National Register of Historic Places listings in Ouachita County, Arkansas facts for kids
Welcome to Ouachita County, Arkansas! This page is all about special places in the county that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Think of the National Register as a super important list of buildings, sites, and objects across the United States that are worth saving because of their history or unique design.
In Ouachita County, there are 38 amazing places on this list. Some of these are even part of a bigger, extra-special group called a National Historic Landmark District. These landmarks are recognized for being important to the history of the entire country!
Contents
Historic Buildings and Homes
Many of the places on the National Register are old houses and buildings that tell us about life long ago.
Beautiful Old Houses in Camden
- Bragg House: This old house is located west of Camden on Highway 4. It was added to the list in 1974.
- Capt. John T. Burkett House: Found at 607 County Road 65 in Frenchport, this house became historic in 1998.
- Elliott-Meek House: At 761 Washington Street in Camden, this house joined the list in 1974. It's a great example of older homes in the area.
- Graham-Gaughan-Betts House: Another historic home in Camden, located at 710 Washington Street. It was added in 1974.
- Hickman House: This house, built long ago, is at 3568 Mt. Holly Road in Camden. It was recognized in 2006.
- McCollum-Chidester House: Located at 926 Washington Street, NW, in Camden, this house is very important. It was listed in 1971 and now serves as the Ouachita County Historical Society museum. It's a fantastic place to learn about local history!
- Benjamin T. Powell House: You can find this house at 305 California Avenue in Camden. It was added to the list in 1974.
- Richmond-Tufts House: Northwest of Camden on Highway 24, this house became historic in 1977.
- Rumph House: At 717 Washington Street in Camden, this house was recognized in 2003.
- Rowland B. Smith House: This house, at 234 Agee Street in Camden, was listed in 1974.
- Sidney A. Umsted House: Located at 404 Washington Street in Camden, this house was added in 1995.
Important Buildings and Districts
- Bearden Waterworks: This important site, found at the junction of N. 2nd and N. Cedar in Bearden, was listed in 2006. It shows how towns got water in the past.
- Clifton and Greening Streets Historic District: This area in Camden, roughly bounded by Clifton and Greening Streets, and Dallas and Cleveland Avenues, is a whole neighborhood of historic buildings. It was first listed in 1998 and has had parts added since then.
- Harvey's Grocery and Texaco Station: This old store and gas station at 3241 Highway 24 in Camden was listed in 2001. It reminds us of how people shopped and traveled years ago.
- Holt-Poindexter Store Building: Located on a County Road in Stephens, this old store building was added in 1986.
- Leake-Ingham Building: This building at 926 Washington Street, NW, in Camden, was once a law office. Listed in 1975, it's now part of the museum area behind the McCollum-Chidester House.
- Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot-Camden: This old train station, at the corner of Main and 1st Streets in Camden, was listed in 1992. Train depots were once very busy places!
- Old Camden Post Office: Built in 1895, this brick post office at 133 Washington Street, SW, in Camden, became historic in 1977.
- Ouachita County Courthouse: The main courthouse for the county, located at 145 Jefferson Avenue in Camden, was listed in 1989. It's where important government work happens.
- St. John's Episcopal Church: This church at 117 Harrison Street in Camden was added to the list in 2017. Churches often have long and interesting histories.
- Tyson Family Commercial Building: At 151 Adams Street, SE, in Camden, this commercial building was listed in 1994. It shows how businesses used to operate.
- Washington Street Historic District: This large historic area in Camden includes parts of Washington, Graham, Cleveland, Agee, and California Streets. It was listed in 2010 and is full of historic buildings.
Bridges and Transportation
Bridges are important for connecting places, and some have a lot of history!
- Arkansas Highway 57 Bridge: This bridge in Stephens used to carry Highway 57 over a Union Pacific railroad line. It was listed in 2005.
- Ben Laney Bridge: This bridge carries U.S. Highway 79B over the Ouachita River in Camden. It was recognized in 2000.
- The HOMER (Shipwreck): This isn't a bridge, but it's related to transportation! The HOMER was a paddlewheel steamboat that was sunk on purpose during the American Civil War near Camden. It was listed as a historic shipwreck in 2002.
Military and Battle Sites
Ouachita County has several sites important to the Civil War.
- Camden Water Battery: These are old Civil War forts along the riverfront in Camden. They were listed in 2007.
- Fort Lookout: This fort, on the southern bank of the Ouachita River west of U.S. Highway 79 in Camden, is a National Historic Landmark. It's part of the Camden Expedition Sites, which are important Civil War battle areas. It was listed in 1994.
- Fort Southerland: Another part of the Camden Expedition Sites, this fort in Camden (near Lear Avenue, Bradley Ferry Road, and Progress Street) was also listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1994. These forts played a role in the Civil War battles in Arkansas.
- Poison Spring State Park: Located northwest of Camden near Chidester, this park is a National Historic Landmark. It was the site of a Civil War battle and was listed in 1969.
- Tate's Bluff Fortification: This old fort near Tate's Bluff was listed in 2002.
Cemeteries and Other Sites
Cemeteries can also be historic places, telling us about the people who lived in an area.
- Camden Confederate Monument: This monument is on the Courthouse Lawn in Camden, between Harrison Street and Scott Alley. It was listed in 1996.
- Lester And Haltom No. 1 Well Site: This site northeast of Stephens on Old Wire Road (County Road 3) is very important! It's where oil was first discovered in Arkansas. It was listed in 1976.
- Oakland Cemetery: This cemetery in Camden, located in the 100 block of Maul Road, bounded by Pearl Street and Madison Avenue, was listed in 2000.
- Oakland Cemetery, Confederate Section: A specific part of Oakland Cemetery, north of Pearl Street, between Adams and Young Streets, was listed separately in 1996.
- Oakland Farm: South of Camden at Tate and Oakland Streets, this farm was listed in 1978.
- Tate's Barn: This historic barn at 902 Tate Street in Camden was listed in 1972.
- Two Bayou Methodist Church and Cemetery: This church and cemetery on County Road 125 near Camden were listed in 1998.
Images for kids
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The Arkansas Highway 57 Bridge
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The Ouachita County Courthouse
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A historic house in the Clifton and Greening Streets Historic District
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The Elliott-Meek House
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Fort Lookout, a Civil War site
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Fort Southerland
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The Graham-Gaughan-Betts House
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Harvey's Grocery and Texaco Station
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The Hickman House
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The Holt-Poindexter Store Building
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The Ben Laney Bridge
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The Leake-Ingham Building
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The McCollum-Chidester House, now a museum
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The old Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot in Camden
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Oakland Cemetery
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Confederate memorial in Oakland Cemetery
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Oakland Farm
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The Old Camden Post Office
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Poison Spring State Park
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The Benjamin T. Powell House
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The Richmond-Tufts House
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The Rumph House
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The Rowland B. Smith House
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Tate's Barn
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Two Bayou Methodist Church and Cemetery
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The Tyson Family Commercial Building
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The Sidney A. Umsted House
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A building in the Washington Street Historic District
