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Gone, but not forgotten: Walks through History

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Visitors to Jasper might want to know more about its history. There are several markers on buildings in the historic business district, but for a better understanding about what was, or still is, take a walking tour of the town with this helpful guide that was published almost a decade ago by Rachel Silva of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.
Part 3
The Newton County Library started in the 1960s and was located in the courthouse. In the mid-to-late 1970s, the library moved to a room in city hall. The Friends of the Library group was organized in 1991, and in 1994 the old county shop building was converted into the library. The shop building was concrete block and had two garage doors (one opening was made into the current entrance and the other was closed up). New window openings and windows were added and a veneer of board-and-batten siding was put on top of the concrete block. A gabled porte-cochere was built and supported by rock columns. The transformation was completed in October 1994.
If you don’t know, the Newton County Library offers 2 free programs for adults each month. They also have a writers’ group, artists’ group, book club, and children’s programs.
Walk north on Hwy. 7 (Stone Street) West side

Jones Service Station (218 S. Stone)—
Jones Service Station was built in 1933 by Gould Jones. It was a Conoco station and offered full tire and lube service (the building immediately to the north was also part of the operation). The station building itself featured Jones’s distinctive mixed masonry technique with flagstone, buff brick, and rubble masonry infill on the exterior walls. The station also has a tile roof, which was unique in Jasper. By 1950, it was called Roy and Bill’s Station and sold Lion Oil products. Notice the pressed tin ceiling under the porte-cochere. The gas pumps used to sit on the island on either side of the columns.
Church of Christ (214 S. Stone)—
The ca. 1935 Church of Christ building was constructed by Gould Jones and features a diamond-shaped section of small stones with a truck wheel rim in the center on its upper front façade. The covered walkways off the central portico were added later.

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