Preserve Arkansas has named seven properties to its 2026 Most Endangered Places list, highlighting historic buildings and sites facing threats that include deterioration, neglect, demolition or insensitive development.
The organization announced the selections Oct. 22 in Hot Springs during its Arkansas Preservation Conference. The properties include a Folk Victorian hotel in Poinsett County, a jailhouse in Magnolia, churches in Little Rock and Clarksville, a Civilian Conservation Corps-built complex in Hot Springs, a railroad depot in Leachville and a Victorian-era home in Pine Bluff.
“These properties highlight challenges faced by many historic places throughout Arkansas, including disinvestment and population shifts. We look forward to working with property owners and local advocates to save these irreplaceable community assets,”
— Rachel Patton, executive director of Preserve Arkansas
The 2026 properties
- Bacon/Sunrise Hotel in Whitehall, Poinsett County
- Columbia County Jail in Magnolia
- Leachville Cotton Belt Depot in Leachville, Mississippi County
- Churches in Little Rock and Clarksville
- A Civilian Conservation Corps-built complex in Hot Springs
- A prominent Victorian home in Pine Bluff
The Bacon/Sunrise Hotel was built in 1912 by James William Bacon, about six miles south of Harrisburg. Preserve Arkansas described it as a rare surviving example of a Folk Victorian-style hotel built during the region’s timber boom. The building has been vacant since the mid-20th century and is experiencing long-term deterioration and neglect.
The Columbia County Jail was designed around 1920 by Little Rock architects Charles L. Thompson and Thomas Harding Jr. Its Renaissance Revival details reflect the architectural character of the county courthouse, Preserve Arkansas said.
The Leachville Cotton Belt Depot is among the properties selected in Mississippi County. The list also includes the Bacon/Sunrise Hotel and Columbia County Jail, along with religious, civic and residential properties in communities across the state.
Preserve Arkansas began its Most Endangered Places Program in 1999 to draw attention to historically and culturally significant properties facing threats. The organization solicits nominations from individuals and organizations, then uses a committee of preservation professionals, architects, historians and its members to select the properties.
Selections are based on each site’s historical or cultural significance, the severity of the threat and the level of local support. The list is updated annually to encourage discussion and support for preserving places identified as important to Arkansas communities.
