Dumas Commercial Historic District

Encompassing the core of the historic downtown area in Dumas (Desha County), the Dumas Commercial Historic District is located along Main Street. It has structures dating from 1905 to 1938. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 22, 2007.

Settlement in the Dumas area began in the 1870s with the arrival of William Dumas. The St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad passed through the land purchased by Dumas, leading to a population influx. The city incorporated in 1904 and quickly became an important regional supply and commercial center for the agricultural interests in the area.

When the district was added to the National Register, a total of thirteen properties fell within its boundaries. Of those, one was individually listed on the register, with seven more eligible properties. The remaining properties were ineligible at the time.

Listed on the National Register on December 22, 1982, the Merchant and Farmers Bank stands at the corner of Main and Waterman Streets. It was designed by noted architect Charles Thompson and constructed in 1913 in the late nineteenth-century Standard Commercial style with some Colonial Revival influences.

The other properties in the district include five buildings constructed by David Porter between 1905 and 1938. Three of the structures contribute to the district. The earliest is a red brick structure built on a continuous brick foundation and topped with a flat roof. It was designed in the twentieth-century Standard Commercial style and includes two storefronts. Another Porter building, constructed in 1925, is located at 153 Main Street and is a single-story, flat-roof building with brick cornice. The third Porter building is the largest structure in the district, containing two stories. Constructed of red brick, the building dates to about 1925. It originally housed a store operated by Porter. The second story includes nine arched windows and is topped with a brick cornice. A stone engraved with the name Porter is centrally located near the top of the building. The second story held a military uniform factory during World War II.

The most recent Porter building in the district was constructed in 1938 and, like the others, is a red brick commercial storefront structure. Divided into three sections, the single-story building includes brick pilasters and limestone caps. The building is known as the Hagood Building, and that name and the construction date appear over the north section, while Porter’s name and the construction date appear over the south section. The central section is unmarked. Various businesses operated in the building over the decades, including barbershops and restaurants.

Located directly across the street from the Hagood Building is the Dante Department Store, constructed in 1925 by Charles Dante, a Jewish immigrant from Poland. The building is a single-story brick structure with a flat roof and glass storefront. The north side includes a large painted sign advertising the original store. The business evolved into United Dollar Stores, a business sold to Dollar General in 1977.

The growth of Dumas can be traced through the evolution of the business buildings in the district. While no longer making up the commercial center of the town, they play an important role in preserving the history of Dumas.

For additional information:
“Dumas Commercial Historic District.” National Register of Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/national-registry/de0242-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=c20f7872_0 (accessed November 20, 2024).

Hope, Holly. “Walks through History Tour: Dumas Commercial Historic District.” November 11, 2017. https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/ahpp-documents/sandwiching-tour-scripts/dumas-tour-scripte901a678-ece9-4b0c-9b25-59057b3e9df3.pdf?sfvrsn=bf593bbc_5 (accessed November 20, 2024).

David Sesser
Southeastern Louisiana University