The Jacksonport State Park, part of the Arkansas State Parks System, was in need of new and permanent home to serve as a welcoming point to visitors of the park, situated at the confluence of Arkansas’ White and Black Rivers.
In the 1800s steamboats made Jacksonport a thriving river port. During the Civil War, the town was occupied by both Confederate and Union forces because of its crucial locale. It was, in fact, the location of the Confederate surrender of Arkansas. The existing two-story brick courthouse was completed in 1872 and has served as the main welcoming facility for Jacksonport State Park.
Conceived as a modern “dog-trot”, the new Visitors Center juxtaposes two perfect glass cubes representing the North and South under one roof connected by a bridge… a symbol of reunification. The outdoor classroom that it bridges allows visitors to climb to a height above the levee to an observation platform to the river for the first time since the levee system was built in the 1960’s. The Center includes a gallery that houses the Park’s permanent collection of Civil War and River commerce artifacts, a large multi-purpose space is available for public use, an outdoor classroom space, a gift shop as well as support spaces and offices for park staff and interpreters who share story of this historic river port. The building is a platform to see and experience the past.
