FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — On Oct. 12 people gathered at Mount Sequoyah in Fayetteville to hear the NWA Black Heritage Association's plan for the proposed Spout Spring Black Historical District.
"I decided to facilitate this property owner clinics for one critical reason, and it was to make sure our property owners across all the demographics had the same education and knowledge about what's to come to incorporate and create one of the largest Black historic districts here in the state of Arkansas," said Emma Willis, the leading consultant for the district.
Willis said sometimes these districts can get bad publicity, so they want to set the record straight.
"There's been a lot of misinformation around historic districts about what an idea of one would look like here," Willis explained. "The truth is, we just want to make sure you understand from our partners and the people who make these things possible exactly what this looks like."
The proposed district is between Spring Street and 15th street in Fayetteville with College and Willow Street being the west and east border, this because it's one of the most historically Black areas in Northwest Arkansas.
"It’s a 3.12-mile swath of land, and it's all important, because this is an area that was historically densely populated by slave descendants and Black people here in Northwest Arkansas," Willis said.
Joe Daniels, a board member for the NWA Black Heritage Association, said his organization is doing this to help residents understand the history.
"For a long time, what Northwest Arkansas Black Heritage has been looking to do is to continue to acknowledge the heritage of Fayetteville and the Greater Northwest Arkansas area, as well as try to educate on what that heritage is and how we continue to bring that heritage forward and live out into the future," Daniels said.
James Logan, a Fayetteville resident, said this district would be incredible to help honor him and his family.
"It means a lot to me. It reminds me of my mom, my grandmother, and all of the kids I grew up with, and aunts and uncles. It's just wonderful," Logan said.
They are still very early in the process as they will require 300 signatures from property owners which started today but will really kick into gear in January.
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