Around West Fork

Adaptive reuse architecture - or building reuse - is the process of repairing or restoring an existing building for new or continued use.  The idea of adaptive reuse is not a new idea; we're always renovating, repairing, restoring. The decision as to whether a building should become a part of the adaptive reuse architecture trend is based on several factors - location, market trends, architectural features, heritage, or a combination of these factors.  But the final determination is sometimes an emotional one. Do we want to preserve our heritage? Do we want to remember the positive aspects of the past and pass them on to our children and grandchildren?   Not long ago, Lan Brandon made the decision to save a historic landmark in West Fork and turn it into something new. Mathews Horse Barn was no longer going to function in its original use, so proposing a new function was necessary to preserve its history.    The first step was to acquire and assess the building....

   Imagine our delight when Charlie and I approached the corner of Main and McKnight the other day as we were walking our dog, Molly, and  saw the beautiful wildflower “meadow.” Coneflowers. Coreopsis. Poppies . All shapes and sizes and colors of flowers.  We’ve talked about planting sunflowers in our lot on Wheeler Street at the end of  the Bank of Fayetteville drive through, but this wildflower idea opened up a new realm of possibilities.  Steve and Michele  Winkler own the property at the corner of Main and McKnight, so I sent a message asking for details and directions. I think I asked if they just tossed seeds in the grass and waited for the flowers to pop up and take over.  It’s  not quite that easy.  As with many subjects, a little learning is a dangerous thing, so the first step  for me was education. Michele stopped by with a sheet of information that she had copied from Wildseed Farms. As we talked, I folded up the sheet a...

The Friends of the West Fork Library, with the assistance of attorney Doug Gramling, obtained a Quiet Title to the First Christian Church building next to the library in West Fork, in a June 9, 2022, signing in the chamber of Judge Doug Martin. Pictured with the judge and Mr. Gramling are Patty Baker, who was president of Friends of the West Fork Library when the building was acquired, and current president Jane Bryant.    The process to obtain the title was begun in 2013 when Ken Miller, the only remaining elder of the church, saw the building as a valuable piece of community history and offered it to the Friends of the West Fork Library (FOL) through a quitclaim deed.  An Arkansas quitclaim deed is a form that is used to transfer property from a seller to a purchaser without any warranty on the title. This type of deed transfers only the interest that the seller owns. The deed was necessary because the 1907 title for the church stated that, if the church were no longer ...