Restaurateur Daniel Bryant has invested much in rehabilitating several historic properties in recent years, including several in the commercial corridor of the National Register-listed Hillcrest Historic District and elsewhere. His investment has included not only capital, but also time, energy and thought.
Three projects are detailed here: two historic adaptive reuse and rehabilitation projects in the Hillcrest commercial corridor, which is characterized by pedestrian-scaled architecture, historic properties and more recent infill construction, and the Esso Station on West Markham, across from the State Capitol grounds.
Hill Station
One of the most exciting properties that Bryant developed, in cooperation with his partner Doug Martin, is the restaurant Hill Station.
The site was once the location of the Hillcrest Fire Station, but the station outgrew its space by the 1950s. For a short while it was a Magnolia Gas Station, which in 1957 was made the Helmich Garage, which it remained for decades.
The partners planned to retain the garage and construct an addition that was sensitive to the character of the historic district. They sought the expertise of preservation architect Tommy Jameson to design the new restaurant with a nod to the past, keeping in mind the scale, architectural character and historic fabric of the district. When the removal of a house was required to address a lack of parking, the team recruited local builder Steve Gardner to assess the feasibility of relocating the cottage. The plan was successfully executed: The small cottage was moved and rehabilitated less than a mile from its original location. Not only was the cottage rehabbed, the house adjacent was also rehabilitated, and now they are both beautiful owner-occupied homes.
The Duke
The crescent-shaped retail area The Duke — historically the Saul Harris Building, another contributing structure of the Hillcrest Historic District — was constructed in 1930. It was perhaps the first shopping center in Little Rock constructed specifically for the soon-to-arrive automobile culture, with parking and a gas station out front (the gas station is now Leo’s Greek Castle). Though the building had been occupied, it was underused and needed attention. Bryant employed preservation architect Tim Heiple for the rehabilitation of The Duke, named after William Marmaduke Kavanaugh, namesake of the boulevard that runs through the neighborhood. In addition to restoring the front elevation of the building, it once again contains small shops. Bryant hopes the tenant mix will keep Hillcrest “vibrant and interesting.” It’s important to note that the rehabilitation of The Duke took advantage of state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits, which were necessary to make the project economically viable.
The Esso Station
Bryant acquired this abandoned gas station several years ago and began the rehabilitation just as the COVID pandemic hit. The results are amazing, and given its proximity to the State Capitol, it should be in high demand for office space as well as a venue for receptions.
The project was one of the most challenging and transformative projects that we at the Quapaw Quarter Association have seen recently. As with each project, the use for the building was decided before the work was underway.
This historic Esso Station had been closed for many years, and even though vehicular service had ceased decades ago, the property was still filled with all of the tools, supplies and hazardous materials associated with a gas and service station. As one would anticipate, the site needed complete abatement before rehabilitation could begin. This rehabilitation required extensive restoration of the exterior enamel panels and the substrate that supported them. Bryant employed Jameson to design the project, including investigating appropriate paint colors to match the original building and configuring the space for the new use while respecting the historic layout. This project was awarded state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits and is consistent with federal treatment standards.
The property had been an eyesore for decades, but is now an asset to Little Rock and an excellent example of an adaptive reuse of a historic property.
Patricia M. Blick is the executive director of the Quapaw Quarter Association. Founded in 1968, the Quapaw Quarter Association’s.mission is preservation of Greater Little Rock’s historic places.
