The El Dorado Historic District Commission is hoping to make a big splash in 2022 by educating the community about its mission and raising awareness about the importance of preserving the city's history and heritage.
Commissioner Sara Coffman kicked off a lengthy discussion about outreach efforts on Dec. 9 during the EHDC's last regular meeting of the year.
"I would like to make sure the city of El Dorado knows who we are and I don't know how that's going to look, but what we do is important ... and it really spreads throughout the community," Coffman said.
She called on the commission to come up with ideas to engage the community in historic preservation projects that flow through the EHDC.
Coffman said she volunteered to help organize the 2021 El Dorado Christmas Parade, telling commissioners that she was fascinated to get a firsthand look at the work that goes into presenting the parade.
Much like the planning for South Arkansas's largest Christmas parade, Coffman said many local residents are not aware of work the EHDC does to preserve the city's heritage.
"People really don't know what we're trying to do and that is to take care of our city. It's not about being (the pretty police)," Coffman said.
The conversation stemmed from similar talks commissioners had in October about how best to broaden the EHDC's outreach and engage the community in historic preservation.
Commissioners agreed then that they need to raise awareness about and stress the importance of historic preservation resources in El Dorado -- a recommendation that was also made in a citywide historic preservation plan that was drafted last year.
The EHDC spearheaded the project, which was funded by a state Certified Local Government grant in the amount of $42,000 and a $10,000 match from the one-cent, El Dorado Works tax.
The city sales tax is dedicated to economic development, municipal infrastructure and quality-of-life projects and is administered by the El Dorado Works Board, on which Coffman serves as treasurer.
Elizabeth Eggleston, executive director of the EHDC, said the comprehensive plan provided the city and historic district commission with a road map to identify notable people and historic buildings, places and resources in El Dorado.
For example, Eggleston said the plan recommends projects and sets priorities, such as Determination of Eligibility (DOE)/Cultural Resources surveys and inventories for several neighborhoods in the city, including the Mellor, Bodenhamer, Forest Lawn and Eastridge subdivisions and the Retta Brown and Country Club Colony (CCC) neighborhoods.
The surveys will ascertain if the areas are eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
Terracon Consultant Services, Inc., is wrapping up work on the survey for Mellor, Bodenhamer, Forest Lawn and Eastridge and a contract has been signed for Cox|McClain Environmental Consulting, Inc., to begin DOE surveys for Retta Brown and Country Club Colony.
The surveys are also being funded by CLG grants.
Economic impact and groundwork
Eggleston and EHDC chairman Ken Bridges noted that historic preservation efforts have an economic impact on the community -- another point that was cited in the citywide plan.
Eggleston said the EHDC steered efforts to establish the city's commercial and residential historic districts and to get the districts and/or individual properties within the districts listed on the National Register.
As a result, El Dorado Festivals and Events, Inc., applied for and received historic preservation tax credits -- state and federal -- to help develop the Murphy Arts District, which is a part of the commercial historic district.
With the groundwork already laid by the EHDC, Eggleston said MAD was able to save millions of dollars on the development of the entertainment district.
The work included a repurposing and restoration of the historic Griffin Auto building on Locust Street.
The building, which was once home to an auto dealership and decades later, El Dorado Glass and Mirror Company, now houses the MuleKick@MAD restaurant and the First Financial Music Hall.
"Another thing is, when they made the presentation for funding, because the (commercial historic district) was already established, it put them ahead by five years," Eggleston said.
"If they had to begin from scratch with the paperwork, they would have had to hire somebody, so it didn't just save money, it also saved time," she continued.
Coffman noted that her fellow EWB members were unaware that MAD projects had qualified for the tax credits due to work that was done by the EHDC.
Over the last 10 years, the city has committed more than $20 million from the El Dorado Works and the former El Dorado Forward taxes toward the development of MAD.
The El Dorado Forward tax -- also a one-cent, city sales tax that was dedicated to economic development project -- expired in 2015 after eight years.
The same year, El Dorado voters approved the El Dorado Works tax during a special election. The tax sunsets in 2025.
Historic district Commissioner Diane Murfee said her house, known historically as the Oakland Home at 3800 Calion Road, is also listed on the NRHP, thanks to help from the EHDC with the nomination process.
"I not only think that people don't know what the historic district commission is, they don't know what we've done," Murfee said.
The group was also involved in an effort to preserve the terminal building at South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field after the El Dorado Airport Commission voted in 2015 to raze the post-World War II-era building and build anew.
Murfee's husband -- Mickey Murfee, who now serves as chairman of the airport commission -- cast the lone no vote to tear down the existing building.
The EHDC joined state and federal preservation groups in helping to save the terminal. The airport commission is working to raise money to renovate and repair the building.
Historic district Commissioner Linda Rathbun asked about ways the EHDC could engage the community, saying that not many people turned out for an open house that was held in late 2019 to solicit public input for the citywide preservation plan.
"People really don't come out ... attendance was pretty sparse," Rathbun said.
In October, Rathbun said she feels the EHDC should put together a multi-faceted marketing campaign that includes a mix of signage, printed materials and digital media.
Commissioner Steve Biernacki said then that he feels some of the traditional marketing tools, such as printed materials, are antiquated.
He said the "younger generation" may not be aware of local historical facts and resources, adding "they primarily get their information" through digital/electronic means.
Referring back to the Christmas parade, Coffman suggested on Dec. 9 that the EHDC enter a float in the 2022 affair to help raise its visibility.
She said the commission could also highlight and showcase to the community three properties with which the EHDC has had a hand in getting listed on the National Register; helped to receive tax credits to repair, restore or remodel; or approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for applicable exterior projects -- including signage, awnings or window, door or brick replacements -- within the commercial historic district.
"I think education is a big part of the process and we have not done a very good job with education," Diane Murfee said.
Bridges suggested that the EHDC form a subcommittee to study the matter and come up with ideas and recommendations to promote the commission and historic preservation in El Dorado.