Little Rock Central High School: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site
Regions 3, 4, & 5 Park Cultural Landscapes Program. 2002. Little Rock Central High School: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Report. 501428. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. NPS Midwest Regional Office, Omaha, Nebraska / CRIS-CL Database
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site is a five-acre high school campus, located in an urban residential/commercial area of Little Rock, Arkansas. The actions and interactions between the desegregationists, segregationists, students, and federal and state governments that occurred around the school are exemplary of the struggle for integration and equality occurring in the United States during the 1950s-1960s. The most prominent landscape feature is the Central High School building, built in 1927 in the neo-gothic revival style. Quigley Stadium was constructed in 1936, when it was the state's largest. To the north, the Tiger Fieldhouse was constructed in 1951 for the school’s basketball teams. The Jess W. Matthews Library and Media Center was opened in 1969 and sits adjacent to the fieldhouse. The surrounding context and features of the landscape have changed very little since the period of significance, and the site retains integrity. The Little Rock Central High School period of significance is 1954 to 1959, representing a period of conflict and crisis in the civil rights movement and its associations with educational equality. In May of 1954, the Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka case was ruled upon by the U.S. Supreme Court, declaring that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. A second Brown case in 1955 determined that the pace of desegregation would be determined by school authorities. Combined, the cases became symbolic of the long fight to reform racial laws and policies that would lie ahead. After the court rulings, a plan for desegregation was formulated by the Little Rock School. During the 1957-58 school year, only nine black students were eligible and willing to attend the formerly-white Central High School. This occurred during a time of growing resistance in the community, as groups organized to hold rallies and initiate letter writing campaigns in opposition to integration. The approaching integration was highly politicized, extending far beyond the school administration. When September 1957 arrived, the governor ordered the Arkansas National Guard to prevent desegregation at Central High School, claiming he was acting to prevent violence in the city. The nine black students were refused admittance. Later that month, with National Guard soldiers gone and the leadership of Little Rock losing authority, the nine students returned to the school. Before the day had ended, administrators ordered their removal, fearing violence from the belligerent mob outside. President Eisenhower issued an executive order to mobilize state and federal troops, dispersing the crowd and enforcing the federal district court order for desegregation. On September 25th, the nine black students reentered the school to begin classes, escorted by soldiers armed with rifles. The events influenced relationships between the state and the school systems, as well as the politics and identity of Little Rock for years to come. Governor Faubus signed a proclamation closing the schools of Little Rock between 1958 and 1959, responding to a denial by federal court to delay the integration. With changes to the school board, however, schools were reopened in 1959 under a desegregation plan based on attendance zones, a system that remained in use until 1964. The landscape itself played a role in the events. Trees were used to hang signs and effigies and to provide a better view. National Guard command posts were located within Quigley Stadium. The areas surrounding the school yard defined the perimeter of the patrol area, and also served as congregation points and media positions. The Mobil service station was rehabilitated in 1997 to reflect its style and condition during the 1950s. The Capel building, historically housing Ponder's Drug Store, is still extant. The landscape continues to convey a pivotal moment in the nation's history.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Regions 3, 4, & 5 Park Cultural Landscapes Program
- Date of Issue
- 2002-08-01
- Publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
- Units
- CHSC , MWR
- Keywords
- African-American, Architecture, Arkansas, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Capel Building, Capital Citizens' Council, Central High School Commemorative Garden, Civil Rights Movements, Desegregation, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Education, Equality, Ethnic Heritage-Black, Federal Government, General and Radical Reform, Governor Faubus, High School, Integration, Jess W. Matthews Library and Media Center, John Highberger, Little Rock, Mobil Service Station, NAACP, National Guard, neighborhood, Neo-Gothic Revival, Politics-Government, Ponder's Drug Store, Pulaski County, Quigley Stadium, Racial Conflict, Save America's Treasures Grant, Segregation, Social and Humanitarian Movements, Social History, State Government, The Little Rock Nine, Tiger Fieldhouse, U.S. Supreme Court, Urban, Vernacular Landscape, Virgil Blossom