR Center for Arkansas History and Culture (CAHC); 1939, southwest façade, photo courtesy of the UALR CAHC.
Slide 3, top to bottom: undated, post card of Gazette Building, photo courtesy of the UALR CAHC; 1960, west façade entryway, photo courtesy of the UALR CAHC.

05/08/2026

🏘️🏛️Can you help preserve Little Rock’s rich history?

Apply today for the Historic District Commission! Applications are now being accepted for an upcoming vacancy in Position 6: owner and occupant of a structure located in a National Register Historic District other than the MacArthur Park Historic District.

The Historic District Commission works with residents, property owners, neighborhood associations, local and state nonprofit organizations, and City of Little Rock departments to protect and enhance our community’s cultural and architectural heritage for the benefit of the future. The Commission meets once a month to implement the historic preservation code by reviewing cases in the MacArthur Park Local Ordinance District, nominating sites to the National Register of Historic Places, serving as an advisory commission to the Board of Directors, and supporting education and preservation efforts citywide.

Apply at https://littlerock.gov/government/city-boards-and-commissions/ under Historic District Commission Application. For more information, contact staff: [email protected]

05/05/2026

Step back in time with this week’s historic gem: Garland Elementary School. Garland Elementary School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 10/16/2018 for its reflection of the city’s growth and education patterns. Built in 1924 in the Classical Revival and Collegiate Gothic styles, Garland Elementary School features masonry arches, multi-light doors and windows, crenelated parapets, and decorative brickwork. In 1938, the cafeteria was added to the southeast corner, and in 1954, a classroom was added to the northwest and northeast corners. Because of streetcars, the railroad industry, and destinations southwest of Little Rock, the neighborhood surrounding Garland Elementary attracted working class residents; Garland Elementary was built for white students. Following the integration of Central High School and city expansion, many white families relocated westward, though Garland Elementary remained exclusively for white students. In 1973—after district-wide integration for every grade—the school began serving the neighborhood, which had been predominantly African American for over a decade. Meanwhile, a 1954 remodel introduced wide hallways, large window bands, and linear details, reflecting Progressive Era and mid-century educational design trends seen nationwide. Garland Elementary School closed in 2001. Now, the building serves as the Friendship Aspire Academy Public Charter School.

For more information on this site and other Little Rock Landmarks, follow this link https://littlerock.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/sidebar/index.html?appid=358a709d8d984fba99104e5eb1d2328e or find it in the bio.

Slide 1: 2026, photo by City staff.
Slide 2: 1923, elevations by Sanders & Ginnochio, photo courtesy of the UALR Center for Arkansas History and Culture.
Slide 3: 2026, northwest elevation, showing 1954 addition, photo by City staff.

Address

723 W. Markham Street
Little Rock, AR
72201

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15013714789

Website

https://www.littlerock.gov/city-administration/city-departments/planning-and-development/divisions/cultural-heritage-his

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Little Rock Historic District Commission posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your organization to be the top-listed Government Service in Little Rock?