Coincidentally, the Little Rock City Board of Directors has a couple of historic “easements” on its agenda Tuesday night, with a preservation group on divergent sides on the issues.

We’ve written before about the Junior League’s request to buy back an easement granted 12 years ago in return for a $20,000 city contribution to the restoration of the Women’s City Club at Fourth and Scott. A renovation project that included window replacement drew objections from preservationists, including the Quapaw Quarter Association. Finally, the Junior League proposes to buy back the easement for $34,000 — counting simple interest — to release itself from adhering to strict promises on facade maintenance. It says it will honor the integrity of the historic building.

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Also on the agenda is a request for a new easement — to the Quapaw Quarter Association. It’s purchasing the William E. Woodruff house at 1023 E. 8th Street. It was built in 1853 by the founder of the Arkansas Gazette and is one of the few antebellum homes in the city.

The Quapaw Quarter Association has applied for city and state support for the renovation work — a total of $99,500 split equally between the city and the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. In return, it will grant a historic easement that promises to maintain the facade of the historic structure.  The resolution on the matter doesn’t include a buyback clause, as the easement with the Junior League did, unless it exists in another document not on the board’s agenda.

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The QQA prepared a 9-minute film on the house, which you can watch above.