https://www.kiakimamuseum.org/files/original/76d1067318dc1d0d8de09f0d73833748.pdf 86852db7ef1afcbbbe6e7f81bbfdfbef PDF Text Text AHPP Form (May 2000) Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” ARKANSAS REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the Arkansas Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Complete each item by marking “x” in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter “N/A” for “not applicable.” For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets. Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. 1. Name of Property historic name Old Kia Kima other names/site number Kamp Kia Kima, SH0214 2. Location street & number city or town county 26 Kolo Drive Cherokee Village vicinity Sharp zip code 72529 not for publication 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the State Register of Historic places Act (13-7-109 Arkansas Code), I hereby certify that this nomination meets does not meet the documentation standards and criteria for registering properties in the Arkansas Register of Historic Places. (See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Signature of certifying official/Title Date 4. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) Category of Property (Check only one box) Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in count.) private public-local public-State building(s) district site Contributing Noncontributing 18 4 public-Federal structure sites object structures buildings objects Property Owner name Old Kia Kima Preservation Association address P.O. Box 490 city Newport zip code 72212 state code 18 AR phone 1 4 Total �Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County 5. State Review Board Approval date Comments 6. Function or Use Historic Functions Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions) DOMESTIC/camp DOMESTIC/camp RECREATION AND CULTURE/outdoor recreation RECREATION AND CULTURE/outdoor recreation 7. Description Architectural Classification Materials (Enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions) OTHER: Rustic foundation walls roof other Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) SEE CONTINUATION SHEET 2 CONCRETE, STONE STONE, WOOD METAL: Aluminum �Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County 8. Statement of Significance Applicable Arkansas Register Criteria (Mark “x” in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for Arkansas Register listing.) A Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. B Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. Levels of Significance (local, state) Local Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATION ARCHITECTURE Period of Significance 1916-1964 D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations (Mark “x” in all the boxes that apply.) Property is: A owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. Significant Dates 1916, opening Significant Person (Complete if Criterion B is marked) B removed from its original location. C moved from its original location. Cultural Affiliation (Complete if Criterion D is marked) D a cemetery. E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. F a commemorative property. G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years. Architect/Builder Unknown Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) SEE CONTINUATION SHEET 3 �Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County 9. Major Bibliographical References Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) “CAMP KIAKIMA (sic),” Chickasaw Council, Boy Scouts of America, (pamphlet), 1918. Chickasaw Council. The Dedication and Official Opening of the New Kamp Kia Kima (pamphlet). 1964. Chickasaw Council. Kamp Kia Kima (pamphlet). 1930. Edwin Dalstrom Papers. McWherter Library Special Collections. The University of Memphis. Memphis, TN. Chickasaw Council. Report of Committees. 1928. Chickasaw Council. Report of Committees. 1929, 1938, 1939, 1940. Edwin Dalstrom Papers. McWherter Library Special Collections. The University of Memphis. Memphis, TN. Deed of Sale from Victor A. Mayberry and wife to Bolton Smith, 11 April 1916, Sharp County, Arkansas. County Clerk’s Office, Ash Flat, Arkansas. Dowdy, Wayne G. “Cherokee Village (Sharp and Fulton County).” Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Butler Center for Arkansas Studies: Central Arkansas Library System. http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=995. Kamp Kia Kima (pamphlet), Chickasaw Council, 1930, Edwin Dalstrom Papers, McWherter Library Special Collections, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. Morris, Gordon W. Letter to Edwin Dalstrom with Attachment, September 23, 1941, Edwin Dalstrom Papers, McWherter Library Special Collections, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. Real Estate Tax for Section 9 Township 19 Range 5, 1916. Sharp County, Arkansas. County Clerk’s Office, Ash Flat, Arkansas. “Scouts to Fold Tents and Come Home Saturday.” Memphis Press-Scimitar 1927. Clipping: Edwin Dalstrom Papers. McWherter Library Special Collections. The University of Memphis. Memphis, TN. 4 �Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property 4 acres UTM References (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet.) A B 15 Zone 15 633120 Easting 633239 4019650 Northing 4019695 C 15 Zone 15 D 633360 Easting 633148 4019498 Northing 4019395 See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.) Starting at the entrance to the Old Kia Kima campground, off of Kolo Drive at UTM 15 E633120 N4019650, travel east along Kolo Drive to UTM 15 E633239 N4019695. Then go southeast to UTM 15 E633360 N4019498. Then travel slightly southwest to UTM 15 E633148 N4019395. Travel north to return to the original point of UTM 15 E633120 N4019650. Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.) This boundary includes all of the property historically associated with the central quadrangle and river lodge site at the Kia Kima campground. 11. Form Prepared By name/title Andrew Schrack organization Old Kia Kima Preservation Association street & number city or town name/title 9275 Ellen Davies telephone Bartlett state TN February 2, 2015 901-489-0406 zip code 38133 Callie Williams, National Register Historian (Edited) organization street & number city or town date Arkansas Historic Preservation Program date 323 Center Street, Suite 1500 telephone Little Rock state 5 AR February 9, 2015 501-324-9880 zip code 72201 �Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 1 Summary: Old Kia Kima is a former Boy Scouts of America summer camp that contains sixteen stone lodges (where campers live) constructed of native Arkansas fieldstone, a two-story stone lodge (Thunderbird Lodge, originally the headquarters, now a museum), and two more larger stone lodges (an Aquatic Staff cabin and Hospital building). The overall camp is now about 33 acres in size, while the central quadrangle is approximately 4 acres in area. The camp is situated on the South Fork Spring River with the sixteen lodges forming the quadrangle. These lodges are made of stacked Arkansas fieldstone native to the area and were completed in 1928. These stone lodges replaced timber lodges built circa 1918. The camper lodges were then rebuilt in 2000 using the original stones still found at the site. The original, 1928 stone walls of the lodges were mostly intact, needing only repair and the replacement of fallen or lost stones. The camper lodges, Thunderbird Lodge and the overall site have been extensively repaired with restoration work done on all structures. The new material and the extensive changes to the site, including the addition of new structures has precluded this site from listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Elaboration: The stone and wood lodges, originally completed in 1928 are located along the western, northern and eastern perimeter of the central “quadrangle”. The camper lodges are composed of a concrete foundation and fieldstone walls. The stone walls support an upper set of wooden screened openings on all four sides. The front of each cabin includes a central single wooden door, also with screened openings. Each corner is composed of an elongated section of the stone wall, which provides support for the gable roof. The collapsed wooden shingle roofs were replaced by metal ones during recent renovations. There are fifteen stone camper lodges with the following names: Iroquois, Comanche, Shawnee, Navajo, Choctaw, Mohican, Mohawk, Chickasaw, Pikuni, Cherokee, Apache, Sioux, Cheyenne, Lenni Lanape, and Hopi. A sixteenth lodge is reserved for leaders and is similar to the other 15 camper lodges except for the addition of a stone fireplace. This leader lodge is named Osage. Lodges Iroquois, Comanche, Shawnee, Navajo and Choctaw are along the western perimeter. Lodges Mohican, Mohawk, Chickasaw, Pikuni and Cherokee are along the northern perimeter. Lodges Apache, Sioux, Cheyenne, Lenni Lanape, Hopi and Osage are located along the eastern perimeter. 6 �Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 2 At the southeast corner of the quadrangle is the Thunderbird Lodge, a two-story stone and log building. The Thunderbird Lodge is a two-story, fieldstone building, built in the Rustic architectural style. Large stones compose the structural walls of the building. The interior is now a meeting space and museum for the campsite. The building was left as only a stone ruin during the years the camp was abandoned and has since been restored. During the renovation in 2002, engineers decided that the front wall would soon collapse if it was not reinforced. Therefore, an addition to the north façade was designed and constructed. However, a difference in style can be seen as the original walls are composed of stacked stone and the modern addition has the stones largest face facing outwards. To the south of the Thunderbird Lodge is the stone “Hospital” lodge. It has since been converted into living quarters. It is longer than the camper lodges and was originally used to house sick campers. It is similar in style and construction to the camper lodges, but twice as large and includes additional elongated stone roof supports. This lodge is now connected to the Thunderbird Lodge by a covered breeze-way and includes a small wooden deck at the rear of the structure. Away from the main quadrangle overlooking the South Fork of the Spring River is the Aquatic Staff cabin referred to as the “Rats’ Nest” (the Aquatic staff were called “River Rats”). This cabin is similar to the Hospital in that it is longer than the camper lodges. This waterfront lodged lacks the large screened openings of the other lodges; instead, there is a small window on either side of the two wooden doors along the northern façade. This cabin is weather-tight and has an internal air conditioning unit. Other buildings also exist on the property such as an older pavilion near the entrance off of Kolo Drive that originally was the stone well-house. This well-house has now been converted and expanded to serve as the camp office. Also a new pavilion Dining Hall known as “Pancho’s Pit” sits near the camp offices. A new, modern brick shower house is located along the southern side of the cabin quadrangle, near to the Thunderbird lodge. Outside the central quadrangle, there is also an old Dining Hall pavilion, a new Campfire Amphitheatre, and a new outdoor Chapel. 7 �Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 3 Within the quadrangle, several site features still exist from the original camp. There also exist a few features from after the camp closed when Cherokee Village used it for minor functions including concrete shuffleboard courts and concrete ping-pong tables. There is also a flagpole with an elaborate fieldstone base near to the northern (front) façade of the Thunderbird Lodge. A new covered bridge has also been added to the site. This bridge facilitates access to the “River Rat’s” cabin along the river, downslope from the main quadrangle. The Rustic Style of architectural design, seen in all of the original structures at Kia Kima, was common to camp construction across the United States during the 20th century. The Rustic Style of architecture is characterized by the use of log and stone building materials. Structures are often in a natural setting and designed to blend in with the natural elements of a specific site. Rustic Style structures are often rural in setting and associated with tourist or camping activity across the state. As seen in the original structures at Old Kia Kima, traditional building techniques were used to construct buildings of local stone and wood. The battered stone walls and over-hanging roof of each structure conform to the typical characteristics of the Rustic Style. Although the National Park Service and United States Forest Service is credited with popularizing the Rustic Style throughout the United States, it is interesting that this site predates the large building campaigns seen in many federally protected and managed wilderness areas under the auspices of the New Deal programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corp. The local interpretation of the Rustic Style of architecture, as seen in the buildings at Old Kia Kima reflect the growing interest in this style for outdoor recreational related structures. 8 �Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Building Name Iroquois Comanche Shawnee Navajo Choctaw Mohican Mohawk Chickasaw Pikuni Cherokee Apache Soiux Cheyenne Lenni Lanape Hopi Osage Office Pancho’s Pit Thunderbird Lodge Help Lodge Rat’s Nest Shower House Page 4 Use Camper Cabin Camper Cabin Camper Cabin Camper Cabin Camper Cabin Camper Cabin Camper Cabin Camper Cabin Camper Cabin Camper Cabin Camper Cabin Camper Cabin Camper Cabin Camper Cabin Camper Cabin Leader Cabin Original Well-House, current Office Space Dining Hall Main Lodge, indoor gathering space and Museum Leader Cabin and original Hospital Lodge Leader Cabin Restroom and Shower Facility 9 Contributing/Non Contributing C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C NC NC NC C C NC �Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 1 Summary: Old Kia Kima is a former Boy Scouts of America summer camp that operated from 1916 to 1964. During that time, the camp played a significant role in increasing the tourist economy of Hardy, Arkansas, and the surrounding region by bringing large amounts of boys and adults from Memphis, Tennessee, into the hills of northern Arkansas. The camp also played an important part in the creation of the nearby town of Cherokee Village. The Old Kia Kima campground and related structures are being nominated to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places under Criterion A, with local significance, for its association with the history of the Boy Scouts in the surrounding region and under Criterion C for its use of Rustic Style architecture with local significance. Elaboration: The Scouting movement was founded in England in 1907 as Robert Baden-Powell held a camp on Brownsea Island to test ideas for his upcoming book Scouting for Boys. The movement launched from there and spread to the United States in 1910 when W. D. Boyce was inspired by an unknown scout he met in England. The Boy Scouts of America was incorporated upon his return to the States and it quickly spread, with the first camp opening in 1911. The Boy Scouts of America received a Congressional Charter signed by President Wilson in 1916 reading “That the purpose of this corporation shall be to promote, through organization and cooperation with other agencies, the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others, to train them in Scoutcraft, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues, using the methods which are now in common use by Boy Scouts.” The Chickasaw Council in Memphis, Tennessee, was formed in 1916 to oversee several Boy Scout troops already present in the area. Interest in the Boy Scout organization had grown quickly across the United States and the Chickasaw Council was organized in Memphis due to the large number of new scouts in the city. The Council was noted early in Scouting’s history as having outstanding growth and participation in the program and leadership of the Council was taken up by several prominent Memphis businessmen. With the establishment of the new local Boy Scout Council, local leaders began to search for land that would allow for the creation of a summer recreational camp for the scouts of Memphis. On April 11, 1916, Bolton 10 �Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 2 Smith, an investment banker in Memphis, purchased 206.28 acres from Victor and Cora Mayberry in Sharp County along the South Fork of the Spring River for $2000 cash in hand.1 Bolton Smith was the first President of the Chickasaw Council and donated the land for use as a Boy Scout summer camp. This land became the site of Kamp Kia Kima, which opened for use in 1916.2 The camp’s name, "Kia Kima", was interpreted by the local scouts from the Chickasaw language as "Nest of the Eagles." A second camp was established by the Chickasaw Council near Eudora, Mississippi, in 1925 however it was not originally operated as a full summer camp. Over the next few decades, both camps flourished and served as important summer destinations for the Memphis area’s many Boy Scout troops. Although the original deed of Smith donating the land that would eventually become camp Kia Kima has not been recovered, Sharp County tax files show that a Mr. Edward Everett paid the taxes for the land in 1916.3 Everett was the first Scout Executive (CEO) of the Chickasaw Council and the first Camp Director for Kia Kima. His wife also served as the Camp Director for Camp Miramichee, a girls camp (future YWCA camp) down the river. Several Kia Kima camp related documents from the 1920s refer to 1916 being the first season the camp was used by the Boy Scouts. The first few seasons of the camp would have seen scouts in tents and temporary frame buildings. In 1918, wooden lodges were constructed using wood donated by lumber men in Memphis.4 These first lodges housed campers while other wooden lodges on the property housed directors and staff members. The original all wood lodges were later replaced by fifteen stone and wood lodges. The new, more substantial lodges were completed in 1928 and form the main central square of the camp, known as the quadrangle. Deed of Sale from Victor A. Mayberry and wife to Bolton Smith, 11 April 1916, Sharp County, Arkansas, County Clerk’s Office, Ash Flat, Arkansas. 2 Kamp Kia Kima (pamphlet), Chickasaw Council, 1930, Edwin Dalstrom Papers, McWherter Library Special Collections, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. “Scouts to Fold Tents and Come Home Saturday,” Memphis Press-Scimitar,1927, Clipping: Edwin Dalstrom Papers, McWherter Library Special Collections, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. 3 Real Estate Tax for Section 9 Township 19 Range 5, 1916, Sharp County, Arkansas, County Clerk’s Office, Ash Flat, Arkansas. 4 “CAMP KIAKIMA (sic),” Chickasaw Council, Boy Scouts of America, (pamphlet), 1918. 1 11 �Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 3 The new stone lodges were made out of native Arkansas fieldstone forming the walls. These walls were topped with screened in window openings and wooden gable roofs. A sixteenth stone lodge was donated in 1928.5 All of the sixteen lodges are still standing and have been restored with modern wood, repaired masonry and metal roofs. In 1928, a two story headquarters building was constructed of local fieldstone and wood and was named the Edward M. Salomon Lodge after a Vice President of the Chickasaw Council who donated $1500 for its construction.6 This building is now known as the Thunderbird Lodge and has undergone extensive repair and restoration work. A fieldstone stairwell and buttressing tower was added to the north façade in order to structurally stabilize the building, changing the original exterior appearance on the northern façade. In 1929, a stone hospital building was built directly to the south of the Salomon (Thunderbird) Lodge to serve as a small health clinic for the camp when campers were present. This structure has also been restored and now serves as a leader and staff cabin. By 1930, there were 22 permanent building on the property including 19 that were made of native stone. Other stone structures included the pump-house and the “Rat’s Nest.” The “Rat’s Nest” was a staff cabin that overlooked the Spring River to the north of the camp’s main quadrangle. The Waterfront Staff, who were assigned to this cabin, were known as the “River Rats” due to their responsibility to row campers and staff members across the River when needed, day or night. This cabin is located down a slope and across a new covered bridge from the main quadrangle of the camp. The “Rat’s Nest” is similar in style to the other cabins, only larger and consisting of two rooms, with two exterior doors, rather than a single open room. This cabin also has a front porch and connecting wooden deck. Kia Kima camp was forced to close in 1940 for several years during the course of World War II. This was mostly due to the rise in transportation costs and lack of fuel for the drive from Memphis to the camp. During this time the Chickasaw Council operated a summer camp program at Camp Currier in Eudora, Mississippi. For a few years, the Chickasaw Council still employed a Camp Director to live at the camp, maintain the property and facilitate any Boy Scout troops that may try to use the camp on their own; however, in 1940 it was 5 6 Chickasaw Council, Report of Committees, 1928, Personal Collection. Ibid. 12 �Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 4 reported that a total of six boys and two leaders visited the camp.7 Therefore, in 1941 the camp was leased to the Eastern Arkansas Council to use as a dedicated summer camp. Following the successful season, the Chickasaw Council offered to sell the property to the Eastern Arkansas Council for $7500, but “it was of unanimous opinion” to decline to purchase the property, citing the financial burden it would place on their own council’s funds.8 In 1947, a group of ex-Boy Scouts formed the Kia Kima Klub in order to raise funds to reopen the camp in 1948. Their campaign was successful, and the camp reopened. The camp continued to be utilized by the Chickasaw Council until 1964, when a land swap agreement was reached with local developer John A. Cooper. One of the biggest impacts the camp had on the surrounding area (besides bringing large tourist traffic every summer) was introducing John A. Cooper, a developer from West Memphis, Arkansas, to the area. John Cooper had visited the Kia Kima campground and surrounding area prior to 1946 when he brought his sons to the camp.9 In 1946, Cooper bought 400 acres in the area near Kia Kima for a vacation home, known as “Otter Creek Ranch”, for his family.10 Cooper went on to form the Cherokee Village Development Company in 1953 and began buying large tracts of land in the area.11 He eventually opened the retirement community of Cherokee Village in June of 1955, with Governor Orval Faubus declaring the site as “the coming Mecca of the Ozarks.”12 By 1961, Cherokee Village had become a popular and successful retirement center prompting Cooper’s development company to open other retirement communities at Bella Vista in Benton County and Hot Springs Village in Garland County during the next few years.13 Less than ten years after the opening of Cherokee 7 Chickasaw Council, Report of Committees, 1940, Edwin Dalstrom Papers, McWherter Library Special Collections, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. 8 Gordon W. Morris, Letter to Edwin Dalstrom with Attachment, September 23, 1941, Edwin Dalstrom Papers, McWherter Library Special Collections, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. 9 Chickasaw Council, The Dedication and Official Opening of the New Kamp Kia Kima (pamphlet), 1964, Personal Collection. 10 G. Wayne Dowdy, “Cherokee Village (Sharp and Fulton County),” Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. 11 Ibid. 12 Ibid. 13 Ibid. 13 �Village, the town had already outgrown the area that Cooper had originally purchased. With a large demand for houses still existing, Cooper approached the Chickasaw Council to propose a land swap for the now adjacent Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 5 land of Kia Kima.14 In return, he would give a much larger tract of land upriver to the Council for a brand new camp. He would also construct roads, a lake and well, a dining hall, an administrative office and several other buildings. The Chickasaw Council accepting this offer and a new camp was constructed upriver from the old Kia Kima site.15 This camp became the new Kia Kima Scout Reservation. Old Kia Kima was set aside for future development by Mr. Cooper. After the final transfer of land, and the opening of the new Kia Kima Scout Reservation, Mr. Cooper developed only a few outer areas of the old camp, leaving the original quadrangle and main stone building untouched. The camp was left unused and fell into disrepair after many years. The structures were left to slowly disintegrate and the surrounding area turning into a local dumping ground. In 1993, four former Boy Scouts returned to the old camp and were inspired to restore and preserve what was left of the old Kia Kima campground. George and Boyce Billingsly purchased the 43 acres that make up the main core of the camp and donated it to the new non-profit group formed by the former Boy Scouts.16 This group became the Old Kia Kima Preservation Association (OKKPA), which currently runs and maintains the campground and lodges. After 1993, The OKKPA began restoring the different buildings on the property with the goal of opening the camp for group use. In 2000, the stone lodges were restored using the original stones still found on site. The Thunderbird Lodge was restored and renovated in 2002. During its restoration, engineers advised that the front wall of the Thunderbird Lodge would collapse if an outside support system was not installed. The decision was made to add a stone, semi-circular stairwell and internal balcony to the north (front) façade of the building. This addition still used the native Arkansas fieldstone as the basic building material, but was different in masonry style. The new stone addition is clearly delineated from the original walls of the structure. Other recent additions to the campground include a new cooking pavilion, bathhouse and a campfire ring. Although most of the structures have been modernized on the interior, they still retain their rustic characteristics. Old Kia Kima has been open for use by youth groups since 2002. 14 Ibid. Ibid. 16 George Billingsly was a former staff member and his wife Boyce is the daughter of John Cooper. 15 14 �Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 6 The previously mentioned native stone architecture of Old Kia Kima was characteristic of the area and is different than other National Register of Historic Places architectural examples present in the area. Most modern architecture utilizes the flat faces of the stones in order to minimize the amount of stones used and keep costs down. The architecture at Old Kia Kima instead stacked the stone and it served as the actual wall itself. This made the walls more durable which accounts for why they still stood years later without any upkeep. This stone style was also present at the other three summer camps in the Hardy/Cherokee Village area: Kamp Kiwani (Girl Scouts), Camp Miramichee (YWCA), and Camp Cedar Valley (Boy Scouts, East Arkansas Area Council). A few Camp Miramichee structures remain as privately owned rental properties. Camp Cedar Valley and Kamp Kiwani no longer exist. Kia Kima is the only early campsite that remains with all of the original stone structures restored. Kia Kima had a large impact on the development of the local economy. Hardy grew to prominence as a tourist town and Kia Kima helped introduce thousands of Memphians to the area. It, along with Camp Miramichee, attracted the other two camps (Kamp Kiwani and Camp Cedar Valley) to the area. In the Hardy Downtown Historic District (NRHP #95001121), there is a Hardy History Fence which has a mural depicting the visual history of the area. On it Kia Kima is represented by a Boy Scout in a canoe. As a former Boy Scouts of America summer camp that operated from 1916 to 1964, Old Kia Kima played a significant role in increasing the tourist economy of Hardy, AR and the surrounding region by bringing large amounts of boys and adults from Memphis, Tennessee, into the hills of northern Arkansas. The camp also played an important part in the creation of the nearby town of Cherokee Village. The Old Kia Kima campground and related structures are being nominated to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places under Criterion A, with local significance, for its association with the history of the Boy Scouts in the surrounding region and under Criterion C for its use of Rustic Style architecture with local significance. 15 �Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 10 Page 1 16 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Kia Kima Publications and Papers Description An account of the resource Contains miscellaneous papers and publications by Kia Kima including promotional flyers, Camper Handbooks, staff materials, and program materials. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document AHPP Form (May 2000) Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” ARKANSAS REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the Arkansas Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Complete each item by marking “x” in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter “N/A” for “not applicable.” For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets. Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. 1. Name of Property historic name Old Kia Kima other names/site number Kamp Kia Kima, SH0214 2. Location street & number 26 Kolo Drive city or town Cherokee Village 0 vicinity county Sharp zip code 72529 0 not for publication 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the State Register of Historic places Act (13-7-109 Arkansas Code), I hereby certify that this nomination 1 meets 0 does not meet the documentation standards and criteria for registering properties in the Arkansas Register of Historic Places. (See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Signature of certifying official/Title Date 4. Classification Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property (Check as many boxes as apply) (Check only one box) (Do not include previously listed resources in count.) 1 private 0 building(s) Contributing Noncontributing 0 public-local 1 district 0 public-State 0 site 18 4 buildings 0 public-Federal 0 structure sites 0 object structures objects Property Owner name Old Kia Kima Preservation Association 18 4 Total address P.O. Box 490 city Newport state code AR zip code 72212 phone Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County 5. State Review Board Approval date Comments 6. Function or Use Historic Functions Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions) DOMESTIC/camp DOMESTIC/camp RECREATION AND CULTURE/outdoor recreation RECREATION AND CULTURE/outdoor recreation 7. Description Architectural Classification Materials (Enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions) OTHER: Rustic foundation CONCRETE, STONE walls STONE, WOOD roof METAL: Aluminum other Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) SEE CONTINUATION SHEET Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County 8. Statement of Significance Applicable Arkansas Register Criteria Levels of Significance (local, state) (Mark “x” in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for Arkansas Register listing.) Local 1 A Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATION 0 B Property is associated with the lives of persons ARCHITECTURE significant in our past. 1 C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. Period of Significance 1916-1964 0 D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations Significant Dates (Mark “x” in all the boxes that apply.) 1916, opening Property is: 0 A owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. Significant Person (Complete if Criterion B is marked) 0 B removed from its original location. 0 C moved from its original location. Cultural Affiliation (Complete if Criterion D is marked) 0 D a cemetery. 0 E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. 0 F a commemorative property. Architect/Builder 0 G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance Unknown within the past 50 years. Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) SEE CONTINUATION SHEET Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County 9. Major Bibliographical References Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) “CAMP KIAKIMA (sic),” Chickasaw Council, Boy Scouts of America, (pamphlet), 1918. Chickasaw Council. The Dedication and Official Opening of the New Kamp Kia Kima (pamphlet). 1964. Chickasaw Council. Kamp Kia Kima (pamphlet). 1930. Edwin Dalstrom Papers. McWherter Library Special Collections. The University of Memphis. Memphis, TN. Chickasaw Council. Report of Committees. 1928. Chickasaw Council. Report of Committees. 1929, 1938, 1939, 1940. Edwin Dalstrom Papers. McWherter Library Special Collections. The University of Memphis. Memphis, TN. Deed of Sale from Victor A. Mayberry and wife to Bolton Smith, 11 April 1916, Sharp County, Arkansas. County Clerk’s Office, Ash Flat, Arkansas. Dowdy, Wayne G. “Cherokee Village (Sharp and Fulton County).” Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Butler Center for Arkansas Studies: Central Arkansas Library System. http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=995. Kamp Kia Kima (pamphlet), Chickasaw Council, 1930, Edwin Dalstrom Papers, McWherter Library Special Collections, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. Morris, Gordon W. Letter to Edwin Dalstrom with Attachment, September 23, 1941, Edwin Dalstrom Papers, McWherter Library Special Collections, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. Real Estate Tax for Section 9 Township 19 Range 5, 1916. Sharp County, Arkansas. County Clerk’s Office, Ash Flat, Arkansas. “Scouts to Fold Tents and Come Home Saturday.” Memphis Press-Scimitar 1927. Clipping: Edwin Dalstrom Papers. McWherter Library Special Collections. The University of Memphis. Memphis, TN. Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property 4 acres UTM References (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet.) A 15 633120 4019650 C 15 633360 4019498 Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing B 15 633239 4019695 D 15 633148 4019395 0 See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.) Starting at the entrance to the Old Kia Kima campground, off of Kolo Drive at UTM 15 E633120 N4019650, travel east along Kolo Drive to UTM 15 E633239 N4019695. Then go southeast to UTM 15 E633360 N4019498. Then travel slightly southwest to UTM 15 E633148 N4019395. Travel north to return to the original point of UTM 15 E633120 N4019650. Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.) This boundary includes all of the property historically associated with the central quadrangle and river lodge site at the Kia Kima campground. 11. Form Prepared By name/title Andrew Schrack organization Old Kia Kima Preservation Association date February 2, 2015 street & number 9275 Ellen Davies telephone 901-489-0406 city or town Bartlett state TN zip code 38133 name/title Callie Williams, National Register Historian (Edited) organization Arkansas Historic Preservation Program date February 9, 2015 street & number 323 Center Street, Suite 1500 telephone 501-324-9880 city or town Little Rock state AR zip code 72201   Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 1 Summary: Old Kia Kima is a former Boy Scouts of America summer camp that contains sixteen stone lodges (where campers live) constructed of native Arkansas fieldstone, a two-story stone lodge (Thunderbird Lodge, originally the headquarters, now a museum), and two more larger stone lodges (an Aquatic Staff cabin and Hospital building). The overall camp is now about 33 acres in size, while the central quadrangle is approximately 4 acres in area. The camp is situated on the South Fork Spring River with the sixteen lodges forming the quadrangle. These lodges are made of stacked Arkansas fieldstone native to the area and were completed in 1928. These stone lodges replaced timber lodges built circa 1918. The camper lodges were then rebuilt in 2000 using the original stones still found at the site. The original, 1928 stone walls of the lodges were mostly intact, needing only repair and the replacement of fallen or lost stones. The camper lodges, Thunderbird Lodge and the overall site have been extensively repaired with restoration work done on all structures. The new material and the extensive changes to the site, including the addition of new structures has precluded this site from listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Elaboration: The stone and wood lodges, originally completed in 1928 are located along the western, northern and eastern perimeter of the central “quadrangle”. The camper lodges are composed of a concrete foundation and fieldstone walls. The stone walls support an upper set of wooden screened openings on all four sides. The front of each cabin includes a central single wooden door, also with screened openings. Each corner is composed of an elongated section of the stone wall, which provides support for the gable roof. The collapsed wooden shingle roofs were replaced by metal ones during recent renovations. There are fifteen stone camper lodges with the following names: Iroquois, Comanche, Shawnee, Navajo, Choctaw, Mohican, Mohawk, Chickasaw, Pikuni, Cherokee, Apache, Sioux, Cheyenne, Lenni Lanape, and Hopi. A sixteenth lodge is reserved for leaders and is similar to the other 15 camper lodges except for the addition of a stone fireplace. This leader lodge is named Osage. Lodges Iroquois, Comanche, Shawnee, Navajo and Choctaw are along the western perimeter. Lodges Mohican, Mohawk, Chickasaw, Pikuni and Cherokee are along the northern perimeter. Lodges Apache, Sioux, Cheyenne, Lenni Lanape, Hopi and Osage are located along the eastern perimeter. Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 2 At the southeast corner of the quadrangle is the Thunderbird Lodge, a two-story stone and log building. The Thunderbird Lodge is a two-story, fieldstone building, built in the Rustic architectural style. Large stones compose the structural walls of the building. The interior is now a meeting space and museum for the campsite. The building was left as only a stone ruin during the years the camp was abandoned and has since been restored. During the renovation in 2002, engineers decided that the front wall would soon collapse if it was not reinforced. Therefore, an addition to the north façade was designed and constructed. However, a difference in style can be seen as the original walls are composed of stacked stone and the modern addition has the stones largest face facing outwards. To the south of the Thunderbird Lodge is the stone “Hospital” lodge. It has since been converted into living quarters. It is longer than the camper lodges and was originally used to house sick campers. It is similar in style and construction to the camper lodges, but twice as large and includes additional elongated stone roof supports. This lodge is now connected to the Thunderbird Lodge by a covered breeze-way and includes a small wooden deck at the rear of the structure. Away from the main quadrangle overlooking the South Fork of the Spring River is the Aquatic Staff cabin referred to as the “Rats’ Nest” (the Aquatic staff were called “River Rats”). This cabin is similar to the Hospital in that it is longer than the camper lodges. This waterfront lodged lacks the large screened openings of the other lodges; instead, there is a small window on either side of the two wooden doors along the northern façade. This cabin is weather-tight and has an internal air conditioning unit. Other buildings also exist on the property such as an older pavilion near the entrance off of Kolo Drive that originally was the stone well-house. This well-house has now been converted and expanded to serve as the camp office. Also a new pavilion Dining Hall known as “Pancho’s Pit” sits near the camp offices. A new, modern brick shower house is located along the southern side of the cabin quadrangle, near to the Thunderbird lodge. Outside the central quadrangle, there is also an old Dining Hall pavilion, a new Campfire Amphitheatre, and a new outdoor Chapel. Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 3 Within the quadrangle, several site features still exist from the original camp. There also exist a few features from after the camp closed when Cherokee Village used it for minor functions including concrete shuffleboard courts and concrete ping-pong tables. There is also a flagpole with an elaborate fieldstone base near to the northern (front) façade of the Thunderbird Lodge. A new covered bridge has also been added to the site. This bridge facilitates access to the “River Rat’s” cabin along the river, downslope from the main quadrangle. The Rustic Style of architectural design, seen in all of the original structures at Kia Kima, was common to camp construction across the United States during the 20th century. The Rustic Style of architecture is characterized by the use of log and stone building materials. Structures are often in a natural setting and designed to blend in with the natural elements of a specific site. Rustic Style structures are often rural in setting and associated with tourist or camping activity across the state. As seen in the original structures at Old Kia Kima, traditional building techniques were used to construct buildings of local stone and wood. The battered stone walls and over-hanging roof of each structure conform to the typical characteristics of the Rustic Style. Although the National Park Service and United States Forest Service is credited with popularizing the Rustic Style throughout the United States, it is interesting that this site predates the large building campaigns seen in many federally protected and managed wilderness areas under the auspices of the New Deal programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corp. The local interpretation of the Rustic Style of architecture, as seen in the buildings at Old Kia Kima reflect the growing interest in this style for outdoor recreational related structures. Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 4 Building Name Use Contributing/Non Contributing Iroquois Camper Cabin C Comanche Camper Cabin C Shawnee Camper Cabin C Navajo Camper Cabin C Choctaw Camper Cabin C Mohican Camper Cabin C Mohawk Camper Cabin C Chickasaw Camper Cabin C Pikuni Camper Cabin C Cherokee Camper Cabin C Apache Camper Cabin C Soiux Camper Cabin C Cheyenne Camper Cabin C Lenni Lanape Camper Cabin C Hopi Camper Cabin C Osage Leader Cabin C Office Original Well-House, current Office Space NC Pancho’s Pit Dining Hall NC Thunderbird Lodge Main Lodge, indoor gathering space and Museum NC Help Lodge Leader Cabin and original Hospital Lodge C Rat’s Nest Leader Cabin C Shower House Restroom and Shower Facility NC Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 1 Summary: Old Kia Kima is a former Boy Scouts of America summer camp that operated from 1916 to 1964. During that time, the camp played a significant role in increasing the tourist economy of Hardy, Arkansas, and the surrounding region by bringing large amounts of boys and adults from Memphis, Tennessee, into the hills of northern Arkansas. The camp also played an important part in the creation of the nearby town of Cherokee Village. The Old Kia Kima campground and related structures are being nominated to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places under Criterion A, with local significance, for its association with the history of the Boy Scouts in the surrounding region and under Criterion C for its use of Rustic Style architecture with local significance. Elaboration: The Scouting movement was founded in England in 1907 as Robert Baden-Powell held a camp on Brownsea Island to test ideas for his upcoming book Scouting for Boys. The movement launched from there and spread to the United States in 1910 when W. D. Boyce was inspired by an unknown scout he met in England. The Boy Scouts of America was incorporated upon his return to the States and it quickly spread, with the first camp opening in 1911. The Boy Scouts of America received a Congressional Charter signed by President Wilson in 1916 reading “That the purpose of this corporation shall be to promote, through organization and cooperation with other agencies, the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others, to train them in Scoutcraft, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues, using the methods which are now in common use by Boy Scouts.” The Chickasaw Council in Memphis, Tennessee, was formed in 1916 to oversee several Boy Scout troops already present in the area. Interest in the Boy Scout organization had grown quickly across the United States and the Chickasaw Council was organized in Memphis due to the large number of new scouts in the city. The Council was noted early in Scouting’s history as having outstanding growth and participation in the program and leadership of the Council was taken up by several prominent Memphis businessmen. With the establishment of the new local Boy Scout Council, local leaders began to search for land that would allow for the creation of a summer recreational camp for the scouts of Memphis. On April 11, 1916, Bolton Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 2 Smith, an investment banker in Memphis, purchased 206.28 acres from Victor and Cora Mayberry in Sharp County along the South Fork of the Spring River for $2000 cash in hand. Bolton Smith was the first President of the Chickasaw Council and donated the land for use as a Boy Scout summer camp. This land became the site of Kamp Kia Kima, which opened for use in 1916. The camp’s name, "Kia Kima", was interpreted by the local scouts from the Chickasaw language as "Nest of the Eagles." A second camp was established by the Chickasaw Council near Eudora, Mississippi, in 1925 however it was not originally operated as a full summer camp. Over the next few decades, both camps flourished and served as important summer destinations for the Memphis area’s many Boy Scout troops. Although the original deed of Smith donating the land that would eventually become camp Kia Kima has not been recovered, Sharp County tax files show that a Mr. Edward Everett paid the taxes for the land in 1916. Everett was the first Scout Executive (CEO) of the Chickasaw Council and the first Camp Director for Kia Kima. His wife also served as the Camp Director for Camp Miramichee, a girls camp (future YWCA camp) down the river. Several Kia Kima camp related documents from the 1920s refer to 1916 being the first season the camp was used by the Boy Scouts. The first few seasons of the camp would have seen scouts in tents and temporary frame buildings. In 1918, wooden lodges were constructed using wood donated by lumber men in Memphis. These first lodges housed campers while other wooden lodges on the property housed directors and staff members. The original all wood lodges were later replaced by fifteen stone and wood lodges. The new, more substantial lodges were completed in 1928 and form the main central square of the camp, known as the quadrangle. Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 3 The new stone lodges were made out of native Arkansas fieldstone forming the walls. These walls were topped with screened in window openings and wooden gable roofs. A sixteenth stone lodge was donated in 1928. All of the sixteen lodges are still standing and have been restored with modern wood, repaired masonry and metal roofs. In 1928, a two story headquarters building was constructed of local fieldstone and wood and was named the Edward M. Salomon Lodge after a Vice President of the Chickasaw Council who donated $1500 for its construction. This building is now known as the Thunderbird Lodge and has undergone extensive repair and restoration work. A fieldstone stairwell and buttressing tower was added to the north façade in order to structurally stabilize the building, changing the original exterior appearance on the northern façade. In 1929, a stone hospital building was built directly to the south of the Salomon (Thunderbird) Lodge to serve as a small health clinic for the camp when campers were present. This structure has also been restored and now serves as a leader and staff cabin. By 1930, there were 22 permanent building on the property including 19 that were made of native stone. Other stone structures included the pump-house and the “Rat’s Nest.” The “Rat’s Nest” was a staff cabin that overlooked the Spring River to the north of the camp’s main quadrangle. The Waterfront Staff, who were assigned to this cabin, were known as the “River Rats” due to their responsibility to row campers and staff members across the River when needed, day or night. This cabin is located down a slope and across a new covered bridge from the main quadrangle of the camp. The “Rat’s Nest” is similar in style to the other cabins, only larger and consisting of two rooms, with two exterior doors, rather than a single open room. This cabin also has a front porch and connecting wooden deck. Kia Kima camp was forced to close in 1940 for several years during the course of World War II. This was mostly due to the rise in transportation costs and lack of fuel for the drive from Memphis to the camp. During this time the Chickasaw Council operated a summer camp program at Camp Currier in Eudora, Mississippi. For a few years, the Chickasaw Council still employed a Camp Director to live at the camp, maintain the property and facilitate any Boy Scout troops that may try to use the camp on their own; however, in 1940 it was Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 4 reported that a total of six boys and two leaders visited the camp. Therefore, in 1941 the camp was leased to the Eastern Arkansas Council to use as a dedicated summer camp. Following the successful season, the Chickasaw Council offered to sell the property to the Eastern Arkansas Council for $7500, but “it was of unanimous opinion” to decline to purchase the property, citing the financial burden it would place on their own council’s funds. In 1947, a group of ex-Boy Scouts formed the Kia Kima Klub in order to raise funds to reopen the camp in 1948. Their campaign was successful, and the camp reopened. The camp continued to be utilized by the Chickasaw Council until 1964, when a land swap agreement was reached with local developer John A. Cooper. One of the biggest impacts the camp had on the surrounding area (besides bringing large tourist traffic every summer) was introducing John A. Cooper, a developer from West Memphis, Arkansas, to the area. John Cooper had visited the Kia Kima campground and surrounding area prior to 1946 when he brought his sons to the camp. In 1946, Cooper bought 400 acres in the area near Kia Kima for a vacation home, known as “Otter Creek Ranch”, for his family. Cooper went on to form the Cherokee Village Development Company in 1953 and began buying large tracts of land in the area. He eventually opened the retirement community of Cherokee Village in June of 1955, with Governor Orval Faubus declaring the site as “the coming Mecca of the Ozarks.” By 1961, Cherokee Village had become a popular and successful retirement center prompting Cooper’s development company to open other retirement communities at Bella Vista in Benton County and Hot Springs Village in Garland County during the next few years. Less than ten years after the opening of Cherokee Village, the town had already outgrown the area that Cooper had originally purchased. With a large demand for houses still existing, Cooper approached the Chickasaw Council to propose a land swap for the now adjacent Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 5 land of Kia Kima. In return, he would give a much larger tract of land upriver to the Council for a brand new camp. He would also construct roads, a lake and well, a dining hall, an administrative office and several other buildings. The Chickasaw Council accepting this offer and a new camp was constructed upriver from the old Kia Kima site. This camp became the new Kia Kima Scout Reservation. Old Kia Kima was set aside for future development by Mr. Cooper. After the final transfer of land, and the opening of the new Kia Kima Scout Reservation, Mr. Cooper developed only a few outer areas of the old camp, leaving the original quadrangle and main stone building untouched. The camp was left unused and fell into disrepair after many years. The structures were left to slowly disintegrate and the surrounding area turning into a local dumping ground. In 1993, four former Boy Scouts returned to the old camp and were inspired to restore and preserve what was left of the old Kia Kima campground. George and Boyce Billingsly purchased the 43 acres that make up the main core of the camp and donated it to the new non-profit group formed by the former Boy Scouts. This group became the Old Kia Kima Preservation Association (OKKPA), which currently runs and maintains the campground and lodges. After 1993, The OKKPA began restoring the different buildings on the property with the goal of opening the camp for group use. In 2000, the stone lodges were restored using the original stones still found on site. The Thunderbird Lodge was restored and renovated in 2002. During its restoration, engineers advised that the front wall of the Thunderbird Lodge would collapse if an outside support system was not installed. The decision was made to add a stone, semi-circular stairwell and internal balcony to the north (front) façade of the building. This addition still used the native Arkansas fieldstone as the basic building material, but was different in masonry style. The new stone addition is clearly delineated from the original walls of the structure. Other recent additions to the campground include a new cooking pavilion, bathhouse and a campfire ring. Although most of the structures have been modernized on the interior, they still retain their rustic characteristics. Old Kia Kima has been open for use by youth groups since 2002. Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 6 The previously mentioned native stone architecture of Old Kia Kima was characteristic of the area and is different than other National Register of Historic Places architectural examples present in the area. Most modern architecture utilizes the flat faces of the stones in order to minimize the amount of stones used and keep costs down. The architecture at Old Kia Kima instead stacked the stone and it served as the actual wall itself. This made the walls more durable which accounts for why they still stood years later without any upkeep. This stone style was also present at the other three summer camps in the Hardy/Cherokee Village area: Kamp Kiwani (Girl Scouts), Camp Miramichee (YWCA), and Camp Cedar Valley (Boy Scouts, East Arkansas Area Council). A few Camp Miramichee structures remain as privately owned rental properties. Camp Cedar Valley and Kamp Kiwani no longer exist. Kia Kima is the only early campsite that remains with all of the original stone structures restored. Kia Kima had a large impact on the development of the local economy. Hardy grew to prominence as a tourist town and Kia Kima helped introduce thousands of Memphians to the area. It, along with Camp Miramichee, attracted the other two camps (Kamp Kiwani and Camp Cedar Valley) to the area. In the Hardy Downtown Historic District (NRHP #95001121), there is a Hardy History Fence which has a mural depicting the visual history of the area. On it Kia Kima is represented by a Boy Scout in a canoe. As a former Boy Scouts of America summer camp that operated from 1916 to 1964, Old Kia Kima played a significant role in increasing the tourist economy of Hardy, AR and the surrounding region by bringing large amounts of boys and adults from Memphis, Tennessee, into the hills of northern Arkansas. The camp also played an important part in the creation of the nearby town of Cherokee Village. The Old Kia Kima campground and related structures are being nominated to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places under Criterion A, with local significance, for its association with the history of the Boy Scouts in the surrounding region and under Criterion C for its use of Rustic Style architecture with local significance. Old Kia Kima Sharp Name of Property County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program “An Agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage” Arkansas Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 10 Page 1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2014 Arkansas Register of Historic Places: Old Kia Kima Nomination Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Andrew Schrack Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Andrew Schrack Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Andrew Schrack Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014 Arkansas Register of Historic Places Buildings Old Kia Kima Preservation Association Stonework Architecture