calsfoundation@cals.org
January 28, 2011
A number of communities have served as the county seat of Desha County since its creation in 1838. Napoleon, which was prone to major flooding, served as the county seat until 1874, when Watson became the seat. In 1881, the seat was moved to Arkansas City, where, in 1900, this permanent Romanesque courthouse was built at a cost to the county tax payers of $23,269. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.