The Gravette Community Building, located at 502 Charlotte St. SE in Gravette, was recently remodeled in 2019. This building was formerly used as a Gravette School District Home Economics building several decades ago. The remodeled building was designed for use as a community room where class reunions, family reunions, meetings, and other gatherings can be held.

 

This building received a complete makeover while maintaining much of its original history and character. The original siding, wood floors, fireplace, and one of the demonstration kitchens were kept to preserve the history of the building. The building was originally a mess hall at Camp Crowder, located near Neosho, Missouri. Post War, it and one other building were purchased in August of 1947 thanks to the Smith-Hughes Act which authorized the use of federal funds for vocational education in public schools. The buildings were moved to Gravette where they were reconstructed and began their life as school buildings.

 

The original home economics teaching kitchen was saved as a crucial part of the design and now features an exhibit about what a Home-Ec class would have been like during the 1950’s. Other exhibits in the building will reflect the history of the City of Gravette and the surrounding area. The Museum will maintain these exhibits as part of its community outreach program.

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This building was purchased from the Gravette School District in 2017 by the City of Gravette. Through a grant from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and several private donations, the City of Gravette and the Gravette Historical Museum partnered to undertake the renovation of the building thus saving this important piece of Gravette history.