It’s curious, walking through downtown Little Rock. The River Market is filled with shops and sounds and restaurants, and as President Clinton Avenue turns into Markham, large hotels and convention centers dominate. And then, quite suddenly, the pavement underfoot turns to brick, and a black wrought iron fence is the only thing separating passersby from a Civil War-era cannon named Lady Baxter and a white, columned edifice plucked from the 19th century.
The Old State House Museum (OSHM) is a National Historic Landmark and, despite the striking contrast to its surroundings, seems right at home amid the hustle and bustle of a busy city.
The State House has been a hive of activity since even before it was completed. In 1836, as workers rushed to finish construction, the Arkansas General Assembly started meeting in its halls, determined to legislate the brand new state from the brand new capitol building.
Now functioning as a full-time museum, the State House walks the line of past and present with grace.
“In a nutshell, our mission is to collect, preserve and interpret Arkansas history, from statehood to present, with an emphasis on politics and government,” OSHM Director Bill Gatewood says.
Along with housing exhibits and recording pivotal moments in Arkansas history — including the secession from the Union and pioneering malaria research — the building is celebrating 180 years of Arkansas statehood by serving as the backdrop for an event that harks back to its earliest days.
The Seersucker Social embodies the evolution of the Southern garden party. It’s an annual affair that takes place on the State House’s lush grounds as a celebration of summertime. Now in its fifth year, the event combines the Capital Hotel’s fabulous blend of traditional and contemporary down-home food and cocktails with a laid-back atmosphere and an unparalleled display of quintessentially Southern fashion.
Lawn games, live music and even a best-dressed contest await guests as they sip mint juleps in the yard. And though seersucker isn’t mandatory, there seems to be a stylistic bookmark in history calling people back to remember the days of seersucker, straw hats and bow ties.
“As a fabric, the whole point of seersucker was to have something lightweight to wear in the Southern heat,” explains Rachel Bradbury, publisher of consumer special publications at Arkansas Business Publishing Group and member of The 1836 Club. “Wearing it today is almost like claiming appreciation for our heritage. Being Southern is such an identity, and that heritage is a big part of it.”
The 1836 Club is the force behind the Seersucker Social. Not to be confused with the newly appointed group of the same name located in the historic Packet House, this organization is the Old State House Museum’s young professionals board, tasked with helping educate people about Arkansas history and spreading awareness to their peers.
One of the key ways the club is doing this is by creating the School Bus Fund, financed by proceeds from the Seersucker Social. Through this program, schools can apply for small grants that underwrite field trips to the OSHM, helping cover travel expenses that many school districts simply don’t have the budget to cover.
In the 2013-14 school year alone, the OSHM hosted visits from more than 7,000 students from 88 schools around the state, some more than two hours away. Bradbury, like many Little Rock locals, grew up with regular field trips to the various monumental locations around the city and recognizes the lasting impact those trips had.
“I remember each and every trip to the historic spots here in Little Rock,” she says. “I remember riding the bus in seventh grade to the State House and going into the basement to see an exhibit about geography. I remember visiting the Historic Arkansas Museum and seeing re-enactments.
“Sure, everyone knows the story of the Speaker of the House stabbing another politician with a Bowie knife in the 1830s, but in order to really appreciate where you are, you have to know its history. I think that’s what’s important about what we’re doing with the School Bus Fund.”
Schoolchildren from kindergarten to 12th grade make up the largest patron segment. For Gatewood, the School Bus Fund is about investing in the future constituency, and possibilities.
“These trips matter because the Old State House Museum was the first capitol building. Constitutions were voted here, important issues, Civil War reconstruction — all of that happened here,” he says. “For kids to understand why we are the way we are, it’s important to understand the issues and decisions that happened here.”
But the goal of the Seersucker Social is twofold. Not only is The 1836 Club aiming to raise double the money for the School Bus Fund than in previous years, but the event also serves to get people more interested in Arkansas history.
“When you step on the property, it’s such a neat feeling,” Bradbury says. “You’re right in the middle of downtown, but it’s so well-preserved that it feels like going back in time. That is so unique.”
True, it’s hard to stand in front of the State House and not feel the impact of 180 years of change. All too often, however, locals drive by without giving it a second thought, or simply let it live in their memories as a childhood field trip, not realizing that the OSHM hosts multiple exhibits a year — both permanent and temporary — covering everything from Vikings to bicycling to first lady fashions throughout the ages.
(Also see: A State House With a Colorful History (And Bronze Cleavage))
Gatewood’s hope is that once guests to the event make it onto the grounds, they’ll see the OSHM with new eyes and a refreshed interest in their heritage, especially on an occasion as momentous as the state’s 180th birthday.
And in true Arkansas fashion, The 1836 Club will mark this milestone year by throwing open the doors and welcoming the neighbors.
“This is Southern hospitality at its finest,” Brabdury says with a laugh. “Everyone is welcome to enjoy it. We’re just inviting people to come celebrate our statehood in our front yard.”
Having attended her fair share of fundraisers in the past, Bradbury notes that the atmosphere at the Seersucker Social is remarkably fresh.
“Over the past few years, it’s kind of come to symbolize the beginning of warmer weather and being able to have a party outside,” she says. “I love to see how everybody interprets the fashion, but honestly, it’s just a good time. People come to enjoy the lawn and each other, and to show off their seasonal styles. Sometimes at events it can take a while for everyone to loosen up, but this isn’t like that. It’s just easy.”
It doesn’t get much more Southern than relaxing in the shade with a glass of iced tea while wearing seersucker, and at the Seersucker Social, it’s clear that the roots of Arkansas tradition run just as deep as the trees surrounding Lady Baxter.
The crux, however, as Bradbury knows, is cultivation.
“The more you know, the more you care,” she says. “As either adults or kids, being able to come here and develop a sense of pride in where you’re from — whether it’s in a story about Bowie knives or not — that changes everything.”