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Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas
This Day in Arkansas History
July 16, 1963
The Belle Grove Historic District in Fort Smith (Sebastian County) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the Vaughn-Schaap House as its first restored structure. The house, built circa 1855–1857 in the Victorian Second Empire style by Ethelbert B. Bright, an Osage agent and businessman, became the permanent home of the Associated Artists of Fort Smith (AAFS) in 1960. In 1964, motivated by a $3,000 donation from the Junior League of Fort Smith, the Affiliation of Fine Arts (AFA), as the AAFS had become known, mortgaged the Vaughn-Schaap House for $13,000 to build additional exhibit space and purchase adjacent property. In 1968, the AFA incorporated as the Fort Smith Art Center; it was renamed the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum in 2010.
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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, quizzes, lesson plans, and more, so check back frequently to see what’s new.
Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics, and more!
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