Design Matters

In 2022, to enhance the ongoing stewardship and conservation of the community’s varied historic architectural resources, the City of Eureka Springs and its Historic District Commission embarked on a comprehensive update of its Historic District Design Guidelines. The updated Historic District Design Guidelines continue to address appropriate preservation and maintenance procedures while offering guidance on new construction and investments in the community’s streetscape and public spaces. However, the new Design Guidelines also provide additional information on Eureka’s Springs property types and architectural styles, appropriate replacement materials, green and sustainable design treatments, and adaptive use considerations for historic properties. Most importantly, the Design Guidelines employ a combination of text, photos, and images to describe and fully illustrate recommended preservation and maintenance treatments in an accessible and readable format.

All historic building owners in Eureka Springs benefit in many ways from historic district designation and design review. Historic districts support and strengthen property values, stimulate economic activity, and promote a more sustainable future with the continued use of existing buildings. These Design Guidelines are for today’s property owners in advancing the ongoing stewardship of an irreplaceable architectural legacy.

This project was selected for the 2022 Ned Shank Award for Outstanding Preservation Publication by the Board of Preserve Arkansas and the Arkansas Preservation Awards Selection Committee.

Support for this Project

This document was made possible by a Certified Local Government Grant financed with Federal Funds from the National Park Service and administered by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. The City of Eureka Springs, Department of Planning & Community Development is the local administrator for this program.