The Quapaw Quarterly Chronicle, January 2026

The Quapaw Quarterly Chronicle

Historic Preservation in Greater Little Rock

January 2026

To see the online PDF of this Chronicle, please click here. 

In this addition;

  • Committee Reports

  • 2025 Greater Little Rock Preservation Awards

  • Board of Directors Update

  • QQA names new Executive Director

  • 2026 Tour of Homes Announcement

  • 2026 Preservation Conversations

QQA Members, Mike Metzler and Jill Judy, at the 2025 Holiday Social

Committee Reports

Advocacy Committee

The 2025 calendar year brought real challenges to the preservation world, but it was also a year marked by meaningful advocacy, collaboration, and notable successes. Throughout the year, the Advocacy Committee actively monitored activity of the Little Rock Historic District Commission and the Capitol Zoning District Commission, commenting on applications when necessary.

Early in the year, preservation vulnerabilities were underscored by the March 19th fire at the St. Joseph’s Orphanage building, used by the community as an artist space and farmstead. While the building had recently undergone some restoration work, this incident is a sobering reminder of the fragility of historic resources.

READ MORE ABOUT THE QQA RESPONSE TO ST. JOSEPH FIRE HERE.

In April, the committee closely followed and responded to demolition applications associated with the Holy Souls Catholic church campus, including proposed tear-downs at 1015–1021 N. Tyler Street and 1016–1020 N. Harrison Street. While the combined efforts of the local community and the QQA was ultimately dismissed and the permits were approved, these cases reinforce the importance of consistent oversight and public engagement.

In June, the committee issued an Advocacy Alert highlighting the risks facing historic tax credits and grant programs, helping raise awareness at a critical moment for preservation funding. The QQA is actively monitoring the HTC-GO Act as advocates at the national level continue to push for its inclusion in Senate bill S. 1459.

July 12th brought another fire as the Fee House at 1900 Broadway was caught in flames.

One of the year’s key advocacy wins came in August, when a demolition permit approval was paused for the property at 2123 Ringo Street, one of the larger homes in the Paul Laurence Dunbar School Neighborhood Historic District. This was only possible due to key community members coming together to advocate for the house. That same month, however, demolition began at St. Joseph’s, marking a difficult loss for the community.

At the state and national levels, the committee saw encouraging progress. In November, the QQA joined more than 300 organizations nationwide in signing a letter urging Congress to reauthorize the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). For nearly 50 years, the HPF has been the primary federal funding source supporting State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, competitive grant programs, and community revitalization efforts across the country. This collective action represented a significant show of unity and commitment to historic preservation’s future. We will continue to monitor the progress of this effort.

In December, the Arkansas State Review Board recommended approval of the National Register nomination for Dunbar Junior and Senior High School and Junior College, now the Dunbar Magnet Middle School. The updated materials seek to elevate the property’s recognition to the national level by highlighting its deep connections to African American history, an important step forward in telling a more complete and inclusive preservation story.

The year closed with additional challenges, including house fires at 2121 Louisiana Street on December 24th and 403 E. 13th Street on December 26th. These losses are difficult for the community and further reinforce the urgency of the committee’s work.

Despite setbacks, the Advocacy Committee recorded meaningful wins, strengthened partnerships, and continued to champion preservation at the local, state, and national levels, laying important groundwork for the work ahead in 2026.

Education Commitee

2025 began with long-time Vice President of Education, Dr. Ann Ballard Bryan, transitioning out of a leadership role, with then VP of Development, Ian Beard, moving into the position.  

The year saw a great slate of Preservation Conversations, starting with Mollie Walden, Technical Assistance Coordinator for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. Walden discussed historic window restoration with her hands-on model in January.  

Hannah Ratzlaff, Planning Manager and City Preservation Officer for Little Rock, discussed the MacArthur Park Historic District design guidelines in April as a prelude to the 60th Spring Tour of Homes that featured the same neighborhood

In July, QQA members visited the new Civics Education Center at the Justice Building, home to the Arkansas Supreme Court. Guests heard from Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, Marty Sullivan.  

We finished out the year in October at the Federal Reserve Bank building in downtown Little Rock, now home to eSTEM elementary. Guests heard from architect John Greer, former eStem CEO Dr. John Bacon, and past students as they shared the history and evolution of the space.    

5H Club (History, Happy Hour & Heavy Hors d'oeuvres)  gave some lucky QQA members an intimate glimpse at four fantastic locations this year. These events are on a first come-first served registration basis, typically limited to 25 guests, and are only open to QQA Members.

In May we visited a Nolan Blass designed Mid-Century Modern gem in the Wingate neighborhood of Little Rock.  

Next we watched the sunset from the 10th floor balcony of the newly renovated Flats at SoMa, formerly a Little Rock VA hospital. (Fun Fact: Preserve Arkansas, the only statewide historic preservation non-profit in Arkansas, has moved their offices to this building!)

In September we taste-tested some old fashioned grog in Little Rock's oldest building, the 1827 Hinderliter Grog Shop at Historic Arkansas Museum.  

We finished the year with a private tour by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin of the Bob R. Brooks Jr. Justice Building, formerly known as the Boyle Building. The revitalization of one of the largest buildings on Main Street was a huge win for Little Rock this year.    

The Education Committee also worked with the Arkansas State Archives and the Little Rock Visitors' Foundation to provide temporary exhibits in Curran Hall as part of 2nd Friday Art Night this year.  

QQA Executive Director Morgan Weithman hosted an educational night of trivia as a stop for the popular "Pedal Party" in September.  

Finally, we capped off the year by honoring some amazing projects and individuals--including former VP or Education Ann Ballard Bryan--at the Greater Little Rock Preservation Awards in November. You can read more about those in a segment below.

Development Committee

As Vice President of Development, Ian Beard, transitioned to be VP of Education, an immediate replacement was not forthcoming.  Beard temporarily combined the two committees, making for some epically long meetings.  Despite this obstacle, the Development Committee had a successful year with healthy membership growth and a full calendar of events.

The always popular Summer Supper series, chaired by Laura Sergeant, kicked-off the season in style with a "Great Gatsby" themed dinner at the downtown Little Rock home of Kate & Tom Schranz in June.  Gatsby on Gaines was one of two suppers this year that featured a costume contest!

Next on the calendar were the King sisters--Helen Grace, Leila & Kamiya. The power house from @ The Corner and Flora Jeans gave dinner guests a sneak peak of their newest restaurant project, Plain Jane's, with a poolside Summer in Versailles evening in Little Rock's Hillcrest neighborhood.  

August's "Hot Summer/Cold Supper" with Erika Gee of Ease Supper Club & Bistro faced unseasonably cool weather, but the crowd in North Little Rock's Argenta neighborhood didn't seem to mind as they enjoyed their meal with expertly paired wines. 

The series finished with Welcome to Camp Piedmont, a progressive dinner with Jim Pfeifer, Dr. Robynn Zinser, Capi Peck, Dr. Wade Brock, and Mary Starr Brock complete with s'mores, a costume contest, and sing-alongs in West Little Rock’s Piedmont neighborhood.

The annual City Garden Party got a new look and location change under the leadership of QQA Secretary, Allison Fuller, with a fun evening in Little Rock's Dunbar Garden.  Guests got to bask in the late summer sunshine

To finish 2025, a festive crowd enjoyed the biannual Holiday Tour & Social, presented by Engel & Völkers Real Estate.  Guests toured three homes in Little Rock's Governor Mansion Historic District: the Howell-Morris House, owned by Susan Payne and Barry Coplin; the Lyon House, owned by Dana and Sam Boyster; and the Pierce House, owned by Rachael and Harrison Tome.  We finished the evening off with dinner and an auction at the  c.1877 Capitol Hotel.  A big thank you to Laura Sergeant, Kate Schranz, and Jena Selva for putting together such a memorable evening! You can read more about the 2025 Holiday Social & Tour using the link here.

2026 is already off to a great start with new board member, Shannon Kenney, taking on the role of VP of Development.  She'll be joined by another new board member, Benjamin Britton; both bring strong a fundraising background and some great new ideas!

2025 Greater Little Rock Preservation Awards

For the 2025 Greater Little Rock Preservation Awards, the QQA honored 7 projects and 2 individuals that showed a dedication to historic preservation in the city and beyond.

The Tom Wilkes Award for Exemplary Board Involvement is no small achievement, and is not awarded often. Read our full blog post about the awards ceremony here!

Board of Directors Update

The QQA Board of Directors has welcomed four new members to the team. From fundraising and marketing, to a lifetime spent in the Quarter, these new Directors bring exciting skills and fresh energy to the board. Please join us in welcoming Benjamin Britton, Daniel Knight, Shannon Kenny, and Morgan Leyenberger to the 2026 Board of Directors! Together with our returning board members, we will have an all-star team! We are so excited to see what the 2026 year brings. Please see the full 2026 QQA Board of Directors roster below:

  • Callie Williams, President

  • Amber Crouch, Past President
  • Allison Fuller, Secretary
  • Jena Selva, Treasurer
  • Angela Sortor, VP of Advocacy
  • Ian Beard, VP of Education
  • Shannon Kenney, VP of Development
  • Benjamin Britton
  • Amber Haugen
  • Daniel Knight
  • Morgan Leyenberger
  • Angela Mathews
  • Myranda Randle
  • Richard Steinkamp
  • Mark Stodola

QQA Names New Executive Director

The Quapaw Quarter Association is excited to announce the promotion of Morgan Weithman to be its Executive Director, effective November 1, 2025.

“My work at the Historic Arkansas Museum and the QQA has allowed me to spend time with some of the oldest buildings here in Little Rock, and I have such a deep appreciation and love for the cultural history of this city.”            

-Morgan Weithman

Read the full press release here.

2026 Tour of Homes Announcement

The QQA is excited to share the 2026 Tour of Homes neighborhood! We will be featuring the Argenta Historic District in North Little Rock. To have the tour return north of the river after many years will be a wonderful opportunity to feature a great historic neighborhood that has seen lots of change in the past few years. This location will serve to introduce new people to the QQA and its mission to preserve Greater Little Rock’s historic places.

2026 Preservation Conversations

Accessory Dwelling Unit informational panel-does the code change affect historic properties?

Tuesday, January 27th

5:30-7:00 p.m.

Cromwell Mixing Room, 1306 East 6th Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202

Free registration here. 


Feild Notes on Little Rock, a family history memoire by Charles Feild

Tuesday, April 28th

5:30-7:00 p.m.

Cromwell Mixing Room, 1306 East 6th Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202

Free registration here.

 

Researching your historic home with CALS and Butler Center

Tuesday, July 28th

5:30-7:00 p.m.

Sue Cowan Williams Library, 1800 S Chester St, Little Rock, AR 72206

Free registration here. 

 

Sunset in the Cemetery

October, Date TBD

5:30-7:00 p.m.

Oakland & Fraternal Historic Cemetery Park, 2101 Barber St, Little Rock, AR 72206

Registration opening soon.