Arkansas Tech University will perform external renovations to Caraway Residence Hall with the assistance of an $857,492 grant from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council (ANCRC).
The ANCRC funds will allow ATU to replace roof decking and tiles at Caraway Hall. ATU is committing matching funds in the amount of $218,730 to fund the repair and replacement of doors and windows.
“Arkansas Tech University is grateful to the ANCRC for its continued partnership in preserving historical structures on our Russellville campus,” said Dr. Robin E. Bowen, ATU president. “This grant will help ensure that one of ATU’s most visible buildings will maintain its beauty and functionality into a second century of service.”
Caraway Hall opened in March 1935. Federal grant funding from the Public Works Administration helped make the colonial style structure possible. The building was named in memory of the late Sen. Thaddeus H. Caraway and dedicated in October 1935. Caraway’s widow, Sen. Hattie W. Caraway, spoke at the dedication.
Caraway Hall was named to the National Register of Historic Places on Sept. 10, 1992. Today, it serves as sorority housing for 88 ATU students each semester.
According to its Web site, the ANCRC was established by the Arkansas Legislature in 1987 by Arkansas Act 729 (now codified as Arkansas Code Annotated 15-12-101 through 15-12-103). The act created the ANCRC to manage and supervise a grants and trust fund for the acquisition, management and stewardship of state-owned properties acquired or used for ANCRC approved purposes.
The grants are funded through state’s real estate transfer tax. The ANCRC consists of eleven voting members. Grants from this fund are for projects that protect and maintain state-owned natural areas, historic sites and outdoor recreation.
