University of Arkansas Press Publishes 'Biography' of Arkansas's Old State House

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas press has published A Pictorial History of Arkansas’s Old State House: Celebrating 175 Years (cloth, $49.95), by Mary L. Kwas, a research associate for the Arkansas Archeological Survey.

Kwas’s interest in Little Rock’s Old State House, the oldest standing state capitol west of the Mississippi, began in the mid 1990s, when the Archeological Survey was contracted to undertake archeological work to uncover any below-ground historic remains in conjunction with a renovation to the building. It was Kwas’ job to look for early information in the archival record. “It didn’t take long to realize that much of the story of the Old State House had never been made available to the general public in an accessible format,” Kwas said.

Fifteen years later, and in time for the 175^th anniversary of the construction of the building, that story is available in a lavish, 240-page book that includes hundreds of photographs. Kwas calls the book a “biography” of the state house, “the story of the building’s life as understood through techniques from history, archaeology, architectural history, biographical and genealogical research, and visual history.” Though Kwas is an archeologist, she says the book is “much more history than archaeology, but the archaeology is woven through the book, because it contributes to the story in a unique way, different from the other methods of uncovering the past. All of the approaches are used together to tell a larger story.”

Former President Bill Clinton, who used the Old State House as a backdrop and symbol for many important events in his political career, said of the book, “I am delighted that Mary L. Kwas has written this engaging history of Arkansas’s Old State House. Besides the building’s historical, cultural, and political importance to Arkansas, the Old State House holds tremendous personal significance for me. I had an inaugural reception there in 1977 when I became Attorney General. I supported its restoration in my first term as governor. We celebrated Arkansas’s sesquicentennial there in 1986. My road to the Presidency began there, and it was the site of our Election Night celebration in 1992 and 1996. The Old State House is a beautiful building that carries the echoes of all our struggles and dreams. I applaud Kwas for preserving the legacy of this unique treasure.”

Kwas will be discussing A Pictorial History of Arkansas’s Old State House at the Old State House Museum, 300 W. Markham, in Little Rock, on April 7 at 7 p.m. The event is part of the Arkansas Literary Festival, April 7-13, sponsored by Central Arkansas Library System.