The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP) invites the public to attend the dedication of the historic marker at the Jacob Wolf House in Norfork on October 11 at 1 p.m. The historic marker will be dedicated by the State Historic Preservation Officer Stacy Hurst. The Wolf House was built in the 1820s and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
“There were both short and long-term plans laid out for the Wolf House,” said Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, of which AHPP is a division. “Short-term, we needed to take it out of commission for a time to make needed repairs and updates. Now that the Wolf House is back up and running we turn our focus to the long-term. We see this site as a hub in Northeast Arkansas for education about our state’s pioneer history. Our site manager has done a great job reaching out to area schools and community groups as well as establishing regular tour schedules. We look forward to welcoming you to the Wolf House as you travel through beautiful Baxter County.”
“Since the State of Arkansas took over the property in 2017, there have been investments in needed renovations and safety upgrades,” said Scott Kaufman, division director of AHPP. “Because of the property’s unique designation as the oldest remaining two story dog-trot structure used for a civic purpose in the United States as well as its unique place in the pioneer history of our state, the AHPP is committed to maintaining this log structure that is nearly 80 percent original.”
The Wolf House sits in present-day Norfork above where the White and Norfork rivers meet. The property is open for visitors Tuesday to Saturday with tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The site is named for Jacob Wolf, a merchant, builder of log structures, carpenter and blacksmith. He was elected as a representative to the General Assembly of Arkansas Territory in 1826 and the two-story dogtrot structure was constructed by Wolf in 1829 as the first permanent courthouse for Izard County in Arkansas Territory. The building served thousands of early settlers finding their way into the central highlands of north Arkansas.
As part of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP) is the division of Arkansas Heritage responsible for identifying, evaluating, registering and preserving the state’s cultural resources. Main Street Arkansas is a program which falls under AHPP. Other divisions are the Arkansas Arts Council, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, the Old State House Museum, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the Historic Arkansas Museum and the Arkansas State Archives.
