Lynwood Tourist Court Historic District

The Lynwood Tourist Court Historic District is a motel/apartment building and office located in Hot Springs (Garland County). Constructed in 1944, the property was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 11, 2004.

The district is located at 857 Park Avenue and is one of a number of motels and tourist courts that were constructed in the area between the 1920s and 1950s. Travelers took advantage of newly constructed highways to visit the thermal springs and other tourist attractions in Hot Springs, prompting many related businesses to open in the area. The lower-cost options offered by these establishments made them popular with many travelers. The court was constructed as the Lynwood Tourist Court in 1944 and owned until 1946 by Faye Taylor. In that year, it was sold to Charles Dieckreide and then sold again to John Lowery in 1951. By 1955, the name of the court was the White Rose Tourist Court but was returned to Lynwood Tourist Court a few years later.

The district includes two buildings: a main building and an office. The main building contains fifteen units and is constructed in an L shape. A parking lot is in front of the building, and the small office is located diagonally across this lot from the main building. The court was originally designed with one-car garages attached to each unit. The garages were enclosed at some point after construction and converted into additional units. A high-pitched gable with a vent is present above each unit. The gables originally had wood siding, but they were later covered with metal siding. Additional siding is present in front of the former garages. The high pitch of the gables and the roof give the structure English Revival details. The building is wood frame with a gray brick veneer. The original units include six-over-six wood windows and fifteen-pane front doors. The converted garages do not include these same details although each has an individual door and windows.

The original units include a sleeping area and kitchenette, with a bathroom located at the rear. Each bathroom includes a small window, and the unit closest to Park Avenue includes two additional six-over-six windows. The converted garages lack kitchenettes. The walls of the units are covered in plaster, and the bathrooms have tile wainscoting.

The office is a small building with small gable above the centrally located front door. Constructed of gray brick, the building is not square, with the northwest wall constructed at an angle to the rest of the structure, giving the office a unique design. The front door of the office opens directly onto the sidewalk parallel to Park Avenue. A sign located next to the office advertises the name of the business as the Lynwood Motel.

By 2019, the business was operating as both a motel and apartments.

For additional information:
“Lynwood Tourist Court Historic District.” National Register for Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Office, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/National-Register-Listings/PDF/GA0618.nr.pdf (accessed October 17, 2019).

David Sesser
Henderson State University