Post-World War II Residential Development of Little Rock, Arkansas, 1945-1970

Thomason & Associates

From introduction: "The Post-World War II Residential Development of Little Rock, Arkansas, 1945-1970 historic and architectural context includes an introduction, a historical overview of the city’s growth and development, a discussion of residential property types from this period and registration requirements for National Register eligibility. This context only focuses on residential architecture and no other property types or archeological resources from this period are included in this study. In the years just before and after World War II, the continued rise in automobile ownership led to the subdivision of rural land on the edges of cities for residential development. The Great Depression of the 1930s significantly slowed home construction as did the war years of World War II, when materials and labor were directed toward the war effort. With so few houses built between 1930 and 1945, postwar there was a high demand for housing, particularly as military personnel returned from overseas. In response to the housing crisis, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Veterans Administration (VA) incentivized housing construction and homeownership. Federal policies encouraged home loans as well as road construction projects during this period. These factors were responsible for the rapid development of residential subdivisions in suburban settings. On the periphery of cities, large land parcels were subdivided for tract housing. Several house forms and designs became ubiquitous in this post-war climate of rapid suburbanization. At the same time, commercial businesses began following the migration to the suburbs as new highways were constructed. This trend can be seen in Little Rock during the post-World War II period. This context first provides an introduction to the city’s past historic preservation efforts and the growing interest in post-World War II resources. The context then includes an examination of Little Rock’s history prior to World War II and the status of the city as it entered the post-World War II period. The context then examines governmental and societal trends which affected the growth and development of cities nationwide and how these trends were reflected in Little Rock. A discussion of residential architectural development nationwide follows along with a specific review of Little Rock’s residential resources from 1945 to 1970. Finally, the context concludes with a discussion of significance and registration requirements to assess the National Register eligibility of individual properties and subdivisions from this period." Funding for this project was provided in part through a 2016 Historic Preservation Fund grant to the City of Little Rock, Arkansas (project number AR-16-009), administered by the Department of Arkansas Heritage (grant number P16AF00130) and the State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Little Rock, Arkansas is a Certified Local Government.

Post-World War II Residential Development of Little Rock, Arkansas, 1945-1970

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