Rm No. 10-30& IRw. 10741
UP4 ITEDSTATkS DEPA KTMENT 01;
THE INTERIOR
NAVONAL PARK SERVICE
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
IENVENTORY NOMINATION FORM '
-
FOR FEDERAL PROPERTIES
NAME
SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPL~EIYATIONALREGESTER FORMS
TYPE ALL ENTRIES COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS
--
Fort Smith., Arkansas
AND/OR COMMON
Fort Smith National Historic Site
STREET L NUMBER
Fort S m i t h National Historic Site
CITY. TOWN
-
Fort Smith
STATE
CATEO ORY
-DISTRICT
3
OF
CODE
OWNERSHIP
UIUNfY
CODE
STATUS
U,
-STRUCtURE
,BOTH
-SITE
PUBLIC ACCLUIS1TION
-IN PROCESS
-AGRICULTURE.
YMUSEUM
NOCCUPiED
-~MMERCIAL
XPARK
-WORK
IN PRMiRESS
-EDUCATIONAL
-PRIVATE
AHTERTAINMEHT
-RELIGIOUS
XYES:
RESTRICTED
XGOVERNMLW
-SCIENTIFIC
,YES:
-INDUSTRIAL
,TRAN
-M IUTAAY
-OTHER
ACCESSIBLE
WNSIDERED
-
PRESENTUSE
PIED
-DCW
%USUC
-BEiNG
WBUCA~ON
CONGRESSIOkAC DISTRICT
welulw
XBUILOINGIS~
,PRIVATE
,OWECT
-HOTFOR
UNRESTRICTED
,NO
RESIDENE
SPORTATTOM
REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS. I M @ I b k I
j
STREET& NUMBER
Southwest Regfonal Office
CtTY. TOWN
P.O. Box 728
STATE
-
Santa Fe
New Mexico
VICINITT OF
LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION
COURTHOUSE.
REGISTRY OF DEEDSETC.
Sebastian County Courthouse
STREET B NUMBER
CITY. TQWN
STATE
Fort Smith
Arkansas
REPRESENTATIONINEXISTING SURVEYS
,,,,, National
Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings, Theme
"The Advance of the Frontier, 1763-1830''
pp
XI
104-106
DATE
January, 1959
FEDERAL
STATE
- C O U ~ LOCAL
DEPOSITORY FOR
SURVEY UECORQS
CITY. TOWN
Sanra Fe
National Park Service, Southwest Regional Off ice
STATE
New Mexico
CHECK ONE
CHECK ONE
w, FEALTERED
ORIGINAL SITE
LALTEREO,MOVED
DATE
,
DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL [IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Fort Snith National Xistoric S i t e commemorates three historic periods-the
First Fort dI81?-1824), the Second Fort 11838-18713, and J u d i c i a l (7871-1830).
The historic resources of the First Fort consist of stabilized stone
foundations and buried archeological remains a t their original location
overlooking t h e junction of the Poteau and Arkansas @verse
The Second Fort
Znclude the Barracks (also known as the Courthouse), C m i s s a r y , Cistern, and
foundations of the Second Fort GJalls and p o s s i b l y two Officers' Quarters and
Quarternaster Building. For the most part, the location, design, materials,
and worhanship are a l l original, The original setting, however, was an active
fort enclosed by stone w a l l s twelve feet high w i t h a t least 14 o t h e r
structures. The interiors of all buildings have k e n changed considerably. I n
addition, the Jail, b u i l t during the J u d i c i a l period, abuts the Courthouse,
(Earracksl, and is b u i l t of red brick t r i t h a slate roof to conform with the
older structure. The structures of the J u d i c i a l period include the Courthouse
(also known as Sarracks), Jail, and Cmissary. W i l e 1ocation, design,
materials, and worhanship are o r i g i n a l , the setting dwindled to 8 o t h e r
structures, and the interiors of' a l l structures were modified extensiveiy
.
1.
First Fort
The f i r s t Fort Ssllith was erected at Belle P o i n t , an area of elevated ground
lying a t the function of the Pskansas and Poteau Rivers. Construction began in
114 17 and was completed in 1822 ; a l t e r a t i o n s were made between 1522 and t h e
fort's abandomnt in 1824, The fort was enciosed by a w a l l 132' square, made
of timkrs w i t h a sandstone foundation. Blockhouses, each 2a1 square and Vdc
stories in height, were located a t the north and south corners. A series of
cabins, b u i l t mostly of dressed timbers, faced inward on the parade ground; tP,e
rear walls of the cabins formed the outer walls of the fort, These cabins
served as barracks, storehouses, shops, etc.
Today, the only v i s i b l e remains of the first Fort are portions of its stone
foundations, exposed in the course of archeological excavations perforned Fc
3953-59 and 1962-63, These have k e n s t a b i l i z e d with cemnt Kortar. Sme or'
the w a l l s of the South blockhouse have been exposed; thou@ stabilized, they
still e x h i b i t some original nortar. Tarts of the walls cf a r m a t the xsst
corner of t h e Fort (possibly a k i t c h e n ) have also been exposed.
2.
First Fort Quarry
Belaw the site of t h e f i r s t Fort, a t the edge of t h e Poteau River, are the
remains of the rccky bluff t h a t was originally a praninent feature of Sell?
Point. This sandstone outcrop was used as a quarry by the builders of tSe
HPS Form TO-
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United States Department of the Interior
National Park Senrice
National Register of H i s t o r i c Places
Inventory-Nomination Form
h f m a t i m sheet
Fort Smith
d.tlbmttwkd
Item n u m k 7
page
second Fort Smith.
faces.
Marks of quarrying tools are still visible on the rock
3. Second Fort and
J u d i c i a l P e r i d (General Descriptianl
The second Fort Smith was erected a short distance Capproximately 500 feet 1
east of the site of t h e first fort, Construction began i n 1839 and was
cmpleted 1846. A strong stone uall, 12' h i g h and 3 9 w i d e , enclosed an area
approximately 7 acres in extent. The wall Mas f i u e - s i d e d w i t h its corners
oriented tawards t h e north, northeast, southeast, south, and southwest.
officeQuarters were located along the wall between the n o r t h and southwest
corners; t h e Barracks faced them across the parade ground, and the stables were
l o c a t e d outside t h e uall south of the parade ground.
Tne J u d i c i a l Period m o d i f i e d the same structures affiliated w i t h the Second
Fort and added a J a i l wing to t h e Courthouse. By the time of the Judicial
Period, t h e Second Fort Valls were being torn dmn and a Jailor's Residence
existed i n the v i c i n i t y of t h e Second F o r t Officers1 Quarters (no longer
standing).
The s t a n d i n g structures frm the Second F o r t and Judicial period are
individually described belw:
4.
Cmissary
The Ccmnissary was built a t t h e north corner of the fort, q m n the stone
foundations of Bastion E l , f r o n t i n g t h e river. This bastion was t o have served
as a blockhouse, but by 1845 it was clear t h a t the f o r t had more need for a
storehouse than for further fortifications. Construction began fn t h e f a i l cC
1845 and was completed in 1846. Although repairs and minor alterations have
taken place, the building has experienced no major s t r u c t u r a l changes sicce :I:
construction. It has been used successively as a storehouse and barracks ?j
t h e army, as l i v i n g quarters and judge? shhanbers by a federal d i s t r i c t cou:-i,
and a s a musem by a l o c a l historic& society.
The C m i s s a r y is trapezoidal in plan and measures approximately 48 by 5 0 ' .
Tne a s h l a r crenelations of t h e original Fort bastion, built between 1839 arc
1842, encunpass t h e building on t h e northeast and northwest faces, and on
three-quarters of t h e wall lengths of the other two elevations. The nails ::'
t h e b i s s a r y a r e of rubble linestone with ashlar-cut corner quoins. Co!.:.
and copings are of brick, as are t h e corbelled brackets which f i n i s h off t::e
gables a t the p a r a p t ends, There are brick rwlcck arches over the windm
doors,
Evidence suggests t h a t t h e original wood shingle roof of the buiLz:.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Senrlce
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National Register of -)listo:ic Places
Inventory-Nomination Form
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was replaced w i t h s l a t e around 1857, follmed by asbestos shingles in the
twentieth century. R.le present roofing has been restored with slate shingles.
There are double entrance doors on both the first and second startes of the
northeast face of the building and an entrance door on the first floor on t h e
southwest face. W i l e these openings and t h e hardware on t h e doors a r e
o r i g i n a l , the door materials are not. Tklo second-story entrances, one o a t h e
southwest and t h e other on the southeast face, were cut sune time a f t e r t h e
o r i g i n a l construction of the b u i l d i n g . There are six barred windclws a t t h e
first floor level, fitted with casement sash. The e i g h t w i n d m s a t t h e
second-floor level are double-hung sash. Tiere is a l o f t windcu in each of the
gables; these are also double-hung sash. Hone of the existing windon frames o r
sash are o r i g i n a l .
To improve v e n t i l a t i o n and prevent fabric deterioration,
the 1984-85 r e s t o r a t i o n removed t h e non-historic glazing and added louvers t o
four w i n d m s on t h e first floor, two windms on the second floor, and Wo
windaws in t h e attic. The insertion of t w o fireplaces s t a c k s in the northwest
w a l l necessitated the blocking aut of t h e two original windm openings and the
c u t t i n g of ttro others nearer the corners of t h a t .side of the building a t the
second floor level. The brick m l o c k arches remain i n the wall over the
f i l l e d - i n openings.
R e two present brick chimneys an the northwest end are the projections of two
fireplace stacks added circa 1866. An early chininey, which was located near
the door on the second floor facade and extended only frcm t h e second floor, is
now cut off belm the roof line. It is not v i s i b l e frm t h e exterior.
About 1910 an exterior stone and concrete staircase an the southwest f r o n t was
added when the b u i l d i n g was adapted-for use as a musem. This was removed
d u r i n g the restoration project of 1985. Also during 1910, porches were added
to t h e southwest and northeast sides of the building, and a second floor
platfom w i t h a picket railing and stairuay was added to the northeast facade,
replacing an earlier stair and platform previously located near t h e south
corner of the same facade. The porches and t h e platform and stairday have been
removed f r m t h e building.
The interior of the first floor of the Cclmmissary is one l a r g e undivided space,
except for a corner stairway and washroan; it apparently has never been
partioned. The walls are t h i n l y plastered over t h e stone masonry and
h i s t o r i c a l l y were uhite-washed. The o r i g i n a l floor is rough, f l a t stone. Four
9-inch square oak posts, resting on square stone bases, support the two
transverse second floor beams. mere are two brick fireplaces on the first
floor, added c i r c a 1866. Interior s t a i r s b u i l t during t h e twentieth century
were removed during t h e restoration project of I985
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United States Department of the Interior
Natlonal Park Service
.National Register of Historic Places
inventory-Nomination Form
Continuation sheet
Fort Smith
Item numbw
7
The second floor is presently divided i n t o three rooms: one long room on t h e
northeast and two rooms on the southwest. The present partitions appear t o be
t h e originals. The present wood flooring overlays an earlier f l o o r i n g , also cf
wood. !laIls, p a r t i t i o n s , and ceiling are plastered, The four interior doors
are four-panel, late-Victorian stock. Of t h e two fireplaces on t h e second
floor, one has been closed and one has a mantel, which is n o t original to the
fireplace construction.
The a t t i c is reach&
through a t r a p door in t h e nodern ceiling of t h e second
floor. The space is undivided and of exposed construction, A h o i s t machine,
central t o t h e wheel, approximately 3 1J2' in diameter, still turns freely and
is well balanced. Iron braces connect t h i s wheel to a drm 6' long. In 1985
smoke detectors were added to t h e b u i l d i n g , Puring the restoretion p r o j e c t of
1985, t h e Second Fort Walls were reconstructed on t h e i r o r i g i n a l foundations t o
a height of one stone above ground level for a Length of 20 feet on the
southwest and southeast facades.
5. Courthouse (5arracks 1
cmpleted in 1846, the Courthouse was a two-story brick structure 6 Q f x 60'
w i t h f u l l porches on the east and west faces on each of the two stories and
served as a Barracks for the Second Fort.
!*en
The basement and foundation were of stone. From basement to garret, a 1s-inch
t h i c k brick w a l l (the basement portion was of stonel ran perpendicular t o t h e
building" facade d i v i d i n g each level into two rams of q u a 1 size.
This structure was severely damaged by f i r e in 7849 end rebuilt as only a stor::
and a h a l f En 185 1 ; the i n t e r i o r d i v i d i n g wall had remained i n t a c t . The n e d
building possessed a f u l l brick colunned porch on the e a s t and west faces but
only on t h e first floor, A slate roof covered t k e two porches and t h e buildir:
proper in a continuous slope. From t h e d a t e of cmpletion u n t i l t h e cse of t??
s t r u c t u r e by the Federal Court in 1872, t h e b u i l d i n g experienced few s t r u c t u ~ : .
changes.
Court mcupied t h e building in 1872, it began t o change the 3arrac:c
to s u i t its needs. To m o d i f y t h e basement f o r service as a prison, m a l l
anterooms were b u i l t into the eastern entrances of the two basm,ent ceils. " . .
space beneath t h e broad porches was p a r t i a l l y excavated and bricked-in to f r l r g u a r d l - m s across the eastern and western ends of the cells. On the main
floor, the southwest room was divided by rough p a r t i t i o n into offices f o r ti.:.
marshal s and clerks. The northeast roan served as the courtroom.
?%en the
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United States Department of the Interior
National Park Senrice
NaPional Register of Historic Places
Inventory-Nomination Form
C o n t i i o n sheet Fort Smith
Itan m r m k
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The Court moved to a new b u i l d i n g in 1889, and over the n e x t two years the
Courthouse was extensively remodeled to serve a s a j a i l hospital, women's
prison, mess f a c i l i t i e s , and o f f i c e space. ?%is action was designed t o expand
t h e detention f a c i l i t i e s of the a d j o i n i n g j a i l building, which had recently
been constructed. Alterations undertaken a t t h i s t i m e gave the buildlLgfs
exterior the appearance it has t o d a y . The full-length, brick-columned front
and re ar porches were almost e n t i r e l y removed, leaving only those portions
s h e l t e r i n g the o r i g i n a l stone steps and the two aain entrances on both
facades. These entrance porches both have three slender wood posts w i t h curved
Victorian b r a c k t s , t u o wall pilasters, and s o l i d board side r a i l i n g s . A t the
same time, the excavations beneath t h e porches were f i l l e d in, The structure
was extended frm I 7/2 stories to 2 f u l l stories, and a new s l a t e roof was
constructed. The four chimney stacks of the o r i g i n a l building were extended t o
acccmmodate t h e increased h e i g h t of the second floor. Two chimeys are
presently located on each of t h e tt-ro ends of t h e building. In a b d i t i o n , there
are two ventilators trirrmed with VZctorian brackets on t h e r i d g e of t h e roof.
There is a p a i r of entrance doors on both t h e southeast and northwest f a c e s of
the f i r s t floor. Tbe frames of these entrznces are o r i g i n a l . The basement
doors are located in the center of each of t h e two roams on both the southeast
and northwest facades. The areaway steps to these doors are stone, and were
installed after t h e old porches were removed in 1890. Neither t h e doors nor
t h e frames in these basement entrances are original.
The nindaws of the first and second floors a r e 7 ' 2 1/211 high. l a e n the second
story was added, two additional windaws were inserted om t h e northeast end wa.Ll
bebeen the original attic wlndms, and two uinbolAs placed on t h e first f 1 m r
under t h e original second floor openings. The basement nindm o p n i n g s on the
northrlest and southwest fronts are o r i g i n a l . Four a d d i t i o n a l casement windcbrs
were inserted i n 1934 i n t o t h e stone ~ r a l l son the northeast end.
The present i n t e r i o r of the building s h m s the effects of substantial
r e m d e l i n ~undertaken in 1934, when t h e Courthouse was converted to c f f i c e
space f o r the city of Fort Svith. O r i g i n a l l y , t h e first'flocr c o ~ s i s t e dof tuo
large roms, divided by t h e central brick wall. ' h e northeast room has,
rexained a s i n g e r o m ; t h e southwest reor.1 has been subdivided. A door has
been c u t into t h e center of t h e c e n t r a l brick d i v i d i n g w a l l . mere are f o u r
o r i g i n a l walnut colmns in each half of :k? f i r s t floor. One of the o r i g i n a l
fireplaces a t t h e southwest end w a l l k s been closed and t h e other has keen
reopened by t h e P a r k Service; tkose 1;? t k e courtrocm were reopened when t h e
room was restored in 1957. The p r e s m t ra?ltels were added as p a r t of t h e
restosaticn work and a r e not based cr! 2 . e original design, which is unknmn.
United States Department at the Interior
National Park Service
'7
FWMPSWOC~~ --
National Register of Historic Places
Inventory-Nomination Form
Continuatiionsheet
Fort Smith
Itern nwnber
7
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data+
Pase 6
The present layout of the second floor icteriar, which dztes from the 1934
remodeling, includes a l a r g e room of irregular shape w i t h an overall
measurement of approximately 40' x 57', flanked by a cluster of smaller rooms
and a hallway on the northeast end of t h e building. The central brick slall
which rmains a t the first f l o o r level was a p p a r e n t l y removed frm the second
floor and replaced by two wood posts i n 1890. The a t t i c space is reached by a
t r a p door in the second floor.
The Courthouse basement was, and is, d i v i d e d into kdo equal roans by a stone
wall; two modern openings have k e n cut i n t o this wall. Each roan h a s an
entrance door in the center of t h e front and rear w a l l s . Fo
! cells were
constructed when the basement was used as a j a i l . The present flooring is
concrete; the original, was brick covered w i t h stone and was obliterated when
t h e floor was lowered in the 1934 remodeling. In the northeast roam, the w a l l s
have k e n stripped to expose the original rubble stone walls; i n t h e scuthwest
roan t h e w a l l s have been covered with plaster. The remodeling also added
windows in the northeast end wall and removed t h e four basement fireplaces.
The Courthouse building is in good condition. It has been substantially
a l t e r e d since its rebuilding in 3351 ; it stands on its original site.
The basement of t h e Courthouse o r i g i n a l l y served as the j a i l f o r the D i s t r i c t
Court, but repeated canplaints about the conditions there p m p t e d the
c o n s t r u c t i o n of a new J a i l in 1887. The northeast end wall of this J a i l abuts
t h e southwest end wall of the Courthouse. The J a i l is b u i l t of red briclc on a
cut-stone foundation. A brick-band course is located a t the windm sill level
and another a t the window head level. Incorporated i n t o the brick w a l l I s a
corbelled and bracketed ornamental brick cornice, increasing the wall to 3' i n
thickness a t t h a t point. The roof is of s l a t e , replaced in kind in 3983. The
roofing system, which consists of a metal framework w i t h concrete panels 14" x
14" on t o which each s l a t e shingle is wired, is original.
Six tall window openings a r e located on both t h e southeast and northwest
facades. The original i r o n bars and aetal w i n d w s were r m v e d frm these
openings in 1921. Presently the^ arme six-over-six light sash a t the f i r s t
floor level of each of these 15'10n h i g h openings. There is a p o r t i o n of 2cod
f i l l e r d i v i d i n g t h i s lmer window frm t h e upper, which consists of a triple
sash o f six-over-SIX-over-six l i g h t s . The 12 long windm openings are tri~aed
w i t h quoined ornamentation of rusticated limestone, Mdern additions i n c l u d e
Zno windms close to t h e Courthouse on botl; t h e southeast and northwest faces,
f x o window: in t h e formerly blank w a l l of t h e southwest end of the J a i l , ~ n d14
basement windws.
Unfted States Department of the Interior
National Park Sewlee
National Register of Historic Places
Inventory-Nomination Form
Continuation shed
Fort Smith
rZemnmber
7
Pace
7
Of the five e x i s t i n g e x t e r i o r doors in t h e J a i l , only the southeast dooway is
an original opening. The 'three doors on the southwest end and the door a t
grade level on the northwest face are alterations, dating frm t h e conversion
of the building to office use.
--
These are b o brick chimneys
slender, narraw-traisted, t y p i c a l l y Victorian
types--located on each of the two long sides of the building. Two large
stacks, remains of the Jail v e n t i l a t i n g system, are located at the junctures of
t h e longitudinal J a i l wails and t h e Courthouse wall.
The interior of the J a i l was o r i g i n a l l y constructed with a central masonry core
of cells three tiers high. The tier l e v e l s were reached by stairs on the
northeast end. The grating platforms, which surrounded t h e cell block on the
two upper tiers, were enclosed by a high metal g r i l l e supported by p i p e
columns. An open space 5'9" wide separated t h e outer walls of the jail frm the
g r i l l e d c e l l block enclosure. There were 24 cells on each level, or 72
identical cells in a l l . Each was 5 ' wide by 7 long. The roof was supported
by a series of simple iron trusses fabricated of i r o n rods and I-kms. The
o r i g i n a l rmf tresses remain in place.
The cell blocks were remwed from t h e interior of the Jail in t921. Around
1923 the b u i l d i n g was converted to a gymnasim, but substantial alterations d i d
not take place until. 1934, when the rubble was entirely removed from t h e
building, and a basement excavated, This left the building w i t h a basment,
two fa1 floors, and a p a r t i a l floor. The present layout of the interior dates
from further rmMeling in 1941, when t h e J a i l was converted into office space
for public and civic agencies,
The f i r s t and second floors are divided into r m s opening off long central
hallways which extend the length of the building. The floors are of wood and
the partitions are l a r g e l y of stud and drywall construction.
7.
Cistern
The Cistern sewed as a major water supply of the Second Fort and was buiit
about 1865. The Cistern is a stone-lined cylindrical shaft w i t h a s l i g h t l y
concave stone floor and a stone-vaulted dme ceiling with a square opening.
The w a l l s , flmrs, and d m are covered; w i t h several coatings of plaster. ?he
diameter of t h e concave floor is 20 f e e t . The w a l l s of the cistern extend
vertically a distance of nearly 15 feet frm the floor to the beginning of the
dme. The dane, frcm the t o p of t h e wall to the central opening, has a depth
of approximately 7 feet. A metal cap has k e n i n s t a l l e d over the Cistern
opening for t h e protection of the resource and park visitors.
PER100
AREAS OF SlGNlFtCANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTPEY BELOW
,PREH~STOR~[:
ARCHEOLOGY-PREAISTORiC
,COMMIJNIW
-1400.1499
ARCHEOLOGY-Hl5tbRlC
,COHSERWATlOly
P U N NiHG
-LANDSCAPE
-1500-F599
AGAFCULTURE
-ECONOMICS
-1 600-1 699
A R C H I T ECTWRE
ADUCATION
XA+ILITARY
-1700.1799
A R T
,ENGINEERIP4G
-MUSIC
-RELIGION
ARCHITECTURE
Xmw
-5CIEIYCE
,LITERATURE
-SCULPTURE
XfB00-1899
-COMMERCE
-EXPLOCtATlQN~S~LEMENT
-PHILOSOPHY
p&1900-
-eOMMUNlCATlONS
-INDUSTRY
-POUTICS!GOVERMMENT
-CIA
WHUMAHITARIAN
,THEATER
-'TFANSWRTARON
-OTHER
(SPECIE*'
JIYVCNTION
SPECIFIC DATES 1817-1824;
1871-1890
1835-1871
BWlLQER/ARCHPTECT
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
S m a r y Statement
.
Fort Smith Rational Historic S i t e meets C r i t e r i a A for l i s t i n g 2 the Rational
Register of Historic Places. The first F o r t Smith was established to keep t h e
peace on an uneasy f sontier where t h e usual border problems of Indian-white
c o n f l i c t s were overshadowed by severe clashes between l o c a l Tndians and
incoming eastern tribes. The second Fort Smfth served as a supply depot for
other forts further west and as a p a i n t of departure f o r expeditions i n t o t h e
interior. 14hen i t s m i l i t a r y u s e f a n e s 3 ended, Fort Smith k c m e the seat of
the U.S. Court for t h e Liestern District of Arkansas, presided over f o r 21 years
by "1Hangint
Isaac Parker. Bath as a military institution and as a
District Court, Fort Smith served for much of the nineteenth century as a
bastion of law and order on a turbulent frontier.
then Bvt. Maj. W i l l i a m Bradford arrived at the junction of the Poteau and
krkansas k v e r s in 1817, hostilities between t h e Osage and Cherokee I n d i a n s
were on t b e p o i n t of erupting i n t o open warfare. The intemsts of t h e two
peoples had been in conflict sfnce 1813, when a group of Cherokees, leaving the
rest of their tribe in Georgia and Tennessee, first mwed to the upper Arkansas
River country, along the territory of t h e Osage. Bradford's task was to
The U. S, Goverm.ent had supported t h e Cherokeest move and
encourage peace.
planned to have other eastern tribes exchange their lands f o r new hcmes west of
ttLeM i s s i s s i p p i . I-hile Bradford's men erected a stockaded fort named for 3 v t .
Brig, #n. Thmas A. Smith, be struggLed to s t a b i l i z e relations between Indian
n a t i v e s and Indian nmerxners. He also worked t o protect t h e I n d i a n s from white
squatters and whiskey p e d d l e r s . M t e r several years, it became evident t h a t a
stronger peace-keeping force was needed, and in 1822 Col. Mathew Arbuckle,
c m a n d i n g a battalion of t h e
Infantsy, replaced Bradford. ArbucRcLe
worked closely w i t h Gov. James :.!iller of Arkansas Territory, and in 1622 the
Osage and the Cherokee were brought together t o sign t h e Treaty of Fort Smith,
which provided for a restoration of peace between the two tribes.
As more eastern tribes were moved into the Indian country west
of Fort SRlith,
frontier tensions increased. To keep up with the center of conflict, the Fort
Smith garriscn was noved in 182e to a s i t e 80 miles up the Arkansas where Fort
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Senrice
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National Register of Historic Places
Inventory-Nomination Form
Contimationshed
Item number
Fort Smith
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+ &
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8
Gibson was established. The old Fort continued to be occupied i n t e r m i t t e n t l y
by the government. From 1830 t o 1833, it served as a supply depot f o r t h e
Choctaw Indians and becme t h e f o c a l point of the govermentls efforts to
prevent the i n t r o d u c t i c n of l i q u o r into the I n d i a n Territory.
*In 1836 Arkansas becme a State and t h e demands of its citizens for protection
against possible I n d i a n uprisings caused Congress two years later t o authorize
the War Department to build a second F o r t Smith, a larger and more impressive
installation next to t h e earlier f o r t
The Army ultimately modified its
p l a n s and made t h e fort a supply depot. Completed and garrisoned i n May 1846,
t h e second Fort Smith equipped and provisioned other forts to the west in
I n d i a n Territory,
....
?'Fort Smith was also the base For the first two of Capt. Randolph Flarcyvs
exploration and military reconnaissance expeditions. During the C i v i l !.Jar,
both t h e North and South used Fort Snith's supply and hospital f a c i l i t i e s , but
in 1871 the War Deparhent abandoned it.
"That same year t h e U.S. Court f o r the Western District of Arkansas moved from
Van Buren to the tawn of Fort S m i t h , which had grmn up adjacent t o the fort.
The n e x t year it occupied the abandoned barracks building and subsequently
added a second story and jail wing. The court had jurisdiction over part of
Arkansas, where State c o u r t s shared its sphere of authority, but its primary
influence and a u t h o r i t y were f e l t in Indian Territory. Although the Indians
had their own tribal courts, these had no jurisdiction over white men and no
other system of l a y existed. In 1875 t h e youthful and vigorous Judge Isaac C*
Parker, who came to be known as the fianginr ~ u d g e , - arrived a t Fort Smith and
tackled the problem of crime i n Indian Territory. For 21 years he dispense6
strift justice w i t h an iron hand. Gradually, however, judicial a u t h o r i t y in
I n d i a n Territory was divided among Parker's court, anQ ether Federal courts e t
Parks, Texas, and a t Wichita and Fort Scott, Kansas."
In 1880 Parker moved h f s court to a new building near the Fort. S i x years
Later, in 1896, t h e Indian Territory received its w n j u d i c i a l d i s t r i c t s 2nd
courts, and t h e Federal Court f o r the 'rlestern D i s t r i c t l o s t its jurisdiction
over t h e I n d i a n Territory.
Tmdbn
.
'Jol. X I 1 of
0D. 0
C. : National
'~iobertM. Utley, w
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Park Service, 1971)t pp. 87-89.
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United States Department of the Interior
National Park Sewice
--
National Regi,ster-of Historic Places
Inventory-Nomination Form
-
Cdimtim h d
Fort Smith
Itmi~n~mk 8
The Fort Smith Courthouse and J a i l continued t o be used in connection with law
enforcement in t h e Indian Territory into the early twentieth century. The
Courthouse vacated by Parker s court in 1889, was modified i n 1891 to provide
hospital and women's detention facilities for the adjoining J a i l . The J a i l
itself became a Federal prison; after 1898 it held prisoners f o r the newly
created U.S. courts in eastern Okalahma. By 1917, the J a i l was o f f i c i a l l y
described as abandoned.
Fort Smith National Historic Site derives its significance from a
long-standing, dynanic relationship with Indian Territory. The e a r l y f o r t t l a s
established to put dcwn the inevitable conflicts that arose when many Indian
t r i b e s were congregated in an area t h a t formerly accmodated a few nmadic
populations. When other forts were established deeper in the Territory to
continue t h a t peace-keeping task, t h e Second Fort Smith supplied and
provisioned them. Fort buildings served as Courthouse, J a i l p n d staff quarters
for the District Court having jurisdiction in the Indian Territory and later as
expanded prison facilities f o r t h e U.S. courts w i t h i n the Territory. When
Okdahma acquired statehood in 1907, a prolonged frontier period! was over, and
not long afterwards Fort Smith's role as protector, peace-keeper, and law
enforcer f o r its unusual western neighbor came to an end.
Bearss, Edvfin G. and A.M. Gibson. Fort Smith: LPttle Gibraltar on the Arkansas.
Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1969.
,Bearss, Edwin G. "The Arkznsas Whiskey War: 1 Fort Smith Case Study." Journal of th
West, 7 ( A p r i l , E968), 143-72.
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-.
GEOGRAPHICAL DATA19. 28
A C R U G E OF NOMINATED PROPERTY
UTM REFEREIICES
AM
17I?t0!314101
BW
P 8 !I 1614141
ZONE E A ~ I M G
DM
13I710l011I0~
17a9!~r618~810J
NORTHING
VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION
The present boundaries of Fort Smith National H i s t o r i c Site are e x p l f c l t l y
drawn on t h e enclosed official UPS Boundary Map. For c l a r i t y park-owned
land is outlined in red.
LIST ALL STATES AND COUMlES FOR PROPERTIES OY ERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES
STATE
COO€
Arkansas
13 1
Sebastian
COOE
STATE
COO€
COUNrY
05
COUN~
CODE
~ F Q R M
PREPARED BY
NAME l TITLE
DATE
ORGAHUAftON
National Park S e n i c e
TELEPHONE
STREET & NUMBER
P.O. BOX 728
505-988-6787
CITY OA TOWN
STATE
New Hextco
Santa Fe,
CERTlFICATION O F NOMINATION
STATE HISTOR tC PRESERVATlOH
Y
E
L
OF FICE'R RECOMMENOATION
NO-
N O N F
STATE TESTOAlC PRESERVATION OFFICER S1GNATURE
In compliance with Exacutiw Order
t 1 593,l h b y nominate this p r m r t y to the National Register. e e n ~ f y ~ nrhar
g the Stare
the nomination to the State Review Board and to
S t a t eL m a 4 .
Mistoric Prewrvafion O ~ E has
U ~born allowed
waluatc its signiftaws. ~hs&wluated
l e dd
FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVE SlGNAWRE
INCCUDED IN-THE
KEEPER OF THE NATIONAL REGFSTER .
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United Strtea Department of the lnterior
Natlonal Park Senrice
National Register of Historic Places
~nventory-Nomination Form
Continuation M
Fort Smith
ltemmrmbr
I
9
Dollar, Clyde D. The First Fort Smith Report. Unpublished M5 an f i l e a t
National Park Service, Southwest Regional Office, Santa Fe, N.M.
1966,
Frazier, C. Craig and Ivey, James E. nHistoric Structure Report; Restore Historic C m i s s a r y Building t o 1897r' Unpublished MS on file a t
National Park Service, Denver Service Center, Denver, a, 1985.
Paige, John C. J k l & m r . u & r e e
v
:
Fort Ai th
-,
Denver : Denver Service Center, National Park Service,
1981.
Shirley, Glenn.
La
West d
Fort 3njLh: A J i h h p of-sF
, Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press,
1968.
SlroIa, Leslie
L. Wistoric Structures Report, Courthouse and Jail-Wing,
Architectural Data Sectf on. Fort 3nit;h National Historic Site. lt
Unpublished MS on f i l e a t National Park Service, Denver Service
Center, Denver, Co. 1977.
Utley, Robert M. m
i
c P
P
. .
a a
a
Val. I2
of National S w v e y of Historic Sites and Suildings, Washington, L C . :
National Park Service, 197 I 1, pp. 87-89,
-
.
United States Department of the Interior
Natlonal Park Senrice
---
National Register of Historic Places
Inventory-Nomination Form
~ont~inst.leetm
si-ni-th
~
item n u m b
10
&
a ~ ~ ~ F o r t & t h M a ~ H i s ~ S i tr e
A p d 1977, the h x d a r y of the National Wgisbx prqerky is mUhd jn red.
E p F o r t E3nith National
TTE anzi artlined in prple a~attached
Historic S i t e
S q r m t 02, i
s included in the park' s autbrized
Ixrthasmtbeeflacquired. ~ F o r k S n i t h N a t i O n a l ~ r i c S i t e L a n d
-tion
Plan prop- that t k National Park M e M l C e t its
to a d easemmt.
interest in this
-
and feat33Y.e~t h a t a m t d h t e ! to ttae q m u t k s that m k I l k area
Natimal R q i W g i b l e me locat& on t h e enclosed map S m d in t b
Eb* S m i t h National. Historic Si& leaflet.
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Fort Smith National Historic Site
Urn: Zone 15
STATES
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VERTICAL DATUM OF 1929
MhF COUPLIES WlTH IYATiONAL
MAP ACCURACY STANOaRES
)LOGICAL SURVEY. DENVER, COLORADO 80225.OR RESTON. YIRG1NlA 22092
2EOLOGICAL COMMISSION, LI'ITLE ROCK. ARKANSAS 72201.
hHOMA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. NORMAN. OKLAHOMA 73069
TlBlNG TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS AND SYMBOLS IS AVAlLABLE ON REQUEST
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