The four buildings in which DD&F Consulting Group, Inc. resides are all contributing structures in the MacArthur Park Historic District in Little Rock, Arkansas. Therefore, they all hold an interesting bit of history within their walls. Some historic facts on each house are given below.
521 South Rock Street, Kempner House
521 South Rock Street was built, with an Italianate style, in the timeframe between 1865 and 1867. This house was owned by Abraham Kempner from that time, and named the Kempner House. Julius and Abraham Kempner lived here and ran their dry goods and clothing business from 1875 up until 1910. The dry goods and clothing business is still run by the family today.
409 East Sixth Street, Nash House
409 East Sixth Street was built in 1905, owned by Walter Nash, and named the Nash House. This house was designed for Walter Nash by the architect Charles L. Thompson using a Colonial Revival style. Walter Nash came to Little Rock as railroad conductor, started up a real estate business, and fashioned the Nash House into a residential rental property.
601 South Rock Street, Nash House
601 South Rock Street was built in 1907, also as a residential property for Walter Nash. It was named the Nash House, as well. Like 409 East Sixth Street, this house was built by Charles L. Thompson, combining a monumental, two-story portico and Colonial Revival details with a Victorian-like floor plan. 601 South Rock Street was the home of a cotton agent, an insurance agent, a lumberman, president of a mill supply company, and two meat cutters in quick succession. It was also the headquarters of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks from 1930 to 1936 before it was sold in 1937 to Seymour Terry. Seymour Terry then rented rooms of the house out as apartments. William J. Walker bought this house from Terry in 1974, knocked out the apartment walls, restored the house back to its original condition, and made it suitable for offices for his law firm.
411 East Sixth Street, Seimer House
411 East Sixth Street, named the Seimer House, was built in the time frame between 1885 and 1887, and was then owned by C.F. Penzel. This house was built with a very plain version of Queen Anne style. William Woodruff, the founder and editor of the territory’s first newspaper, the Arkansas Gazette, originally owned the property at 411 East Street; however the original house on this property burned down in 1872.
