CONWAY COUNTY HISTORICAL PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION INC

MORRILTON, AR

Springfield Bridge – Beaverfork Park (Faulkner County, Arkansas) Historic Springfield Bridge over Beaverfork Lake in Conway, Texas. The bridge is a wrought iron bowstring arch truss. The bridge was originally erected in 1874 by the King Bridge Company (King Iron Bridge & Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio) on the Springfield-Des Arc Road over North Cadron Creek. It was relocated to Beaverfork Park in Conway in 1996 and has been preserved as a pedestrian bridge in Beaverfork Park. Conway County, Arkansas awarded the King Bridge Company a contract for the bridge in 1871. However, in 1873 the Arkansas Legislature divided Conway County creating Faulkner County with the creek as the new county line. The bridge was installed in 1874 with Conway County and the new Faulkner County splitting the cost. The Springfield Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 (NRHP No. 88000660). Historic American Engineering Record (HAER-AR-32 as the Springfield-Des Arc Bridge)
Springfield Bridge – Beaverfork Park (Faulkner County, Arkansas) Credit: cmh2315fl

The Conway County Historical Preservation Association Inc. (CCHPA) is a non-profit organization located in Morrilton, Arkansas. Founded in 1976, it is dedicated to preserving the county’s history and promoting appreciation of its cultural heritage. The CCHPA is a volunteer-driven organization that works to preserve numerous historical sites and buildings throughout the county.

The CCHPA has a number of programs that are designed to bring the county’s history to life. These include educational tours of historical sites, lectures and events that highlight the area’s past, and ongoing efforts to restore and preserve historic buildings. The CCHPA also manages the Conway County Museum, which houses a collection of artifacts and displays related to the county’s history.

The CCHPA also advocates on behalf of the county’s historical sites and works to preserve its unique cultural heritage. The organization is supported by a variety of local donors, businesses, and grants. It also works closely with other historical preservation organizations and the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program to identify and protect historic places in the county.

The CCHPA is an invaluable asset to the county’s history and a valuable resource for locals and visitors alike. Through its dedication to preserving Conway County’s past, it helps keep the area’s unique culture alive for generations to come.

CONWAY COUNTY HISTORICAL PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION INC is a Historical Societies, Historic Preservation in MORRILTON AR. US MID #8400500169

The museum is classed as HSC (Historical Societies, Historic Preservation). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Southeastern (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia).

Springfield Bridge – Beaverfork Park (Faulkner County, Arkansas) Historic Springfield Bridge over Beaverfork Lake in Conway, Texas. The bridge is a wrought iron bowstring arch truss. The bridge was originally erected in 1874 by the King Bridge Company (King Iron Bridge & Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio) on the Springfield-Des Arc Road over North Cadron Creek. It was relocated to Beaverfork Park in Conway in 1996 and has been preserved as a pedestrian bridge in Beaverfork Park. Conway County, Arkansas awarded the King Bridge Company a contract for the bridge in 1871. However, in 1873 the Arkansas Legislature divided Conway County creating Faulkner County with the creek as the new county line. The bridge was installed in 1874 with Conway County and the new Faulkner County splitting the cost. The Springfield Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 (NRHP No. 88000660). Historic American Engineering Record (HAER-AR-32 as the Springfield-Des Arc Bridge)
Springfield Bridge – Beaverfork Park (Faulkner County, Arkansas) Historic Springfield Bridge over Beaverfork Lake in Conway, Texas. The bridge is a wrought iron bowstring arch truss. The bridge was originally erected in 1874 by the King Bridge Company (King Iron Bridge & Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio) on the Springfield-Des Arc Road over North Cadron Creek. It was relocated to Beaverfork Park in Conway in 1996 and has been preserved as a pedestrian bridge in Beaverfork Park. Conway County, Arkansas awarded the King Bridge Company a contract for the bridge in 1871. However, in 1873 the Arkansas Legislature divided Conway County creating Faulkner County with the creek as the new county line. The bridge was installed in 1874 with Conway County and the new Faulkner County splitting the cost. The Springfield Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 (NRHP No. 88000660). Historic American Engineering Record (HAER-AR-32 as the Springfield-Des Arc Bridge)
Springfield Bridge – Beaverfork Park (Faulkner County, Arkansas) Historical marker for the Springfield Bridge over Beaverfork Park Lake in Conway, Texas. The sign states: Preserving the Springfield Bridge This bridge has been subject to the challenges of time and nature. Floods have periodically ravaged the bridge. On May 25, 1882 the Arkansas Gazette reported flooding on the Cadron: At the iron bridge it was more than a mile wide, and deep enough to sweep over the floor of the bridge. In the great flood of 1927, cables were attached to the bridge and tied to large trees to keep the bridge from washing away. In December of 1982 the bridge was damaged when it was again submerged by floodwaters. But people knew the bridge was something special. In 1988, Guy W. Murphy and the Faulkner County Historical Society were instrumental in getting the Springfield Bridge added to the National Register of Historic Places. When the bridge was replaced in 1991, the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department painted and re-decked the bridge and erected barriers to prevent vehicle traffic. A dedication as a historic park took place in July 1992, and iron plaques were placed at each end of the bridge. Sadly, the bridge quickly decayed. Vandals tagged the abutments with spray paint and damaged the bridge with fires. The iron plaques were stolen. The eastern stone abutment began to crack, and erosion threatened the western side. The Springfield Bridge was about to be lost. Then, in 2011, Workin' Bridges of Grinnell, Iowa, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic iron bridges, began discussions with local officials about rescuing the Springfield Bridge. Plans were made to restore the bridge to its original condition and relocate the bridge here, at Beaverfork Park, where it has police protection and can be seen and enjoyed by the public. Moving a 146-foot iron bridge is no small task. Under the direction of Workin' Bridges, two cranes lifted the bridge then lowered it to the nearby ground. There, iron-workers took it apart so it could be transported by truck to North Little Rock for cleaning and refinishing. The pieces were then trucked to Beaverfork Park where technicians reassembled it. New caissons were built, stones from the original abutments were incorporated into the approaches, and a railing was added. Finally, a crane lifted the bridge to its new home, here, over Lake Beaverfork.
Springfield Bridge – Beaverfork Park (Faulkner County, Arkansas) Historical marker for the Springfield Bridge over Beaverfork Park Lake in Conway, Texas. The sign states: The Story of The Springfield Bridge The Springfield Bridge is one of the oldest surviving bridges of its type in the United States and is the oldest bridge in Arkansas. The Springfield Bridge was erected in 1874 across North Cadron Creek, three miles east of Springfield on the Springfield-Des Arc Road. Between 1850 and 1873 the road connected Des Arc, a thriving steamboat port on the White River, with Springfield, the county seat of Conway County. But crossing the Cadron was a problem. Before the bridge, C. A. Simmons operated a ferry, charging 5c for a man on foot, I5c for a man on horseback, and 75c for a two-horse spring carriage. On November 8, 1871, Conway County awarded the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio a contract for a wrought iron bridge. The company built the bridge at its ironworks in Iola, Kansas. In 1872 the bridge was shipped to Lewisburg (near today 's Morrilton), but erection of the bridge came to a sudden halt when the 1873 state legislature divided Conway County, creating Faulkner County from the part of Conway County east of North Cadron Creek. The stream became the county line and the bridge waiting in Lewisburg would now be part of two counties. Conway County filed suit against the new Faulkner County to recover half of the cost of the bridge. Knowing the value of the Springfield to Des Arc Road, Faulkner County agreed, and work began. The bridge opened in July of I874. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. In 1991, after 117 years of service, this elegant, gently arched iron bridge was replaced by a concrete bridge a short distance upstream.
Springfield Bridge – Beaverfork Park (Faulkner County, Arkansas) Historic Springfield Bridge over Beaverfork Lake in Conway, Texas. The bridge is a wrought iron bowstring arch truss. The bridge was originally erected in 1874 by the King Bridge Company (King Iron Bridge & Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio) on the Springfield-Des Arc Road over North Cadron Creek. It was relocated to Beaverfork Park in Conway in 1996 and has been preserved as a pedestrian bridge in Beaverfork Park. Conway County, Arkansas awarded the King Bridge Company a contract for the bridge in 1871. However, in 1873 the Arkansas Legislature divided Conway County creating Faulkner County with the creek as the new county line. The bridge was installed in 1874 with Conway County and the new Faulkner County splitting the cost. The Springfield Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 (NRHP No. 88000660). Historic American Engineering Record (HAER-AR-32 as the Springfield-Des Arc Bridge)
Springfield Bridge – Beaverfork Park (Faulkner County, Arkansas) Historic Springfield Bridge over Beaverfork Lake in Conway, Texas. The bridge is a wrought iron bowstring arch truss. The bridge was originally erected in 1874 by the King Bridge Company (King Iron Bridge & Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio) on the Springfield-Des Arc Road over North Cadron Creek. It was relocated to Beaverfork Park in Conway in 1996 and has been preserved as a pedestrian bridge in Beaverfork Park. Conway County, Arkansas awarded the King Bridge Company a contract for the bridge in 1871. However, in 1873 the Arkansas Legislature divided Conway County creating Faulkner County with the creek as the new county line. The bridge was installed in 1874 with Conway County and the new Faulkner County splitting the cost. The Springfield Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 (NRHP No. 88000660). Historic American Engineering Record (HAER-AR-32 as the Springfield-Des Arc Bridge)
Springfield Bridge – Beaverfork Park (Faulkner County, Arkansas) Historic Springfield Bridge over Beaverfork Lake in Conway, Texas. The bridge is a wrought iron bowstring arch truss. The bridge was originally erected in 1874 by the King Bridge Company (King Iron Bridge & Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio) on the Springfield-Des Arc Road over North Cadron Creek. It was relocated to Beaverfork Park in Conway in 1996 and has been preserved as a pedestrian bridge in Beaverfork Park. Conway County, Arkansas awarded the King Bridge Company a contract for the bridge in 1871. However, in 1873 the Arkansas Legislature divided Conway County creating Faulkner County with the creek as the new county line. The bridge was installed in 1874 with Conway County and the new Faulkner County splitting the cost. The Springfield Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 (NRHP No. 88000660). Historic American Engineering Record (HAER-AR-32 as the Springfield-Des Arc Bridge)
Springfield Bridge – Beaverfork Park (Faulkner County, Arkansas) Historic Springfield Bridge over Beaverfork Lake in Conway, Texas. The bridge is a wrought iron bowstring arch truss. The bridge was originally erected in 1874 by the King Bridge Company (King Iron Bridge & Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio) on the Springfield-Des Arc Road over North Cadron Creek. It was relocated to Beaverfork Park in Conway in 1996 and has been preserved as a pedestrian bridge in Beaverfork Park. Conway County, Arkansas awarded the King Bridge Company a contract for the bridge in 1871. However, in 1873 the Arkansas Legislature divided Conway County creating Faulkner County with the creek as the new county line. The bridge was installed in 1874 with Conway County and the new Faulkner County splitting the cost. The Springfield Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 (NRHP No. 88000660). Historic American Engineering Record (HAER-AR-32 as the Springfield-Des Arc Bridge)
52 Pontiac Chieftain. Perry County, Arkansas. 2024.
Abandoned workshop with stone wall, Arkansas
Abandoned workshop with stone wall, Arkansas

Contact CONWAY COUNTY HISTORICAL PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION INC

CONWAY COUNTY HISTORICAL PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION INC
PO BOX 417
MORRILTON
AR
72110

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CONWAY COUNTY HISTORICAL PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION INC Information

MID # 8400500169
Name CONWAY COUNTY HISTORICAL PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION INC
Alternate Name
Classification Historical Societies, Historic Preservation, , Southeastern
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) 710502625
NTEECC A82
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM) 201212
INCOME 0
REVENUE 0
LAT/LONG 35.155926, -92.742536
CODES FIPS State Code: 05
FIPS County Code: 029
US Census Tract: 950300
US Census Block: 2068