RZCE?ED "Y GF X~TORC auces 3: ~ 2 : TONA~~~EGSTEX 1NVEXT8RY --MOMN1-iZ14% FORM DAZ FWTEREP $J NAME i, 1,:, >.,: :;. -4', <. 1 SEE NSTRUCTONS N HOW TO COMPLLTEi~AT~UNAL REGSTER FORt'JS TYPE ALL ENT3lS -- CO~PLETE APPliCA3LE SECTONS 1 HlSTORlC Trinity Lutheran Church AND/OR COMMON. First Cenar.1 Lutheran Church of Wittenbllrg STREET& NUMBER. A 1 4.milp_north af 54 -NOT FOR PUBUCAT ON CTY. TOWN CQNG9ESSONAL OSTRKT Petit Jean Mourkain Second STATE - MC~NW OF bite COUNTY Arkansas Conway 029 CODE i CATEGORY,Dl3TRCf X,SU~LD~NG(S -STRUCTURE,STE -OBJECT OWHERSHE? -PUBLC XPRVATE -BOTH PUBLC ACQUSTlQN -N PROCESS,REHG CQNSTDEAED STATUS XOCCUPEO -UNOCCUPED -WORK A PROGRESS ACCESSBLE X-YES: RESTRltfED -YES: UNRESTRCEO PRESENT USE 4GRtCULTUilE -MUSEUM,COM M E RClA L,PARK -EDUCATONAL -PRVATE RESlDENCE,ENTERTANMENT LRELGOUS,GOVERNMENT -SCENTFC -NDUSTRAL -TRAlrlSPORYATlON -NO AlLTARY -OTHER: 'YAME Henry L. Westphal, Chairman CTY. TOWN Trinity Lutheran Church STATE Petit Jean Mauntain - VCNTY OF Arkansas LOCATON OF LEGAL DESCRPTON ~4- COURTHOUSE. REG~STRY OF DEEDSETC. STREET L NUMBER Clerk's Office Conway County Courthouse i k CTY. TOWN STATE Morri Pton REPRESENTATON N EXSTNG SURVEYS TTLE Wkansas MTE f \,FEDERAL -STATE -COUNTY ~ Q C A L DEPOSTORY FOR SL'RL'il* SECO;GS CTY. TOWN STATE i ; 1. i.i 1 u
C3N3iiON CHECK ONE CHECK ON4?-EXCELLENT,DETERORATED.- ',ljnalfere3. ~ORGNALSTE -GO30 -RUl?rS >~ALTER~O -h'loved DATE -FAR UNEXPOSED EESCR3f Ti( PRESENT A810 ORlGl?dAC (F KNOWN) PHYSCAL A?PEARANCE Trinity Lukheran Church is a qvaiilt fraiie Suilding cons:rueted in 1836, Neasurinq.~pgroximately 21 feet 3y 32 feet, the small c>.-,nrch is almost as tall as j,', is Long. ts &atensions give it an unusual and very interes~ing a?pearance. The foundation af the church is of native stone, cut and ~ortared. The pine walls are three layers thick xith claplmard and cornerboards on the outside, rough sawed planks ifi the middle, and flush board on the inside. A high-pitch gable roo" now with camposition shbqles, covets the structures and is surmounted by a small wooden cross at the south end. -* t The main entry is centered under the gable end on the south facade of the charch, Opening onto circular stone steps added in the 1940%.,this entry is set in a siqle rectangular frame and is uncovered. A second entry is located on the west end of the north elevation. The windows on hth the east and west elevations, three per side, are dnuble-hung, four-overfour-light sash with simple trim. The extremely simple style is continued on the interior of Trinity Church. The ~riginal~rld-planed peus are quite unusual in that one end abuts the wall while the other end terminates in a scroll-cut piece along the center aisle. Though the floors were covered with tile about 1960, the horizontal f1ush:b~ard walls retain their original appearace. The 15 foot ceiling and the wall space above the picture mold were covered with aecousgi,cal tile about 1960.. Though the original pulpit.was situated about seven feet above the floor, this was removed in the 1930's and replaced with a small pulpit at floor level... Uterations to the church have Seer. rninb-al, leavincj the bl~ilding Little changed from its 1886 construction. The church rests on its original location,atop Petit Jean Mountain, one of Arkansas' most scenic spots.
AREAS OF SGNTFCAF-TE -- CtlECK AND JUSTFY BELD1hr ~REHEOLCGY-PPEA~STO~~~,COMMUNTY PCAPJNU~,LANDSCAPE ARCMECTUSZ ~RELG~ON AACHEOCOGY.HS roalc -CONS;PVATG~,LAW -SCENCE AGRCULT'JRZ -ECOUOMCS -LTERATURE -SCULPTURE -?%RCW~TEC'UPE -EDUCAT~ON --M UTAHY -SOCAVU~_~MANTAR~AN 4 R T -ENGf'NEE91KG -MS;C,THEATER -COMMERCE ~XPCOR~~~M~~E~TLE~+ENT -PHLOSOPHY+ -,TRAMSPORT.4?lON -COMMUNCATONS - N D USTRY -?QL~C&COV~RNMEXT -OTHER rzpeclryj JruVEntlOiJ STATEMENT OF SGNFCANCE The Trinity Lutheran Church on Petit Jean Mountain is one of Arkansas' oldest Lutheran churches. This quaint white frme structure is still used for worship services by a small congregation. Traditionally, Trinity Lutheran Chwch is believed to have been built in 1886; however, the deed transferring the land from the L ittle Rock and Fort Smith Railway to the church trustees is dated April 21, 1887. Present church officials belikve that the frame buildin9 was constructed immediately after the 1886 organization oe t he congregation, but before the official lad conveyance in 1887, Like a number of settlements in west central Arkansas, this small community on Petit Jean rnuntain was settled by ~ &nan immigrants who cam to take advantage of the railroad's offes: of inexpensive Land. (A similar group of Gemtan hnigrants built St. Mary's Ch=ch a", Altus, added to the National Register on Hay 3, 1976.) This farming cornunity was originally named Wittenburg, an indication of its Gemr. and Lutheran origins. For the token surn of one dollar, the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railway conveyed a twenty-acre church and cemetery site atop Petit Jean Mountain to "B. Schnake and H. Jones, Trustees of First German Lutheran Trinity Church of Wit tenburg, Arkans5s - '' * The cfi~~ch erected by these German Luthe~an's is a one-storey white frame structure with a high-pitch q&le roof. &th the exterior and the interior, which features the original hand-planed pews, are in a very plain style and devoid of ornamentation. This simple clapboard church has remained basically unaltered since its 1880's construction. Though ths congregation of Trinity Lutheran has never been large, it has always been active, Weekly services axe still held by the present members, most of whom are des~enda~ts of Petit Jean.'s early German settlers. Architecturally interesting for its simple, unadornd style, the church is :representative of rural Arkansas churches built in the late 19th century. Trinity Lutheran Church is also sig-aificant as the last structure surviving from the Wittenburg comunity. * Warranty Deed. Little Rock and Fort Smith Railway to Trinity Lutheran C~~XC'~., P-pzll 21, 19e7.
a%1-\; OR YBLOGRATFilCAi REFERENCES '. ' i -:5trl pl?ni*,exsazy Bulletin, Trinity Lutheran Cht~rc-?., Pztit Jean No7at3in, ArK.,.Jnly 16,13511 EorriZton Kzadlight (f.lorril'coa, Arkanszsl, July 25, 1951. 'karrqfizy &EL. Little Rozk an3 Fort Snit11 E7.ail~ap to Trinity Lutheran Church, Apr.21,1QY., 1, i n L. Personal intorview [July 14, ~ 3761 and personal files. Trinity Ldut;?erm Church, Petit Zzan Fa;lr,tain, Arkar.3a;. u 7- -A- -: L r '3 1 Alt51 151111~81010] 13,918t7;3, ~ ~ 0 1 u ZONE =STNG NORTHNG.,. ZONE EtSTNG,.. c W t31 L j u 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ' 1 ' ' D ~ ~ \ ~ ~ YE8SuC BOUNDARY DESCRPTON -..-...- a r-1 LST ALL STATES AND COUNTES FOR PROPERTES OVERLAPPNG STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARES STATE CODE COUNTY CODE STATE CODE COUNTY CODE P ORM PREPARED BY PAM E / TlTCE Dianna Kirk, Historian ORGANZATON Arkansas Eistoric Preservation Program 9-14-76 STREET & NUMBER DATE TELEPHONE 300 West,Xarkham * - 501-371-1639 CTY OR TOWN Little Flock STATE Arkansas ~STATZ HSTORC PRESERVATON QFFCER CERTFiCATON THE EVALUATED SGNFCANCE OFTHS PROPERTY WETHN THE STATE 1s: / NATONAL- STATE- LOCAL J r*: k2 As r h designated ~ State Historic Preservation Officer for the Nationai Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665). 1 hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Ragister and certify that it has been evacuated according to the criteria and procedures set fonh by the National Park Service. ftle State Historic Preservation Officer- DATE 9-14-76.? >, 'FGR NPS USEOWLY,, >,,>, >c.., :., - ti E~EBY CER~FY THAT THS PROPEW S'~CC'LU T;ED N THE: MATGNAL REGSTER - >. >.,, A. ' > 2 T 2 - '.,-. < AL. >.. < 7, ",,. '. DATE QFF~CE OF ARCHEOLOGY. L. <, ar RE~OR. AmESf. AND HSTOPC PEESEWATON - -. 1 DATE '.., KEEPER OF THE NATONAL REGSTEa 5 > n.. >.. Y l, 2, l > <>%' < - >,<., : - 1., - -* GPO 888-145 i \. t
.' UNlTED STATES DEPAR-PFENT OF THE NTEROR NATONAL PARK SERVCE NATONAL REGSTER OF HSTORC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM ATE ENTERED SEE NSTRWCTlONS N HOW TO COMPLFT-FNAnONALfiEGJSTER FORMS 1 TYPE ALL ENTREES -- ENCLOSE WTH PHOTOGaAPH HSTORC ~rinity Lutheran Church ANDlOR COMMON a LOCATON CTY. TOWN Petit Jean ~ountain W C M ~ Y Y OF First German Lutheran Church of Wittenburg STATE Arkansas t Fa PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDT NEGATVE FLED AT Dianna lxrk z:j 3DENTFTCATON &.A Arkansas Historic Preservation Program ~ESCRSEVEW. DRECTON. ETC. F DlSl31CT. EWE BULDNG NAME t* STREET viewed from the southwest