FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2015
Jesse Fulcher
Senior Planner
City Planning Division
479-575-8308
jfulcher@fayetteville-ar.gov
Historic Fayetteville Story Map: A Walk through Fayetteville’s Historic Districts
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A grant from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program provided necessary funds for the City to complete an interactive online map of Fayetteville’s four National Register Historic Districts – Washington Willow, Wilson Park, Mount Nord, and Dickson Street. The grant was matched with hours of work by City staff.
In 2014, the Historic District Commission, comprised of appointed volunteers, recognized a need to update the City’s historic structure database. Using Certified Local Government (CLG) grant funds, an architectural historian was contracted by the City Planning Division to research, photograph, and catalogue each structure within the City’s four National Register Historic Districts. Working with the City’s Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Department and software provider, ESRI, a dynamic and educational story map has been created for all four National Register Historic Districts. The GIS map allows users to click on a structure within a District to view a recent photograph and read about the architecture and history of the building. The map, which currently includes information on over 350 of Fayetteville’s most iconic and recognizable properties, can be viewed online here: http://gis2.accessfayetteville.org/historic/app/.
The next phase of the project will include expanding the database. Hundreds of historically significant structures within the City of Fayetteville are not listed individually or within a Historic District. Consequently, little is known about these structures, which provide a record of our City’s history. Further, these structures are disappearing due to rapid redevelopment. Continuing the research creates a permanent record of these structures with goals to provide education, create appreciation, and ultimately ensure preservation. The third phase includes researching and photographing individual structures beginning with the oldest, most significant structures and working forward in time. A concerted effort is being made to conduct research in each ward of the City, so that all neighborhoods are represented. Ultimately, each new structure will be added to the story map as documentation is completed. The research, database, and map development will be a tremendous resource for the Fayetteville community and for champions of historic preservation everywhere.
The Historic District Commission would like to thank the following organizations and individuals, who made this project possible: Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Fayetteville GIS Division, and Nina Shirkey. More information about the Historic District Commission can be found online here: http://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/658.
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