Pine Bluff Street Historic District

The Pine Bluff Street Historic District is a residential area located in Malvern (Hot Spring County). The western edge of the district is the intersection of Pine Bluff Street and Gloster Court and concludes at 728 Pine Bluff Street, located between South Banks and McNeal streets. The district contains buildings on both the north and south sides of the street with the exception of a two-block section between Overman and Banks streets. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1999. At the time of the nomination, thirty-five buildings were included in the district, with twenty contributing structures. Two buildings that are individually listed on the National Register are included in the district: the Gatewood House and the Alderson-Coston House.

One of the oldest homes in the district is the Bratt-Lea House. Constructed in 1889, it is designed in the Second Empire style and includes a second story with two front-facing gables with straight mansard roofs. Next door is the Gatewood House. Constructed in 1905, it is a shingle-style home designed with an irregular plan.

Three Queen Anne–style homes exist within the boundaries of the district, but only one is a contributing structure due to modifications on the exterior of the other structures. This home, the Glover House, contains some of the details from its turn-of-the-century construction such as a front bay window, but also boasts several Craftsman-style updates.

Four examples of Colonial Revival homes are present in the district, ranging in date of construction from the early 1900s to the 1940s. At least one of these homes includes elements of a modified Cape Cod style. Neoclassical-style homes are also included in the district with two examples. An example at 721 Pine Bluff Street incorporates Classical Revival details including a two-story front porch with a balcony, among other details. A single home in the district includes Tudor Revival details. Located at 414 Pine Bluff Street, the home has Tudor arches over the doorways and a double-shafted chimney.

A total of fifteen Craftsman-style homes are present in the district, and nine are contributing properties, including the Alderson-Coston House. The structure includes details such as decorative eave braces and exposed rafter tails. At 306 and 503 Pine Bluff Street are two Craftsman-style homes that are mirror images of one another.

Only two buildings in the district were not of the appropriate age and design when it was created. These are a dentist’s office constructed in 1995 and a ranch-style home from the 1960s. Five properties are of the age and design to be part of the district but have received exterior modifications that prevent them from being included.

For additional information:
“Alderson-Coston House.” National Register of Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Office, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at https://www.arkansasheritage.com/arkansas-historic-preservation-program (accessed May 16, 2024).

“Gatewood House.” National Register of Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Office, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at https://www.arkansasheritage.com/arkansas-historic-preservation-program (accessed May 16, 2024).

“Pine Bluff Street Historic District.” National Register of Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Office, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at https://www.arkansasheritage.com/arkansas-historic-preservation-program (accessed May 16, 2024).

David Sesser
Henderson State University