National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

Transcription

1 NPS Form (Ot 1990) OMB No United States Department of the Inter ior on al Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Registration Form NR This fonn is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and distrits. See instrutions in How to Complete the National Register of Histori Plaes Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete eah item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the infonnation requested. If an item does not apply to the property being doumented, enter "NIA" for "not appliable." For funtions, arhitetural lassifiation, materials, and areas of signifiane, enter only ategories and subategories from the instrutions. Plae additional entries and narrative items on ontinuation sheets (NPS Form a). Use a typewriter, word proessor, or omputer, to omplete all items. 1. histori name Lepanto Commerial Histori Distrit other names/site number P00139-P00177, P00193, P Loation street & number Roughly bounded by Holmes Street on the north, the Little River on the east, Dewey Street on the south and Alexander Avenue on the west 0 not for publiation ity or town Lepanto 0 viinity state Arkansas ode AR ounty Poinsett ode 111 zip ode ,_ State/Federal Ageny Certifiation As the designated authority under the National Histori Preservation At, as amended, I hereby ertify that this 1:8] nomination 0 request for determination of eligibility meets the doumentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Histori Plaes and meets the proedural and professional requirements set for in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property 1:8] meets 0 does not meet the National Register riteria. I reommend that this property be onsidered signifiant 0 nationall~ a (See ontinuation sheet f::;dd( onal onunents.) Signature of ertifying offiialltitle Arkansas Histori Preservation Program State or Federal ageny and bureau In my opinion, the property 0 meets 0 does not meet the National Register riteria. (0 See Continuation sheet for additional omments.) Signature of ertifying offiial/title Date State or Federal ageny and bureau 4. National Park Servie Certifiation l hereby ertify that the property is: 0 entered in the National Register. 0 See ontinuation sheet 0 detennined eligible for the National Register. 0 See ontinuation sheet 0 determined not eligible for the National Register. 0 removed from the National Register. 0 other, (explain:) Signature of the Keeper Date of Ation

2 5. Classifiation nership of Property (Chek as many boxes as apply) Category of Property (Chek only one box) Number of Resoures within Property (Do not inlude previously listed resoures in ount.) [8] private D building(s) [8] pub lie-loal [8] distrit D publi-state D site D publi-federal [8] struture D objet Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/ A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) NIA Contributing Nonontributing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ buildings Number of Contributing resoures previously listed in the National Register 0 sites strutures objets Total 6. Funtion or Use Histori Funtions (Enter ategories from instrutions) COMMERCE/TRADE/speialty store, business, professional, and restaurant RECREATION AND CULTURE/theatre Current Funtions (Enter ategories from instrutions) COMMERCE/TRADE/speialty store, business, professional, restaurant GOVERNMENT /library 7. Desri tion Arhitetural Classifiation (Enter ategories from instrutions) LATE 19rn AND EARLY 20rn CENTURY AMERICAN MOVMENTS: Commerial Style MODERN MOVEMENT: Art Deo OTHER: No Style Materials (Enter ategories from instrutions) foundation CONCRETE, BRICK walls roof other STUCCO, CUT STONE, BRICK, VINYL/SYNTHETIC, METAL SIDING ASPHALT, METAL, TAR Narrative Desription (Desribe the histori and urrent ondition of the property on one or more ontinuation sheets.)

3 Statement of Signifiane liable National Register Criteria (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the riteria qualifying the property fo r National Register listing.) Levels of Signifiane (loal, state, national) Loal iz;j A Property is assoiated with events that have made a signifiant ontribution to the broad patterns of our history. Areas of Signifiane COMMERCE (Enter ategories from instrutions) D B Property is assoiated with the lives of persons signifiant in our past. D C Property embodies the distintive harateristis of a type, period, or method of onstrution or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artisti values, or represents a signifiant and distinguishable entity whose omponents lak individual distintion. Period of Signifiane D D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations (Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.) Property is: A owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. D B. removed from its original loation. D D C. birthplae or grave of a historial figure of outstanding importane. D a emetery. Signifiant Dates Signifiant Person (Complete if Criterion Bis marked) Cultural Affiliation (Complete if Criterion Dis marked) D E a reonstruted building, objet, or struture. D F a ommemorative property D G less than 50 years of age or ahieved signifiane within the past 50 years. Arhitet/Builder Rev. Leslie Riherd, H.A. Lesmeister Narrative Statement of Signifiane (Explain the signifiane of the property on one or more ontinuation sheets.) 9. Major Bibliographial Referenes Bibliography (Cite the books, artiles, and other soures used in preparing this form on one or more ontinuation sheets.) Previous doumentation on file (NPS): D preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested previously listed in the National Register Previously determined eligible by the National Register D designated a National Histori Landmark 0 reorded by Histori Amerian Buildings Survey # 0 reorded by Histori Amerian Engineering Reord # Primary loation of additional data: [gj State Histori Preservation Offie [gj Other State Ageny - Arkansas State Library and Arhives D Federal Ageny D Loal Government D University D Other Name of repository:

4 =(J;eographial Data Areage of Property Approximately ares UTM Referenes (Plae additional UTM referenes on a ontinuation sheet. ) 15 Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing [8J See ontinuation sheet Verbal Boundary Desription (Desribe the boundaries of the property on a ontinuation sheet.) Boundary Justifiation (Explain why the boundaries were seleted on a ontinuation sheet.) 11. Form Prepared By name/title organization street & number Angie Clifton/ Arhitetural Historian Panamerian Consultants, In. 91 Tillman St. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ity or town Memphis state A,i lditional Doumentation it the following items with the ompleted form : s date telephone TN April 2, 2009 (901) zip ode Maps A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indiating the property's loation Photographs A Sketh map for histori distrits and properties having large areage or numerous resoures. Representative blak and white photographs of the property. Additional items (Chek with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items.) Property Owner (Complete this item at the request of SHPO or FPO.) name street & number ity or town state telephone zip ode Paperwork Redution At Statement: This information is being olleted for appliations to the National Register of Histori Plaes to nominate properties for listing or detennine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listing. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in aordane - "h the National Histori Preservation At, as amended (!6 U.S.C. 470 et seq.) 1mated Burden Statement: Publi reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18. l hours per response inluding time for reviewing instrutions, gathering and maintaining data, and ompleting and reviewing the fonn. Diret omments regarding this burden estimate or any aspet ofthis form to the Chief, Administrative Servies Division, National Park Servie, P. 0. Box 37127, Washington, DC ; and the Offie of Management and Budget, Paperwork Redutions Projets ( ), Washington, DC

5 ited States Department of the Interior National Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page SUMMARY The Lepanto Commerial Histori Distrit was one a thriving ommerial enter for Lepanto, whih is loated in the eastern setion of. Lepanto does not have any buildings previously listed on the NRHP. Within the distrit boundaries, there are 41 buildings and 7 anillary strutures. Of the buildings within the distrit 63.4% (26 total buildings) maintain a high level of integrity and are ontributing elements. The other 15 buildings aount for 36.6% of the distrit and are non-ontributing. Several periods of signifiane are represented sine there are different phases of development for the town of Lepanto that ourred between In addition, the three buildings onstruted after 1959 are listed as nonontributing buildings within the distrit. The Lepanto Commerial Histori Distrit's buildings represent standard ommerial arhiteture from the 20th entury. ABORATION The oldest remaining buildings in Lepanto Commerial Histori Distrit date to Organization and development of a Main Street did not begin until 1903 when Charles Greenwood ommissioned four men to survey the town. The first period of onstrution in Lepanto inludes the buildings dating from 1915 up to This period reflets the years that Lepanto still had a large timber industry and otton farming started to beome the main staple of the eonomy. The seond period of development inludes buildings onstruted between 1925 and The timber industry began to dwindle and otton did beome the main staple of the eonomy. The final period of development for Lepanto inludes buildings onstruted between 1940 and The buildings in this period are infill resulting from buildings that burned or deteriorated. Only three buildings were built after 1959, and all are muniipal buildings on the south end of Greenwood. From 1959 to the present, the town has seen steady growth with a fairly stable ommerial downtown area The arhiteture of downtown Lepanto in the first period of its development an be desribed as standard early twentieth entury ommerial arhiteture. These brik buildings vary between one and two stories in height and feature retangular plans, with the exeption of two buildings onstruted in this time period. The a Portis Gin No. 1 (P00153, ontributing) loated at the southeast orner of the distrit east of the John Deere Building (POO 152) and west of the Little River was in operation until 1992, but the struture is still owned by Portis Merantile Company. The otton gin still has the sale and the salehouse with original windows and has retained almost all of its arhitetural integrity. The building has three anillary strutures, whih inlude a seed house, a granary with three hoppers, and a small shed by the vents near the east vation. The a Arkansas Power and Light Building (P00139, ontributing) loated at 320 reenwood A venue is a brik triangular-shaped struture with a wrought-iron balustrade on the two-story setion of the front faade. The building postdates the Tyronza Central Railroad that ran along the northeast side of the struture until the 1960s, whih explains its irregular shape. The building has funtioned as the J.C. Portis Company sine the 1940s. The a Barton's of Lepanto (POOl 77, ontributing) loated at 111 Berny Street was originally a lumberyard. The two-story brik struture was originally a wood-framed building

6 ' ed States Department of the Interior onal Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page with a large entrane in the front and bak of the building that ustomers ould drive through when they piked up lumber they had purhased. The building hanged a and was briked and enlosed in the front for the purpose of having a hardware store. Thirty-one buildings, or 76% of the distrit, were onstruted in this phase of development. Twenty-seven of the buildings from this period of development are loated on Greenwood Avenue. The a J.E. Murphy Hardware Building (P00164, ontributing) loated at 219 Greenwood A venue is a double storefront, one-story brik struture that now houses the Connor Family Restaurant. The a Portis Merantile Company (P00166, non-ontributing) loated at 211 Greenwood A venue remains the longest ontinuously operated family business in the entire distrit. The a Jones Drug Store (P00149, ontributing) loated at 216 Greenwood Avenue has ontinuously operated as a drugstore sine it was built. The building still has original brik and the interior has original abinets, ounters, stools, and tin eiling tiles. This phase of development represents a time of prosperity and growth for Lepanto by being the time when the majority of the distrit was built. The buildings from Lepanto dating from this seond period in its onstrution reflet a time period of deline with rop pries falling and the Great Depression hitting. Only four buildings were onstruted during this period. The a Lepanto Polie Department (POOl 74, ontributing) loated at 113 Greenwood Avenue is a two-story brik struture built by H.A. Lesmeister on the northern setion of the distrit boundary. An addition was made to the east side of the building in 1947, and the entire building is original exept for replaement doors. The other three buildings built during this time are the a Building at 257 Greenwood Avenue (P00154, non-ontributing), a Building at 114 Berny Street (POOl 76, nonontributing) and the a Cotton Boll Theatre (P00151, non-ontributing) loated at 202 Greenwood A venue. The Building at 257 Greenwood A venue is a non-desript one-story standard ommerial brik struture. The Building at 114 Berny Street has been ompletely altered with a a gable roof and onrete blok walls. The 1926 Sanborn map shows the building as an offie spae. The Cotton Boll Theatre was altered the first time in 1951 by ombining the Cotton Boll Theatre and Lamb's Beauty Shop into one building when First National Bank was in the building. Little River Bank moved into the building the same year, and it was altered again in The four buildings only represent 10% of the entire distrit There were only three buildings onstruted within the boundaries of the Lepanto Commerial Histori Distrit in the years between 1940 and Two of the buildings in this time period are loated on the south end of Greenwood A venue and are infill from buildings that were either torn down or burned. 0 ~sley's Cafe (P00156, non-ontributing) loated at 253 Greenwood Avenue is a one-story brik struture is nearly idential to the a Building at 255 Greenwood Avenue (P00155, non-ontributing). The only modifiations made to these buildings are their shared a asphalt-shingled awning. One of the most unique buildings in the entire distrit is the 1943 Lepanto Shool Auditorium and Gymnasium (P00194, ontributing) loated on Alexander Avenue southeast of 111 Berny Street. The building reflets an Art Deo influene with its urved parapets on the shed roof setions and the inlaid deorative stonework on

7 \ted States Department of the Interior ional Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page the front fayade. The building was designed by Rev. Leslie Riherd, and German Prisoners of War being held at Marked Tree provided the labor to onstrut the building. The gymnasium also held onerts, and on Marh 22, 1957, Johnny Cash played a paked show there. The three buildings represent 7% of the entire distrit Present Only three or 7% of the buildings have been onstruted within the boundaries of the distrit in the last fifty years. All three of the buildings are muniipal buildings loated on the north end of Greenwood A venue next to the Lepanto Polie Department. The 1966 Lepanto City Hall (POOl 71, non-ontributing) and the 1990 Community Court Building (POOl 72, non-ontributing) loated at 117 Greenwood Avenue are both plain one-story brik strutures with shed roofs. The Lepanto City Hall has funtioned as ity hall sine its onstrution, as well as the south end of the building having a volunteer fire department. The 1984 ergeny Medial Faility (POOl 73, non-ontributing) loated at 113 Greenwood Avenue on the east side he Lepanto Polie Department (POOl 74) is a plain one-story brik struture with a shed roof. These buildings do not neessarily interrupt the ontinuity of the distrit, for all of them are loated at the north end of the distrit and are set bak from the histori setion of Greenwood A venue. INTEGRITY With 63.4% of the resoures ontributing to the integrity of Lepanto Commerial Histori Distrit, it has a strong visual onnetion to its period of signifiane. Interruptions in this distrit are related to a few fators. The main fator was highways and automobiles making the world outside of Lepanto more aessible. The majority of the population before the 1960s were otton farmers, who were mostly shareroppers. The ollapse of tenant farming and the mehanization of agriulture also led to fewer opportunities for those living in Lepanto, making the town a bedroom ommunity. The Lepanto Commerial Histori Distrit still has many businesses open in the histori distrit with only 12 buildings (or 29%) vaant. Many of the alterations on the buildings are minor with only storefronts hanging, although a few strutures have had roofs replaed or a front fa<;ade rebriked. The lak of alterations on the strutures in the Lepanto Commerial Histori Distrit has helped a great deal in preserving the arhitetural integrity and ontinuity of the distrit.

8 !ted States Department of the Interior 10nal Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page Resoure Address Current Oupant P Greenwood Avenue J.C. Portis Company Stanley and Company Crop P Greenwood Avenue Insurane P Greenwood A venue Lepanto Museum Greenwood P00142 Avenue Tyler Insurane Ageny P Greenwood Avenue Goldsby Library P Greenwood Avenue Vaant DeWailly's Fishing and P Greenwood Avenue Hunting P Greenwood A venue Vaant The Cozy Nook/The Tea P Greenwood Avenue Shoppe Delta Chronile/Maters 'N' P Greenwood Avenue Taters P Greenwood A venue Pharmay P Greenwood A venue Florist Gallery P Greenwood A venue Little River Bank South end of Greenwood Avenue aross from 320 P00152 Greenwood A venue Vaant Southeast omer of distrit east of John Deere Building and P00153 west of the Little River Vaant P Greenwood Avenue Vaant P Greenwood Avenue Pizza Plae P Greenwood Avenue Vaant P Greenwood Avenue The General Store Greenwood P00158 Avenue Vaant P Greenwood Avenue Turner's Martial Arts P Greenwood Avenue Vaant P Greenwood A venue This and That Store P Greenwood A venue Mike's Plae P Greenwood A venue The Wooden Closet P Greenwood Avenue Connor's Family Steakhouse P Greenwood A venue Lepanto Aution P Greenwood A venue Portis Merantile Company P Greenwood A venue Vaant P Greenwood A venue Vaant/Parking P Greenwood Avenue Vaant Ma p ID# C/NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC

9 "'ited States Department of the Interior ional Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 7 Page P00170 P00171 P00172 P00173 P00174 P00175 POOl 76 P00177 P00193 P Greenwood Avenue 117 Greenwood A venue 117 Greenwood A venue 113 Greenwood A venue 113 Greenwood A venue Holmes Street just east of 202 Greenwood A venue 114 Berny Street 111 Berny Street 218 Greenwood Avenue Alexander A venue southeast of 125 Berny Street Tyler's Real Estate Lepanto City Hall Community Court Building Emergeny Medial Faility Polie Department Bill's Barber Shop Residene Barton's of Lepanto Vaant Storage for Barton's of Lepanto 32 NC 33 NC 34 NC 35 NC NC Chart Key: C = Contributing NC= Non-Contributing IL= Individual Listing

10 'ited States Department of the Interior tional Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 8 Page SUMMARY The Lepanto Commerial Histori Distrit is being nominated to the National Register of Histori Plaes under Criterion A for its assoiation with early development and ommerial ativities in Lepanto. The distrit is being nominated with loal signifiane. The Lepanto Commerial Histori Distrit exemplifies the growth of the town through its height in the 1950s. The period of signifiane extends from ELABORATION Lepanto is loated in the eastern setion of. Poinsett County is loated in northeastern Arkansas, and is in the heart of the "Delta" region of east-entral Arkansas in an area known as the Mississippi Embayrnent, whih is a depression reahing over 200 miles from southeast Missouri to Helena aused from the anient flow of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. 1 Lepanto is loated on the Left Hand Chute of the Little River North of the town of Marked Tree in the Holoene region in an area that has ''uvial deposits ofloal streams. 2 Poinsett County was named after Arkansas Congressmen Arhibald Yell's friend, Joel Roberts Poinsett from South Carolina, who served as Seretary of War during Van Buren's presideny. The ounty formed February 28, 1838, as the 37th ounty in Arkansas, 3 and it formed from territory taken from Green and St. Franis ounties. When the ounty was formed there were no towns, only sattered settlements. In 1859, a large portion of the north setion of the ounty was taken to form Craighead County. Part of the southern setion of the ounty was taken to form Cross County in 1862, but land to the east was added to Poinsett County at this time. This added setion inluded the "sunk lands." The New Madrid earthquake ourred Deember 16, 1811, and lasted for several months. The area known as the "sunken lands" formed during the earthquake when a large area of land sunk beneath the level surfae. This aused flooding to our every spring making it impossible to farm until the late nineteenth entury when the initiative was taken to build levees. 4 The first known permanent settlers in Poinsett County were Charles and Rebekah Shaver and their family, who arrived in the fall of Settlers slowly migrated into the ounty. It is reorded that a few Indian villages still existed, and even buffalo still roamed the prairies. 5 The first ounty seat was the town of Bolivar, and its first ourthouse was built in In 1856 an eletion was held where ounty itizens voted to move the ounty seat somewhere between townships 9 and 10 in the enter of the ounty, so the ounty seat was moved to Harrisburg. ~ mith, Sandra Taylor. "Tyronza Commerial Histori Distrit,." National Register of Histori Plaes istration Form. From the files of the Arkansas Histori Preservation Program, Haley, Boyd R. Geologi Map of Arkansas. 1976, rev Siler, Andrea. "Poinsett County: Rih in History." The Modern News, Tri-City Tribune, and the Trumann Demorat. Thursday, May 14, Poinsett County Historial Soiety. : History and Families. Turner Publishing Company: Paduah, Kentuky, 1998, Ibid., 12.

11 'ited States Department of the Interior ional Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 8 Page By the time the Civil War began, it is estimated that there were only 40 slaves living in the ounty. This might explain one of the reasons why Poinsett County delegation voted against seeding from the Union during the first onvention in Little Rok. The eonomy began to tum around one the railroads arrived in Poinsett County in the early 1880s. This helped the eonomy tremendously by allowing the area to ship and reeive produts. The first railroad, alled the Texas & St. Louis Railroad, arrived in 1881 and went through the towns of Weiner and Fisher. The St. Louis & Iron Mountain Railway arrived in 1882 and went through White Hall, Harrisburg, and Greenfield. The Kansas City, Fort Sott and Memphis Railway ran along the east side of the ounty and ame through Tyronza and Marked Tree in The railroads allowed aess to large industrial enters. Soon after, Poinsett County began to see onsiderable growth. 6 Before levees and drainage dithes were built, Lepanto was a merely a small rise in a vast ane-breaking swamp. The first known settler was a pioneer named "Unle" George Nihols. He ame from Dunklin " nty, Missouri, in 1858, and he mainly hunted, trapped, and raised attle. Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Miller ame middle Tennessee in They settled on what later beame John Potter's land, where Potter's emetery and mound is loated. Dan Seely Buk opened the first trading post in the area on his two-dek houseboat. Mr. Buk beame tired of traveling 50 miles down the Little River to get to the post offie in Marked Tree, and he established a post offie in 1894 on Buk's Landing and served as postmaster until Lepanto was piked out of the names Mr. Buk sent for his request to the Postal Department in Washington, D.C. Lepanto is named after a seaport in Greee loated on the north shore of the entrane of the Gulf of Corinth of Lepanto. 7 By the tum of the entury, more settlers started oming to Lepanto to homestead. The first otton gin was built by Steve Ralph and H.S. Portis in 1902 making it possible to gin loally and not have to send otton by steamboat to Memphis to be ginned. The timber industry flourished between 1900 and The first sawmill in Lepanto was owned by W.C. Dawson and opened in Another mill was the Grismore Hyman Mill, based out of Memphis that opened in The "Ox Log Spur" was a logging amp loated between Lepanto and Marked Tree that operated around the same time. Chapman and Dewey Lumber Company built a railroad going from Marked Tree to Lepanto in 1905 alled the Tyronza Central, whih was later bought by the St. Louis San Franiso Railroad Company. 8 A depot was onstruted in 1912 at the intersetion of Alexander A venue and Elm Street. In the beginning the railroad would make two trips a day and had a smoker, an express ar, and several passenger ars. Later, it dereased to three trips a week, and eventually due to roads being opened and the automobile, it turned into a railroad that was stritly freight. The 1912 Friso Depot was razed in Poinsett County Historial Soiety. : History and Families. Paduah, Kentuky: Turner Publishing Company, 1998, Ibid., Ibid., Ibid., 124.

12 Name of Properry -,ited States Department of the Interior j onal Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 8 Page Charles Bryan Greenwood ame to Lepanto from the Harrisburg area at the tum of the entury and set out to prove that the land where Lepanto is now was livable. He ommissioned four engineers to help him plat the town in The streets of Lepanto now arry the names of the surveyors and Greenwood: Miles Street, Bernie Street (now spelled Berny), Alexander Avenue, Holmes Street, and Greenwood Avenue. The town of Lepanto was legally inorporated in The first mayor of Lepanto was W.W. Lamb. The first bank established was the Bank of Lepanto in J.T. Lee, Sr., organized the bank and was its first president. Originally, the bank was housed in a framed building before a permanent brik struture was onstruted. The Lepanto Telephone Company opened the same year with Layton Seymour as president. 10 Before ferries and bridges, the only means of transportation in Lepanto and the surrounding area was via the Little River. In 1910 Layton Seymour opened a ferry business on the Little River, and at that time was the only means of transportation aross the river. It ost 75 for a one-way trip with a wagon and two mules and "'' 25 for round-trip. In 1919, the Little River Bridge was built with metal girders and lumber from the area. the time, it was the only bridge existing on the east hute of the Little River. The State Highway Department maintained the bridge. In 1957 the bridge had deteriorated and was replaed in By 1912, Lepanto was an established town with a bank, a hotel, sawmills, gins, several dry goods stores, a drug store, meat market, lumber and implement stores, a jeweler, a telephone system, a barber shop and a blaksmith. The Marked Tree Gazette ommented on Lepanto's Main Street April 1915 by saying that "The Bank of Lepanto, Marom Brothers, and H.S. Portis have plans for a solid blok on Main Street." 12 Dan F. Portis, Sr., ame to Lepanto around He opened Portis Merantile Company with J.E. Murphy Sr. Mr. Portis operated the seed, feed, and dry goods side of the business, and Mr. Murphy operated the hardware store. Their partnership ended in 1915, and Mr. Portis built the Portis Merantile Building (P00166) that stands today. His business beame one of the biggest soures of redit for farmers in the ommunity. After World War I farm pries began to ollapse when otton dropped from $1 a pound to 4-5 a pound. Flooding ourred in 1927 and 1928 destroying rops. The Portis Merantile Company, as well as the farmers, suffered greatly from this finanial loss. Dan F. Portis, Sr., died in 1931, and Dan F. Portis, Jr., took over the ompany. The Portis families soon reovered from their losses, and by 1947 were operating five otton gins (Gin No. 1 (P00153), Gin. No. 2, Gin No. 3, the Bonds Gin, and the West Ridge Gin) in the area. In the year 1947, they ginned 23,000 bales of otton. During this time, the only rop was otton, and this did not hange until the 1960s. Dan Portis, Jr., died in 1990, but his family still runs the business today. The ompany onsists of Portis Farms, In., Portis Merantile of West Ridge, In., D.F. Portis Trust, and approximately 20,000 ares of land remains in the Portis family. The ompany is now managed by H.G..,, Watkins III, the grandson of Dan F. Portis, Jr. The Portis Merantile Company no longer gives redit JO Siler, Andrea. "Poinsett County: Rih in History." The Modern News, Tri-City Tribune, and the Trumann Demorat. Thursday, May 14, Poinsett County Historial Soiety. : History and Families. Paduah, Kentuky: Turner Publishing Company, 1998, Ibid., 124.

13 r 'tted States Department of the Interior ional Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 8 Page to farmers, and in 1992 Gin No. 1 and Gin No. 2 losed. Portis Merantile Company and J.C. Portis Company, In. partnered up to run Rabbit Ridge Gin. 13 The Little River Bank was established in Originally named the Bank of Keiser, it was loated in Keiser and owned by the Lee Wilson family. When the Great Depression hit both the Bank of Lepanto and the First National Bank of Lepanto losed. This left the town without a bank, so in 1934 the stokholders hanged the name of the bank to Little River Bank and moved it into the former Bank of Lepanto Building (P00141). Dan F. Portis beame the bank's president in The bank moved to its urrent loation in The first permanent shool struture was a two-story brik building built in 1913 and loated on Alexander Avenue. In the beginning, it served as the elementary and high shool until 1948 when it was used solely as elementary shool. The building was torn down in The PTA petitioned to have a shool asium built in 1939, and the Lepanto Shool Gymnasium and Auditorium (P00194) was built in The building was designed by Rev. Leslie Riherd but was onstruted by German prisoners-of-war staying in Marked Tree. 15 The first Amerian Legion organized in Lepanto in Willie Lamb Post No. 26 was named after the first Lepanto veteran to die during his servie in World War I. Before they had a permanent struture, they used the Marom warehouse and then the J.E. Murphy warehouse to hold their meetings. The building they had built in 1924 was destroyed by fire in The WP A donated $10,000 to have a new building ereted, whih was onstruted the following year. 16 The Lepanto Terrapin Derby was reated by the Willie Lamb Post No. 26 in 1930 as a fundraiser, and it was originally alled the Annual Amerian Legion Turtle Derby. Eah turtle raer would pay an entry fee to rae their turtle down a sixty-foot ourse. The finish line was lined with slies of watermelon, and the top three winners reeived a ash prize. The Lepanto Terrapin Derby beame a major attration for those in the Delta, and by 1937 over 4,000 people ame from Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi to Lepanto to see the rae. Sine its reation, the Derby has ourred the first Saturday in Otober on Greenwood A venue. The Amerian Legion hosted the event until 1981 when the Lepanto Museum took it over, and in 1999 the Lepanto Fire Department started hosting the event. 17 Hallmark Hall of Fame Produtions ame to Lepanto to film a television movie of John Grisham's A Painted House in The movie rew built a 30' by 60' house, whih was sent to the Hallmark headquarters in 13 Ibid., Ibid., Ibid., Ibid., Lepanto Terrapin Derby. Found at:

14 ted States Department of the Interior National Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 8 Page Kansas City, Missouri. In 2003 loal itizens raised money to have the house brought bak to Lepanto. It now sits on the south end of town next to Portis Gin No The days of logging in Lepanto are long gone, but farming remains the basis of the eonomy today. By the 1950s large renters and mehanial otton pikers started to replae shareropping. Today otton remains the main rop, but soybeans have beome a major rop as well. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Lepanto Commerial Histori Distrit is being nominated to the National Register of Histori Plaes under Criterion A for its assoiation with early development and ommerial ativities in Lepanto. The distrit is being nominated with loal signifiane. The Lepanto Commerial Histori Distrit exemplifies growth of the town through its height in the 1950s. The period of signifiane extends from A Painted House [Book and Movie]. Found at:

15 ited States Department of the Interior National Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 9 Page BIBLIOGRAPHY A Painted House [Book and Movie]. Found at: Haley, Boyd R. Geologi Map of Arkansas. 1976, rev Herndon, Dallas T. Centennial History of Arkansas. Vol. 1. Little Rok, Arkansas: S.J. Clark Publishing Company, Lepanto Terrapin Derby. Found at: "' gstreth, Rihard. The Buildings of Main Street: A Guide to Amerian Commerial Arhiteture. AltaMira Press: Walnut Creek, California, Poinsett County Historial Soiety. : History and Families. Turner Publishing Company: Paduah, Kentuky, Siler, Andrea. "Poinsett County: Rih in History." The Modern News, Tri-City Tribune, and the Trumann Demorat. Thursday, May 14, Smith, Sandra Taylor. "Tyronza Commerial Histori Distrit,." National Register of Histori Plaes Registration Form. From the files of the Arkansas Histori Preservation Program, Watkins III, H.G. "Tri". Interview. Lepanto, Arkansas. Marh 5, 2009.

16 ted States Department of the Interior National Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number 10 Page ADDITIONAL UTMS: E N E N E N E N VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION Beginning south of Portis Gin No. 1 (P00139), thene proeed northwest diretly west of the muniipal 1 dings (P00171-P00174), thene proeed west to the rear of the Polie Department (POOl 74) at enwood Avenue, thene proeed south to Holmes Street to the Little River Bank (P00151), proeed west to the end of Bill's Barber Shop (POOl 75) at the alley, thene proeed south on the alley to Berny Street, thene proeed west to Alexander Street, thene proeed south to the end of Barton of Lepanto's (POOl 77) property line, thene proeed south near the west bank of the Little River and south Portis Gin No. 1 (P00139), whih is the point of beginning. BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION This boundary was drawn to inlude properties in the Lepanto Commerial Histori Distrit with the greatest density of strutures maintaining a high level of integrity.

17 ted States Department of the Interior National Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number Map Page 1 SKETCH MAP H v LEPANTO COMMERCIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT Alexander Ave. p 39 x u Alie (i3 Cf> >- 38 Q) ~ x 37 ~ o x J: TI <D x x x ~ i x..., x... - x x -~ x : x...--' 1--'-~ LEGEND Boundary P Parking D Buildings X Non-Contributing > Photo Loations IL Individual Listing

18 ted States Department of the Interior National Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number Histori Page Photos 1 Figure 1. Greenwood Avenue viewing southwest, a [Courtesy of Bradford, JaRue, ed. Stories of Old and Some I've Been Told. Lepanto, Arkansas: Museum Lepanto USA, 2005.]

19 ted States Department of the Interior National Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number Histori Page Photos 2 Figure 2. North end of Greenwood Avenue viewing south, a [Courtesy of Bradford, JaRue, ed. Stories of Old and Some I 've Been Told. Lepanto, Arkansas: Museum Lepanto USA, 2005.]

20 ited States Department of the Interior National Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number Histori Page Photos 3 Figure 3. South end of Greenwood Avenue viewing north, a [Courtesy of Bradford, JaRue, ed. Stories of Old and Some I've Been Told. Lepanto, Arkansas: Museum Lepanto USA, 2005.]

21 - ted States Department of the Interior onal Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number Histori Page Photos 4 Figure 4. The Bank of Lepanto (P00141) loated at 310 Greenwood Avenue viewing northwest, a [Courtesy of Poinsett County Historial Soiety. : History and Families. Turner Publishing Company: Paduah, Kentuky, 1998.)

22 - "ted States Department of the Interior 10nal Park Servie National Register of Histori Plaes Setion number Histori Page Photos 5 Figure 5. Greenwood Avenue viewing northwest at Henderson's Home Applianes (P00142), a [Courtesy of Poinsett County Historial Soiety. : History and Families. Turner Publishing Company: Paduah, Kentuky, 1998.]

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