Confederate State Capitol
National Historic Landmark

Confederate State Capitol

Washington, Hempstead County, Arkansas
Listed
May 18, 1972
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
72000203

About this property

The Confederate State Capitol building in Washington, Arkansas was the capital of the Confederate state government of Arkansas, during 1863–1865, after Little Rock, Arkansas fell to Union forces in the American Civil War. It is located within Historic Washington State Park, and is a National Historic Landmark. The capitol building is a two-story wood-frame structure, about 44 feet (13 m) wide and 34 feet (10 m) deep, resting on a brick foundation. It is topped by a hip roof covered in cedar shakes. Each of the two floors is dominated by a large chamber; that on the ground floor originally served as a courtroom, while that on the upper floor was used by local Masonic societies. The original front entrance is sheltered by a single-story portico with a triangular pediment with Greek Revival styling. There are chimneys on the two sides of the building. The building was erected in 1836, and was Hempstead County's second courthouse, replacing an 1824 log structure. The building served as the county court until 1874, when a new brick building was constructed. After the fall of Little Rock to Union Army forces in September 1863, during the American Civil War, Governor Harris Flanagin ordered the seat of government relocated to Washington. The Confederate state government would remain in this building until the end of the war in 1865. After the court functions moved out in 1874, the building was repurposed for use as a school, a role it fulfilled until 1914. It thereafter served as a private residence until 1928, when it was acquired by the state through the efforts of the local United Daughters of the Confederacy chapter. It is now part of Historic Washington State Park. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and, with other sites, was designated part of the Camden Expedition Sites National Historic Landmark District in 1994. National Register of Historic Places listings in Hempstead County, Arkansas

Location

Washington, Hempstead County, Arkansas
33.77873, -93.67824

Categories

ARCHITECTUREPOLITICS/GOVERNMENT
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Goodlett Gin
Industrial
0.1 mi
Washington Confederate Monument
Civil War
0.8 mi
Southwestern Proving Ground Airport Historic District
Listed
4.2 mi
Southwestern Proving Ground Building No. 4
Industrial
4.6 mi
Southwestern Proving Ground Officers Quarters Historic District
Industrial
4.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Confederate State Capitol listed on the National Register?

Confederate State Capitol was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 18, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Confederate State Capitol?

Confederate State Capitol is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Confederate State Capitol a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Confederate State Capitol has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Confederate State Capitol?

The period of significance for Confederate State Capitol is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1863.

Can I research the history near Confederate State Capitol?

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