Calico Rock School, Home Economics Building
Description
“The Future Homemakers of America Home Economics building at the Calico Rock School had been on the drawing boards for over two years before the National Youth Administration notified the local school district that construction could actually begin in December, 1940. The Home Economics Building was built of native stone to the east of the school’s main building and the gymnasium.” (https://www.arkansaspreservation.com)
The Plain Traditional stone building was begun in 1940. Stone was quarried by “hand, hammer and chisel” approximately 1/4 of a mile from the building site. The NYA youth who quarried stone and built the building were between 15-18 and earned 9 cents an hour (Story, 1992).
Charles Walker, a local contractor, supervised the NYA. The local paper, Calico Rock Express, described the building as “one of the most modern for small Home Economics Cottages” (as cited in Arkansas Historic Preservation Program). The cottage contained four kitchenettes, large work room, living room and bathroom and was completed in 1941.
Source notes
Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. Calico Rock Home Economics Building. Retrieved from https://www.arkansaspreservation.com/historic-properties/_search_nomination_popup.aspx?id=391#_ftnref1. Christ, M. K., & Slater, C. H. (2000). Sentinels of History: Reflections on Arkansas Properties in the National Register of Historic Places. Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas. Story, K. (1992). Nomination form for National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved from https://www.arkansaspreservation.com/!userfiles/IZ0070.nr.pdf.
Project originally submitted by Susan Allen on January 22, 2014.
We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal project site.
SUBMIT MORE INFORMATION OR PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THIS SITE