Join us Friday, September 4, at noon, for our Sandwiching in History tour of the Richard Sheppard Arnold U.S. Post Office and Courthouse in Little Rock.
This federal courthouse and former post office was built in 1932 to replace the old one on 2nd Street, which had become too small for the growing city’s needs. Constructed in the “starved Classical” style typical of federal buildings in the 1930s, this large public building project provided an economic boost during the Great Depression. During the Central High School integration crisis, then-lawyer Thurgood Marshall represented the Little Rock Nine before U.S. District Judge Ronald N. Davies in the landmark case Aaron v. Cooper in this courthouse, with Davies ruling that integration must proceed. A 1957-era courtroom has been restored to tell this important story.
This federal courthouse and former post office was built in 1932 to replace the old one on 2nd Street, which had become too small for the growing city’s needs. Constructed in the “starved Classical” style typical of federal buildings in the 1930s, this large public building project provided an economic boost during the Great Depression. During the Central High School integration crisis, then-lawyer Thurgood Marshall represented the Little Rock Nine before U.S. District Judge Ronald N. Davies in the landmark case Aaron v. Cooper in this courthouse, with Davies ruling that integration must proceed. A 1957-era courtroom has been restored to tell this important story.
Special notes for this tour:
- Photo ID is required for entrance. Visitors must pass through security screening and must leave their phones in their cars. Onsite public parking is not available, but there are paid parking spaces and lots around downtown.
- We anticipate having more guests than can be accommodated in one courtroom at a time, so we plan to break into three groups. Each group will rotate between three stations—the original historic 1932 courtroom, a modern courtroom, and the 1957-era-faithful courtroom—to hear different aspects of the courthouse’s history from different presenters in 15-minute segments.