LocalBook 101

Overview

Completed on March 31, 1896, Camden's Old Post Office is a classic example of Romanesque Revival architecture in a style unusual to Arkansas. Shortly after its completion the local press proclaimed that Camden, then population 5,000, was probably the smallest town in the United States with a federal government building. Camden, an important port on the Ouachita River, exported over twenty thousand bales of cotton per year and was the hub of a burgeoning lumber industry that operated in the dense Arkansas forests. Construction of the Post Office began on February 21, 1895, under the supervision of architect Asa Morgan with the expensive budget of $39,000; a great deal of money at the turn of the century. The stone and pressed brick is an outstanding example of the Richardson Romanesque style featuring exterior moldings and an impressive oriel window sheathed in copper overlooking the entranceway. In the early 70's the building was scheduled to be demolished, but was saved in an effort t