A Reconstruction of the 1823 William Woodruff
PRINT
SHOP
Mistakenly torn down in the 1930's, it has long been the desire of museum leaders to reconstruct the lost Print Shop that was constructed in 1823-24 by a young William Woodruff, which would eventually house the Arkansas Gazette, the longest running newspaper west of the Mississippi River until 1991 when it merged with its fierce competitor, the Arkansas Democrat.
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The project required intense research and study of 1820's construction and exhibits hand-made custom brick, custom hardware made by an expert blacksmith, hand-mixed paint, and "wavy" glass in the operable, single-hung windows. The flooring, doors, windows, shutters and mantle pieces were made from reclaimed longleaf yellow pine. Modern electrical and geothermal hvac systems have been concealed from view to the casual observer. The centerpiece of the project is the custom built Ramage style printing press.