Ozark Living

owned by prominent local families in the mid-19th century. e homes are owned by the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and offer tours, educational programs and meeting space for visitors, students and the general public. e Old Frisco Depot, built in 1901, served as a passenger and freight depot for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway. e building now houses the Van Buren Visitors Center and the Advertising and Promotions Commission and is open to the public for tours. e Crawford County Courthouse was built in 1842 and is the oldest courthouse still in use in Arkansas. e building is in the heart of downtown Van Buren and is a popular destination for visitors. e courthouse grounds include the preserved schoolhouse of Albert Pike and several significant memorials and statues. Overall, historic preservation is an important aspect of Van Buren's cultural heritage and efforts to protect and preserve historic properties in the city contribute to heritage tourism and an economic development term known as "quality of place." Quality of place encompasses all of the features of physical environment and qualities of life that make a location a desirable, competitive and economically vibrant place to live. Many historic sites are included on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), a federal program in the United States that is designed to recognize and protect historic properties. e program was established in 1966 as part of the National Historic Preservation Act, which sought to preserve the country's significant cultural and historical resources. Properties that are listed on the NRHP are recognized as having historical, architectural or cultural significance at the local, state or national level. e NRHP is administered by the National Park Service, which maintains a database of all listed properties and provides guidance and support to property owners, preservation professionals and local governments. Listing on the NRHP is voluntary and property owners must meet certain eligibility requirements to be considered for listing. Generally, properties must be at least 50 years old and must have retained their historic integrity. Eligible properties may include buildings, structures, sites, districts and objects that are associated with significant events, people or movements in American history. Once a property is listed on the NRHP, it is eligible for certain benefits and protections. ese may include financial incentives, such as tax credits or grants, as well as regulatory protections, such as review and approval of any changes or alterations to the property that may impact its historic character. Historic preservation is important on a number of levels, helping us to protect buildings and sites that are significant in our history, promoting education and a better understanding of our past, and contributing to the value of our communities in tangible and intangible ways. Get out this month and visit some of the historic sites and buildings near you and help us celebrate historic preservation month and our collective past. Tom Wing is an assistant professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. He is the director of the Drennen-Scott Historic Site and a trustee of the Arkansas Historical Association. For more than 30 years, he has written about, taught and worked to preserve the history of Arkansas. Crawford County Courthouse in Van Buren OZaRK LIVING • May 2023 • 23

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