The Garland County Historical Society (in association with the Garland County Library) will host Ron Fuller presenting “The Jack Tar Courts and Hotel—A History” at noon, Tuesday, October 13, at the Garland County Library. People can attend in person or can view the program virtually at
facebook.com/garlandcountylibrary or youtube.com/garlandcolibrary.
Fuller will tell the story of Park Avenue’s Art Moderne Jack Tar Courts, built in 1941 by hospitality visionary Vance Bryan. From the 1940s until the mid-1950s, it was the place to stay in Hot Springs, especially if you arrived via the only direct route from Little Rock, US Highway 70 (the “Old Little Rock Highway”). The bungalow lodgings—announced by an iconic Jack Tar ship sign—coupled with the Rainbow Room and Coffee Shop across the street presented a new type of motor court.
In 1950, Bryan followed the success of the courts by building the five-story Jack Tar Hotel and Bathhouse, designed in the International style by I. Granger McDaniel.
Fuller’s presentation will reveal how Vance’s vision took shape, how it was financed and built, and the real story of its ultimate demise.
Ron Fuller, a former Army officer and a former state legislator, is the chairman of the Arkansas History Commission, the chairman of the Arkansas MacArthur Museum Heritage Board, and the president of the Garland County Historical Society’s Board of Directors. He writes history articles for several publications, including the Garland County Historical Society’s journal, The Record, the Pulaski County Historical Quarterly, and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
