Spring Street History (page 2)

Flatiron Building.This site has seen several wedge-shaped buildings destroyed by fire and rebuilt since 1880. The current one was built in 1989 based on photographs of the 1890 building. For many years the site showed no structure above the corner street level, giving Spring Street a totally different appearance.

East Side was almost totally destroyed by the fire of 1888. The block appears much as it did after the “new” construction.

45-47 Spring:One notable exception is the absence of an outstanding limestone structure, the Ellis-Rosewater Building, which burned in 1935. One of the owners, Dr. Ellis, was so upset that he died of a heart attack on the same day.

53 Spring: Blocksom Building housed multiple businesses including an undertaker whose sign is still visible.

Note the many stairways connecting to Center Street below.

63 Spring:Built around 1902 by W.S. Wadsworth, this hotel was an immediate success. The lobby housed the Wellington Bar, a popular meeting spot for local gentleman before Prohibition. Later it was named The Allred, then The Springs, then The New Orleans.

67 Spring: Originally three stories, this was an important downtown building which served as the early post office with the Masonic Hall upstairs and courtroom below. The top floors were lost to fire. In the 1950s it was painted white, like many other businesses and homes, and embellished in wrought iron in a low cost effort at modernization to give the city a fresh appearance which visitors found appealing.

West Side has a variety of interesting upper floors and cornices -- many dated.

36-38 Spring: in early days this was Bishop’s Bazaar, one of many shops catering to visitors with a confectionery department; china, glassware and silver souvenirs plus a soda water machine, forerunner of the soda fountain.

40 Spring: Citizen’s Bank Building: This whimsical building housed a succession of banks: Citizen’s Bank until 1907; First National Bank until 1931; Bank of Eureka Springs, 1946 - 1967. This is the site of the Great Bank Robbery of 1923, which is re-enacted every September.

48 Spring: Cunningham Building. Another structure with a fine upper story was built in 1900 to replace a wooden building lost in the 188 fire by Mrs. J. C. Cunningham, a popular milliner and dressmaker. She was a Welsh immigrant who established her business in Eureka Springs in 1880; her hat and dress shops occupied the entire premises.

54-56 Spring: Eureka Drug Store, part of the early Rexall chain, begun here by A.L. Hess.

60 Spring: Wadsworth-Floyd building, built in 1889, was the site of Pendergrass Drug Store for over half a century. This part of Spring Street is locally known as Pendergrass Corner, with the popular “Group W Bench” located across the street. (Note: public restrooms located down the stairs)

North Side 73 Spring:A small limestone building which housed the Eureka Springs Souvenir and Novelty Company.

75 Spring: Clark & Klock Block: Built in 1889 as a real estate and insurance business after the fire of 1888. The limestone and brick building was enlarged in 1900. The Masonic Lodge Hall relocated upstairs from 67 Spring and emblem is displayed on the façade. This was the original location of the Bank of Eureka Springs from 1912 to 1946. Then it was adapted to a number of other business uses. In 1949 #75 was the Karroll Kreiter Beauty Salon, where you could get a shampoo, set and manicure for $1.75, then became the sleek Mayflower Donut Shop in the 1950s.

95 Spring: Commodore Theatre still basically appears as it did when it was built in 1918 as a “moving picture theatre.” Locals and visitors enjoyed movies and matinees here until it was renovated into retail space in the 1970s.

97-99 Spring: Wadsworth Building. A popular furniture store at the turn-of-the-century selling also carpets, trunks, wallpaper, paints, oils. The flat yard near the bottom was used for shingle storage. In 1897 IOOF Lodge was on an upper floor. In the 1940s it was home to Eureka Springs Technical Institute offering courses on watch and jewelry repair, and engraving. In the 1980s it housed newspaper and printing offices before a major renovation into retail and housing.

101 Spring: U.S. Post Office was built 1918 on land that previously held a couple of small houses. The front of the building appears as it did then. Note the “ghost” signs on the adjacent Wadsworth Building.

South Side

84-86 Spring: Z.P. Freeman Block: Built by 1892, the stores here, like on other blocks, offered a variety of services. For example in 1914, the first shop on the block was vacant, the second was a restaurant, then a tailor, plumbing store and grocery. Note the fine cornices and upper story windows. The brick and limestone building at 80 Spring was built in 1980.

100 Spring: First Baptist Penn Memorial Church: Built 1916 named in honor of Major William Penn, the first full-time evangelist or minister in Eureka Springs. Up the adjacent Mountain Street is Penn Castle, an interesting limestone gothic home with Tiffany stained glass windows. The church also offers fine stained glass windows and a fabulous interior stained glass dome.

104 Spring: Originally the site of the Kentucky House, the Sharp’s Continental Oil Filling Station was located here in 1928 when automobiles became popular. It was enlarged and converted to law offices in 1964. Scan 24

110 Spring: Elmwood House was constructed in 1883, one of the first rooming houses built of brick and thus survived the 1888 fire.

2 Pine: originally Cottage Home in 1892 with Magnolia Hotel next door (grocery on lower level with furnished rooms above.) In 1904 it was listed as a theatre with no roof and an “air dome.” By 1923 it was rebuilt as the International Order of Oddfellows (IOOF) Lodge Hall. The IOOF was an early influential fraternal organization in Eureka Springs. A pioneer burial ground established in 1880 was deeded to the IOOF Lodge 83 in 1889. They maintained the cemetery until 1965 when it was deeded to the City of Eureka Springs in perpetuity. This peaceful, historic cemetery is located on Highway 62 East at the edge of the city limits.

Page(s): << Previous | 1 2 3 | Next >>