Project REACH Site
POCAHONTAS, AR. Sept. 4. — BRTC鈥檚 Project REACH sites at Dalton has set September 1, 2020, as its reopening date. The REACH site will be open on Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and every second Saturday of the month from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. through the month of October.
Project REACH is a restoration project undertaken by Black River Technical College.听 Thanks to the generous gift of two historic properties from the听Jack and Christina French family to Black River Technical College in 2003, a journey of restoration began.
The two donated structures听were brought to the attention of听BRTC as a result of the Early听Arkansas Settlement Study.听听This study was funded in part听by a grant awarded to the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas with funding provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Department of Arkansas Heritage. In the course of this 2003-2004 study, the Rice-Upshaw House (built 1828) and the Looney-French听House (built 1833) were both identified by dendrochronology听to have been constructed during the Arkansas territorial period.
Each听structure was identified as a unique Arkansas example of early log building traditions.听 Both houses, listed on the National Register of Historic Places,听were donated, along听with significant items听of material culture, to BRTC by descendants听of the families who built听them.
Today, tours and activities take place at the sites.听 A pavilion has been constructed at each site and visitors听and听descendants. The Rice-Upshaw House is located at 4800 Hwy 93 Pocahontas, AR.听
For more information, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at (870) 248-4000 or visit http://reach.blackrivertech.org/