Explore the History of Benton at These Historical Buildings

The city of Benton in central Arkansas is about 30 miles from the state’s capital, Little Rock. The town was settled in 1833 but made official shortly after Arkansas joined the Union in 1836, and it was named after a Missouri Senator, Thomas Hart Benton. It became known for its bauxite (aluminum ore) industry during the early 20th century and was home to Niloak pottery, which has a unique swirl design. The city’s rich history mainly centers around the Benton Commercial Historic District, which consists of 53 noteworthy buildings that reflect much of the area’s history in the 20th century.

Found in the commercial district of Benton, the Saline County Courthouse is a historically and architecturally significant building, thanks in part to its Romanesque Revival architecture. Its history dates back to 1836 when William Woodruff, who served as editor for the Arkansas Gazette, offered Saline County 120 acres of land to construct its first courthouse. The land became the site of the city of Benton as well.

Jacob Hoover constructed a 60-square-foot, two-story brick courthouse and a log jail in 1839. This building served as Benton’s first courthouse until 1885 when it was deemed too hazardous to use. In 1856, Green B. Hughes constructed a second courthouse using some materials from the original one.

Once bauxite was discovered in the area, causing an influx of people to the town, officials determined that the second courthouse wasn’t big enough to serve the area of Benton. In 1902, architect Charles L. Thompson created the current two-story yellow brick courthouse with a clock tower. It joined the National Register of Historic Places on Nov. 22, 1979. The courthouse underwent an expansion in 1983 to include more jail space, followed by a remodeling several decades later.

Location: 200 N. Main St.

Constructed in 1893, the Gann Museum served as the office of Dr. Dewell Gann, Sr. Patients who couldn’t afford to pay for the doctor’s services constructed the building, which is said to be the only building anywhere that’s made out of bauxite. This building blocks of this architectural landmark were a soft stone dug from a nearby farm, cut into blocks by a handsaw, and allowed to harden for six weeks.

Once you step inside, you’ll notice an imprint of Dr. Gann’s foot on the wall. When waiting for patients to arrive, he would sit in his rocker and prop his foot against the wall, so the imprint commemorates this. The Gann Medical Office was the main tenant of the building until 1946 when Dr. Dewell Gann, Jr. offered it to the City of Benton to turn it into a library and later a museum. Today, it houses memorabilia connected to Saline County, including Native American artifacts, an extensive collection of Niloak pottery, and artifacts from the doctors.

Location: 218 S. Market St.

The IOOF building was built in 1913 by E. Y. Stanton, and the IOOF Lodge 174 purchased it the following year to serve as a meeting hall. When the doors opened in 1914, Lodge 174 had 91 members. Three years later, membership increased to 127 people. Following this, membership declined for several decades, so the IOOF Lodge 174 sold the building’s upper story to Bernice and Dewell Stirman on Aug. 26, 1971.

Five years later, Stirman sold his building’s interest to his wife. She held ownership until Dec. 28, 1981, when she sold it to their daughters and their husbands. In December 2002, Nancy and Phillip Smith and Norma and David Stewart deeded it to the county.

Standing at the front of the building, you’ll notice the red brick with several two- and four-pane windows. The two-story building originally housed a jewelry store and the Saline County History and Heritage Center, and it served as the headquarters for the Saline County History and Heritage Society. As you can see, it has a rich and varied history to explore.  Like many other buildings along this stretch of land, the IOOF building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, being inducted on May 26, 2004.

Location: 123-125 N. Market St.

The Royal Theatre got its start back in 1917 when Princeton native Wallace Kauffman moved to Benton. He had worked for a similar establishment in Fordyce and began working for Alice Wooten, who owned what was then called the Independent Motion Pictures (IMP) Theater. The IMP Theater, which opened its doors on Jan. 14, 1922, is one of the oldest theaters of its kind in the state. Until its sale in 1936, it was an independent establishment.

Kauffman operated the business by himself until 1949, at which time the new owners acquired a neon sign from the Royal Theatre in Little Rock. They decided to remodel the entrance and rename the theater to match the new signage, and the building eventually underwent a massive renovation to increase capacity from 590 to 800. Wallace Kauffman died in 1974 and left the theater to Warren, his son, who oversaw it until he retired in 1986.

Warren’s son Randy took over and eventually sold the Royal in the late 1990s to actor and comedian Jerry Van Dyke, who operated it as a joint movie theater and live venue. Van Dyke also opened a soda shop adjacent to the theater. When he moved to Mexico, Van Dyke gave the theater to a local community group. Before it went to the current owners, the theater had its screens removed and projectors sold, so it no longer shows films. It joined the National Register of Historic Places on Sept. 27, 2003.

Location: 111 S. Market St.

With several properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Benton Commercial Historic District is rich in history. The next time you find yourself in this area, make sure to take in the exteriors of some of the area’s oldest buildings, and then step inside to learn a little more about what makes them so unique. If you have other buildings you think we should highlight, contact Campbell Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram so we can add them to the list.