72901

This is the original Fort Smith.  The Fort was built on the Arkansas in 1817 and was the last vestige of civilization… on the other side was Indian Territory.  The main street of Fort Smith is called Garrison Avenue… where the soldiers marched.  No home town square here, Fort Smith was strictly business!  But all work and no play?  Certainly not then, nor now.  We’re working hard to develop the downtown area.  To preserve the gracious neighborhoods that arose from this thriving “trading post” area that grew around the needs of the soldiers and the officers and the courts that governed them.  The Riverfront part, the historic Belle Grove area, so much is going on here. Among the various attractions in the district are The Fort Smith Little Theatre and The Belle Grove Girls Club, ethnic dining, and an historic brewery now converted to one of the area’s most popular eating venues.

State Office Buildings, financial and civic offices also mark a thriving municipality. One street over from Garrison Avenue is the city’s new Civic Center, home to the Fort Smith Symphony Orchestra and a variety of annual conventions and corporate meetings.  Yet more treasures exist in this busy part of the city- The Old Fort Museum, The Fort Smith National Historical Site and The National Cemetery.  Turning south at Texas Corner (so named because it was the main drag to the state of Texas!), is Towson Avenue… home to one of the two major medical centers of Fort Smith, Sparks Hospital.

Also located in 72901 are the neighborhoods known as Hillcrest and Park Hill.  Each claim a uniqueness based on history and tradition. Cottage-like homes and Crafstman bungalows under tall, mature trees are typical of this area: quaint and loved, these homes have sustained a quiet modernization and thus a high demand for a seemingly more relaxed lifestyle.