Nine
hundred and nine feet above sea level in Benton County lay Sulphur Springs,
Arkansas. It was home to 576 people back in 2013; 52.5% of which were males and
47.5% female. The town was laid out in 1885. It was known as an important spa
and resort center in the late 1800s; since it was incorporated on August 26,
1980. Having the first bank open in September of 1906 and the Post Office in
April of 1978. At a conference in the late 1950s, a comment was made that the
town could have African American people working and being a part of the town
during the day, but could not stay overnight. In which caused the town to be
known as “sundown town”, where African Americans weren’t allow to live.
In 1924, a school that is now called the “Old School” Complex was built
with help of the Works Progress Administration (WTA) at 512 Black Street. It
was used as a school until 1965 when it joined with those in a town about five
miles south of town. The architectural style is late 19th and early
20th Century American Movements and sits on three acres of land. That
complex is now used for the local police station, history museum, public
library and city hall and was added to the National Register of Historic Place
on February 16, 2001(Old School Complex
Historic District).
May of 1909, the Kihlberg Hotel was opened and was built from native
limestone and was five stories high, but was unsuccessful. When the hotel was built it was built with
the mindset of attracting people from the upper-class. Due to the fact that it
was so unsuccessful it was later bought by John Brown in 1924, in which was
turned into a university for the children of Brown’s wealthiest donors. And of
course that was another fail after never being able to turn a profit. Six years
after John Brown bought the hotel it became the Julia A. Brown School for
Children. In 1937, the Julia A. Brown School for Children was replaced by a
military academy named Brown Academy. Three years after the academy burnt down;
which was later rebuilt, but was only two stories instead of five stories like
it was built originally.
In 1968, a religious intentional
community called the Shiloh Community (Shiloh meaning peace) restored the
former Kihlberg Hotel, the Livingston Hotel (which had thirty rooms), and
another property and created the Shiloh House Parsonage. The Shiloh Community
needed a more centralized place for their Christian ministry that they started
in 1942 in Sherman, New York. The only reason they moved to Sulphur Spring,
Arkansas was due the fact that they were in awe with “the pastoral beauty and inspirational
nature of the Ozarks of Northwest Arkansas” (History of the Shiloh Community). Their property in Sulphur Spring is “adjacent
to the city park.”
I have
spent a lot of time just seeing the town of Sulphur Springs, Arkansas and just
getting settled here. Also have been able to do quite a bit of research for
this entry. So I hope you all enjoyed getting to know the town of Sulphur
Springs, as I have gotten to know it and see it. Much love until next time.
History
of the Shiloh Community
The
Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
Old
School Complex Historic District
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