Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Van Buren (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Mount Olive United Methodist Church, Drennen-Scott House, and Van Buren Women's Literary Club. Also, be sure to include Bob Burns House in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Van Buren (Arkansas).
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Mount Olive United Methodist Church
Methodist church in Van Buren, Arkansas. The Mount Olive United Methodist Church is a historic church at Lafayette and Knox Streets in Van Buren, Arkansas. It is a rectangular single-story brick structure with Gothic Revival styling. Its main facade has a large Gothic-arch window below the main roof gable, and a squat square tower to its left, housing the entrance in a Gothic-arched opening. The church was built in 1889 for a congregation that consisted of recently emancipated African-American former slaves when it was organized in 1869. It is a significant local landmark in its African-American culture and history.
The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[1]
Drennen-Scott House
Museum in Van Buren, Arkansas. The Drennen-Scott House is a historic house museum on North 3rd Street in Van Buren, Arkansas. It is a single-story log structure, finished in clapboards, with a side-gable roof that has a slight bell-cast shape due to the projection of the roof over the front porch that extends across the width of its main block. The house was built in 1836 by John Drennen, one of Van Buren's first settlers. Drennen and his brother-in-law David Thompson were responsible for platting the town, and Drennen was politically active, serving in the territorial and state legislatures, and at the state constitutional convention. The house remained in the hands of Drennen descendants until it was acquired by the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, which operates it as a house museum.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.[2]
Van Buren Women's Literary Club
Building in Van Buren, Arkansas. The Van Buren Women's Literary Club is one of the oldest surviving literary societies of its type in the nation, founded in 1896 to improve the education of its members by providing access to books. The society is located at 421 Webster Street in Van Buren, Arkansas, in a historic Presbyterian church building built in 1903 on the foundations of the 1844 Old School Presbyterian Church. The building is a vernacular brick building with Late Gothic Revival features, supposedly designed by Reverend Finney, the pastor of the local Baptist church. The building was used as a church until 1919, when the Old School Church merged with other Presbyterian congregations. After serving briefly as the meeting house for a chapter of the Loyal Order of Moose, a fraternal organization, it was acquired by the Literary Club in 1921, and served as Van Buren's library until the 1970s. Although Van Buren now has a separate public library, the society maintains a small library on the premises.
The society's building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.[3]
Bob Burns House
The Bob Burns House is a historic house at 821 Jefferson Street in Van Buren, Arkansas. It is a two-story wood frame late Victorian house, built in 1885 by a local merchant. The house is most notable as the childhood home of Bob Burns, a famous radio comedian of the 1930s and 1940s. The Burn family moved into this house in 1896 and purchased it in 1901. Bob Burns and his brother Farrar made their start in music, with Bob being credited with the invention of the bazooka, a musical instrument bearing some resemblance to a trombone. During Burns' period of fame his mother operated a gift shop out of their home.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[4]
Address: 821 Jefferson Street, Van Buren
Van Buren First Assembly of God
The Van Buren First Assembly of God, located in Van Buren, Arkansas, United States is an Assemblies of God church in Arkansas. With a membership of over 1,000 and an average Sunday attendance of about 600, it is located in the Northwest part of the state. The church is more than 100 years old.[5]
Address: 1014 Fayetteville Rd, Van Buren
Lee Creek Bridge
Bridge in Van Buren, Arkansas. The Lee Creek Bridge is a historic bridge across Lee Creek in Van Buren, Arkansas. Now closed to traffic, it is a three-span truss bridge located west of Rena Road on the city's west side. The bridge's single Pratt through truss was built in 1898, and a pair of Warren pony trusses were erected in 1930 to replace a second Pratt truss. The trusses rest on original stone piers. The bridge has a total length of 296 feet, of which 126 feet is the Pratt truss. The bridge was bypassed and closed in 1995.
The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.[6]
Wilhauf House
Building in Van Buren. The Wilhauf House is a historic house at 109 North 3rd Street in Van Buren, Arkansas. Built in 1838 and restyled in 1847, it is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the state. It is a single story log dog trot structure, consisting of two log pens originally joined by a breezeway. The house is sheathed in weatherboard, and has a modest Greek Revival gabled portico. The 1847 alterations included the extension of the gable roof to accommodate additional rooms in the rear, which have been furthered extended by a modern addition. The house was built by Leonard Wilhauf on land he purchased from John Drennan, Van Buren's first proprietor.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[7]
Van Buren Post Office
Post office in Van Buren, Arkansas. The Van Buren Post Office is located at 22 South 7th Street in Van Buren, Arkansas. It is a single-story brick and stone building, with restrained Art Deco styling. The main entrance is topped by a panel with aluminum signage identifying the building, with a large window above. It is flanked by tall pilasters, beyond which are tall windows and another pair of pilasters. The outer bays of the facade, set off from the center, have windows topped by decorative Art Deco panels. The post office was built in 1936, and features a mural by E. Martin Hennings, that was executed in 1940 with funding from the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.[8]
King Opera House
Opera house in Van Buren, Arkansas. The King Opera House is a performance hall located on Van Buren, Arkansas's Main Street. Since it was built in the late 19th century, the opera house's stage has hosted many plays and performers. The King Opera House is a contributing property to the Van Buren Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[9]
Henry "Harry" Charles Pernot House
The Henry "Harry" Charles Pernot House is a historic house at 119 Fayetteville Road in Van Buren, Arkansas. Built in the early 20th century, it is an eclectic and late example of blended Queen Anne and Second Empire architecture. It has asymmetrical massing and a tower, characteristic of the Second Empire, along with a Queen Anne porch that features turned posts and a spindled valance. Harry Pernot, who built it, was mayor of Van Buren, 1904–1909.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.[10]
Van Buren
Historical place in Van Buren, Arkansas. The Van Buren Historic District encompasses eight blocks of historic buildings along Main Street in Van Buren, Arkansas. Many of the structures are pre-1920 Victorian and Italianate buildings closely related to the history of commerce in the city. Positioned between the city's train depot and the Arkansas River, the businesses constituting the Van Buren Historic District have played a vital role in the history and economy of the city and region. The district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic District on April 30, 1976.[11]