From Turbulence to Tranquility:
The Little Rock Arsenal
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We are a frontier people exposed to savage invasions, and are often in pressing need of assistance and protection which only the Federal Government can afford. |
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Governor James Conway |
In 1836, the year Arkansas became a state, the federal government authorized construction of a military post at Little Rock. Governor Conway's request for an arsenal reflected Arkansans' desire for protection against the perceived dangers of frontier life. In addition, the passage of Native Americans through the state to the newly established Indian Territory in Oklahoma caused concern. Even before its construction, the arsenal became a symbol of protection to the citizens of frontier Arkansas.
The site for the new arsenal was selected in 1837 by Major Robert B. Lee of the U.S. Army. After examining several possible locations, Major Lee chose thirty-six acres on the outskirts of Little Rock, land used as a racetrack by the local jockey club. John Wormley Walker, a master builder for the federal government, arrived the following year to supervise construction. The $14,000 originally designated for the arsenal proved inadequate and was later increased to $30,000. Work began on this building, the arsenal's main structure, in 1840.
The Tower Building, named for its distinctive octagonal
tower, was the first permanent structure of the Little Rock Arsenal and
served as an ammunition warehouse. The Arkansas Gazette noted its
completion in 1841 as "a splendid specimen of masonry" despite
its construction of brick rather than stone, as originally designed. Over
the next decade, more than thirty buildings were added to the
arsenal--none of which remain today--including officers' quarters,
barracks for enlisted men, and a variety of other buildings necessary for
the routine operation of a military post.