Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

This Day in Arkansas History

November 15, 1802

Gideon Shryock, the architect responsible for planning the Old State House in Little Rock (Pulaski County), which is deemed the finest example of Greek Revival architecture in the state, was born in Lexington, Kentucky. Although Shryock drew plans for the building—envisioned by territorial governor John Pope to be a new territorial capitol that “would command the admiration and respect of the passing stranger, and have moral and political influence on the whole community”—he was never able to visit Little Rock. He is also believed to have designed Curran Hall, now used as Little Rock’s visitor information center.

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About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, and audio files, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics and more!

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