MADISON COUNTY, Arkansas — A Northwest Arkansas park has recently landed a spot on the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places.
The Wharton Creek Roadside Park in Madison County was built around 1965 or 1966, according to a release from the service.
It's one of several park projects in Arkansas built by the Green Thumb program, a program that employed impoverished senior citizens in order to combat poverty.
The National Register of Historic Places is the U.S. government's list devoted to marking the country's historic places deemed worthy of preservation.
In Arkansas, the register is administered by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.
Ralph Wilcox, a national register coordinator and deputy state historic preservation officer for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, spoke about the significance of making the list.
“The National Register is the country’s official list of historic resources that are worthy of preservation. Having properties in Arkansas listed on the National Register is important," Wilcox said.
He explains that listing a property on the register documents the property's history, as well as its importance in state and local communities.
It also educates people on the state's history and opens up opportunities for financial aid.
"It helps people to learn about and understand more about the state’s history," Wilcox said. "Furthermore, if a property is listed on the National Register, it will often open up the opportunity for financial assistance, whether it is grants or state or federal tax credits.”
Wilcox says that the most recent batch of Arkansas additions to the registry are from all over the state and various time periods, highlighting the state's rich history.
The included properties "span a wide range of historic and architectural scope," according to Arkansas Heritage.
“Arkansas’ architectural diversity and significance is vast, which I think is impressive and important to understand and keep in mind," Wilcox said.
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