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United States Department of the Interior . National Park Service .- < .

' 8

' * National Register of Historic Places '- - Registration Form Thh tom h br w In r~omlnlllfq or rqwtrnp det~rmtnrtlonm d ~~qlbl l f f j for lndlvldurl pmptilu w dlmkts. B# I n m b n b In QuWoheu fw CmpIsrlng Nnrms! R%o,m mi! [H~CIonll Abglfletbl Bullstln 16). Ccmplsls each ltsm by marklnp "x" In the spproprlats bbx or by antmrlng the rsquelned Informnlon. I! an lt6m dosm not npply te the prqmy Wnp d o e u m d , 8nUr "MA" tor "m &ppllubla." F o ~ fun~tlom, ttylm, m&!erlrla, and arbas ol ~lgnifieanca, entar only [he c ~ n g ~ t l n e m d m u k m t e ~ ~ r i e ~ ll#ted lrt tha Inlrwlonl . For addltlonrE 8prce ULB contlnurtion lhwtl (form l(1900n) Typa all In t r le~ .

1. Nems of Property hlstor~c name Knob School/Masonic Lodge at her nemeslslte number NJA

2. Locatlon ~trael & number State Ejiphwav 1 4 1 u not for publication y /A clty, town m b UvkEnr!y N/A rtate -as coda AR county clav code rlp code 72436

3, Clnsslflcatlon Ownevshlp of Properly Cggov Of Pwpmty Number of R a ~ o u r e e ~ wlthln Propsrty 15;, prlvete bulldlng(8) Contrl butlno Nancontrlbvtlng

~ ~ b l lc.lmsl dlstrlct - bulldlngm publlc-State #Its nltw pu bllc-Fadrml ~ r u d u n nruetunm

object abject8 7 n f o t r l

Nmmm d trlrtmd rnultlpla propafly tlmtlng: Numbmr of wntrlbutlng nmouroar pnvlouoly V I A Ilrtmd In the Nmtlonrl Reglrter N/A

4, StatslFsdesrl Agency Certlllcatlon

An the designated ruthorlty undsr the Nntlmal Hlutorle Prsssrvntlon Act of 1966, am rmsnded, I henby curtlv that Zhlr nomlnar ron request tor detrrmlnrt Ion of allgtblllty msetm the documsntatlon atandadr lor rr~lrtsrlng prowniam In tha

profswionsl rqulmrnentr #at forth In 3& CFR Pmn 80. aI Raglater crltsrla, C BH U#lllnumtlo ~hm,

4 - 2 3 - 9 1 Dmlo

State or Federal ngency and bumau

In my opinion, the property-a meets mdoes not me@ Zhs Natlonrl RsglMmr erltsrla. 8" contln;rtlm rhnF.

Smts or Federal agency and burmau

5. National Park Sewlce Ccrtlflcatlon I, hereby, certify that this property is:

Dantered In the National Register. - U mnt~nuation sheet. datermined eligible lor the Natlonal Fb~bWar, I3 Sre eonllnumtl~n EM.

ndeterrnlned not eligible f o r the Nat~ond Regleter.

moved f ~ w n the Nntlonal Reglatar. other, (explain:)

6. Fundlon or U8e -- Historic Functions (enter categories from instructions) Currgnt Functions (enter categories from Instructions)

Masonic E E a U - 4 all c m

7. Description Architectural CFassifieation Materials (entw categories horn inslructions) (enter categories from instructtons)

Craf tsrnan Other: Plain Tr-1 . .

f w d t i o n Concrete - walls Weatherboard -

-

hscrike pmcrnt and historic physical appearma.

I

I

Unlted States Department of the Interlor National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet

7 Page

I Section number

Summary

The Knob Schoo1/Masonic Lodge is a two-story Erame structure with a rectangular plan covered by a hipped roof main section and a smaller hipped roof over the frontal shgIe- story extension with inset porch and end rooms.

Elaboration

Consmcted in 1923, the Knob School/Masonic Lodge is a rectangdar ~WQ-story frame building of a vernacuIar Craftsman style. The Craftsman influence is seen primarily in the exposed rafters of the hipped roofs. The main two-story s d o n ~ s t s on a continuous concrete foundation and is shielded from the elements by a large hipped roof sheathed with tin. The original £rental single-story extension rests on concrete piers and is likewise covered by a hipped tin roof. White-painted weathe:Marding is used for the siding.

The southern or front elevation features a full-facade, single-story extension covered by a hipped tin roof. This extension features a central inset porch with a single column in the center. The c m n t column is of recent vintage, but it appears that a column has always st& there, The rear wall of the porch is the main wall for the two-story section and is pierced with two doors which provide entry for the two kt-floor rooms. The end rooms, originally cloak rooms, each contain a single, central-pIaced, four-over-four double-hung window. The second-story facade has four evenly-spaced four-over-four double-hung windows with a fifth identical window located just west of its symmehcd position,

The western elevation is comprised of a four-over-four double-hung window in the western cloak mom of the single-stoxy front extension. "The main section is dominated by two groups of side-by-side, six-over-six double-hung windows separated by three identical six-over-six double-hung windows for a total of seven six-over-sin windows in the western facade. The second-story elevation is lighted by two four-over-four double-hung windows.

The northem elevation is dominated by weatherboarding with nothing bur five unevenly- spaced, upper-story, four-over-four double-hung windows to provide lighting. The castern elevation is identical to the western with the exception of the upper-story four-over-four windows being spaced closer together and the recent addition of a black-painted, steel f i re escape attached to the northern second-story window. The fire escape extends to the south alongside the building at about a forty-five degree angle and reaches the ground near the h n t of the building,

Them have been few interior modifications to the structure, The two cloak rooms have been converted into rest rooms, and the western first-floor classtoom has had some kitchen facilities

United States Department of the Interlor National Park Service

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National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet

Section number 7 Page

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addd The original oil lamps, hung dong the walls, were remowed in the late 1930's when rhe school received electricity. A multiple-folding wooden partition originally separated the two classrooms. The wooden partition remains today bur folds only at one end to allow access to the adjoining m m , This modification occurred when a school teacher, Ms. Signa Horton, became exasperated with her students passing notes to the children in the other classroom through the cracks caused by the folding doom. To remedy this situation, she had her father nail w d e n suips over the cracks, which salved the note-passing problem but rendered the partition largeIy immovable.

The upper-story was originally constructed fur the Masonic Lodge and consists of a small vestibule and the meeting room, The stairway was originally entered thsough the western cloak room, but has since been reconstructed and is located along the southern wall inside of the western classroom. The enclosed stairway w a s and the restibuIe have been sheathed with modern imitation wood paneling. Alterations to the M g e meeting room have been minor and consist primarily of the addition of pinewood wainscoting.

ahme are no outbuildings associated with the Gob SchmllMmic Lodge, At one time, there was an outbuilding described as a pergola where the big bell of the Masons and the well pump were housed. There were outdoor toilets, but these were removed when the cloak rooms were converted into rest moms after the school acquired a nual water system The school building is Iocared on four acres of land.

Plnlted States Department of the Interior National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet

8 I Section number Page

Summary Criterion C, local sipif~cance

The Knob SchoollMasonic Lodge is king nominated under Criterion C with local significance as the best surviving example of a vernacular Craftsman frame school building in the county.

Elaboration

The Knob SchooVMasonic Mge is the best extant exanplt of a vernacular Craftsman frame schoolhouse in the county. The school building was the third school built at h o b and was consmcted in 1923 by Tump and Sweet Cagle, two brothers fmm Rector who, with the advent of sawmills in the area, began building frame houses to replace the area's log homes. Two I d carpenters, Ernest Reed and John Mannon, assisted with the construction.

Knob is located in Clay County near the southern border with -ne County on the western a

edge of Oowley's Ridge, It was originally known as Rock Spring or Rock Spring's Community after a small spring on the ridge. b a t e d on the Chalk Bluff-Gainesville Trail, the area around the rock spring was fmt settled around 1845. Nearby is another "everlasting" spring where Indians and the early uavellers camped. The nearest trading center was Gainesville, approximately ten miles to the south, which became the county seat of k n e County in 1840 and had become well-established by the mid-1840's. Clay County did nor exist at this time; the western half was a part of Randolph County and h e eastern half, including Rock Spring, belonged to Greene County.

Clayton County was created by an act of Iegislatim on March 24, 1873 and named in honor of John M. Clayton, a member of the state senate at that session. During the next session of the General Assembly on Decemkr 6, 1875, the last syllable of the name was dropped changing it to "Clay" in honor of Henry Clay of Kentucky. From this sime until the turn of the century, Rmk Spring experienced little change. More people settled though there was still no general store. After the passage of acts providing for a a-supported system of public schools, the Rock Spring School District No. 13 was created in 1871. heal wal history indicates that subscription schmls were held at R Q C ~ Spring many years prim to 1871, but an 1872 school register is the oldest record still in existence. The frst school was held in a log house near the rock spring which was utilized fur drinking water. Church services were also held in ~s building.

Rock Springs had somewhat of a frontier atmosphere in the Iate nineteenth century. One interming story passed down from this era involves the infamous Jesse James. Jesse James was travelling on the Chalk Bluff-Gainesville T r d on his way to Missouri. At Rock Spring he passed by the old Lucy place and noticed a woman weeping on the front porch, After

United State8 Departmant of the Interlor National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet

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inquiring as to her troubles, ksse learned that the mortgage on her home was due and, as she was a widow and unable to pay it, she would lose her home, According to the story, Jesse gave her a sack of gold to pay her debt and then rode away. Jesse, however, returned to the home and conceded himself until the transaction was completed. He then trailed the man who hdd the mortgage and p r n p f y robbed him to reclaim his undoubtedly ill-gotten gains.

In 1901, the first store opened in Rock Spring. Two years later Rock Spring was granted a post office with James L, Bmlett as postmaster. Three names for the post office; Knob, Teddy, and Cork were mailed in by the local residents. The name Knob was chosen, psumably k a u s e the post office would be located on a hillside. The post office was discontinued in h o b in 1910 when Rural Free Delivery was s m e d with Marmaduke as the post office. Knob experienced some growth during the fmt decade of the twentieth century. In 1907 the community acquired its first telephone system, and in 1909 the school district erected a new one-roorn frame schoolhouse with factory made seats. The community probably profited sorne from nearby timber-related industries, but for the most part the settlers were small-scale hill farmen. At that b e , all of the flatland of the Cache River bottoms was either timber or stump covered and always subject to severe flooding. The first effort to utilize these werlands was started in 1910 wirh the creation of the Central Clay County Drainage District with James B d e t t as president. Within a few years drainage ditches were dug and formerly unproductive swamp land became fertile farm land, making large-scale agricu1me possible for the residents of this hillside community.

In 1913, an additional mom was added to the existing one-rmm schml at a cost of $275. Despite this addition, constmction on a new school began in 1923 as a result of newly available funds from the creation of a special school district. Coinciding with the oonsmction of the new school was the search for a new building for the BoydsvilIe Masonic h d g e # 75, whose charter dated Novemkr 11, 1853. The church building in Boydsville where they met regularly had burned in 1921. After deciding that it was too expensive to build a new structure, the BoydsviUe Masonic Ldge reached an agreement with the G o b School DisPict to pay for a second-story addition to the new school then being built. The Masonic Zocfge, dong with the more recently established Order of she Eastern Star, continue to meet upstairs weekly.

The Knob Schwl consisted cd eight grades with four per room. High school was not available at Knob, and children who wished to continue their education enrolltd in the high school at Lafe in Greene County, which was somewhat closer than Knobel, the nearest high school in Clay County, As consolidation with a larger school became necessary, many in the Knob community were hesitant to consolidate with the Lafe School District, which had expressed interest in the merger. The idea of county loyalty was panly the issue; however sorne of the pople opposed consolidation with M e h a u s e of cultural differences. The

United Staten Department of the lnterlor National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet

8 3 Section number Page

people who had settIed in Knob were mostly of English and Scotch-lrish descent and had moved to Arkansas usually from Tennessee or Kentucky, whereas Lafe had been largeIy settled by German immigrants of the Lutheran faith.

Whatever the reasons, the KRob School District consolidated with rhe Knobel School District in 1947 and became Knobel School District No. 11, At first onIy the seventh and eighth grades were taken to Kno'bel, but shortly thereah a1 classes were conducted at Knobel. The classrooms at Knob have since served as a community center for the area, and a reunion i s held each year for the former students.

The Knob SchcxlVMasonic Lodge is being nominated under Criterion C with local significance as the best surviving example of a wood frame school house in the vernacular Craftsman style of architecture in Clay Coaoty. There have been no significant alterations to the structure, and the exterior appeaxance has remained unchanged since its construction in 1923.

Unltsd Stnter Department of the IntmtIar National Park Sewice

Natlonal Reglster of Historic Places Continuation Sheet

9 1 Sectlon number Page

Bibliography

Horn, Signa Barilett. Kmb: fts History and Folklore, 1987.

Imentiew and communication with Sigrta Bartletz Honon.

a, Statement of Signlflcancs %

Ortify~ng offrctal has consrdered aha significance of this property In relation to other properties: netionally statwide locally

Apprreable National Register Criteria A IS c 13 D

Criteria Cmsiderations (EKcepfms) DA 13 8 DC D E F G

Areas of Significance (enter categories from Instructions) Architecture

Si nlfmnt Person %/A

Arch fteeVBuilder Cade. T u m ~ Caple. Sweet

-8 significance of properSy, and justify. criteria, criteria considerations, and ereas and periods d significance noted above.

'Pmlout docurnbntrtlon on flfs (NPS): pnllrn\naty dstarmlnltlon of Individual llrtlng p(38 CFR O?) ha8 been rquastad

i ptwlburly Il8tMI In Ihb Nmlonal RmOlster prwlauhy determlnsd ellglbls by tha Nallohrl Reglwtar dssl~nsted a NstFonal Hirtorlc Landmark ncordsd by Hlstorlc Amsrresn iacllldlnpm Survsy L rsmrdsd by Hlslorlc bmsrlean EnglnearFng

Prlrnry locadon of rddltlonal d m : Slat8 hlatork pnasnratlon otficll

1 Other &atm rgmncy Fsdorrl agency Lmd gevernmsnl

Cj Ynlventty Othsr

Spselv nporltory:

10, Qmoanphlorl Dmtr Acnmge ol property Less t h a n one

WM Refemnee# A 11151 1 7 ] 2 1 9 1 Q , 4 t Q ] /4L6111719 19 t S j

Zone Eastlng Nonhlng

Sw contlnuatbn rhwt

Vsrbal Boundary Dancrlptlan Beginning at the intersection at the northern edge of Elwy. 141 and the line formed by the western elevation of the building, proceed northerly along said Iine t o a point formed by the intersection of said fine and the l ine formed by the northern elevation of the buiZding; thence proceed easterly t o a point formed by the intersection of said line and the line forrned by the eastern elevation of the building; thence proceed southerly to a point formed by the intersection of said l ine and the northern edge of IIw , 141; thence proceed westerly to the point of beginning, ~ S M comlnuaion a h n t

Boundey Justiflcatlon This boundary includes all the property historicaUy associated with t h 5 resource,

11. Form Prepared By namsnitle Patrick Zollnerj N y

date 411DjSf street L number 7 7 5 East Markharn, Suite 300 tslephonm @ city or town Little Rock atate Arkansas zl p coda