Legacy of Late Architect Ed Cromwell Topic of May 19 Panel Discussion in Little Rock

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The efforts of Ed Cromwell, the late architect, helped to save the historic Capital Hotel in downtown Little Rock.

LITTLE ROCK – The Architecture and Design Network will present "The Ed Cromwell Legacy" on Tuesday, May 19, at the Arkansas Arts Center, 501 E. 9th St., in Little Rock. The presentation will begin at 6 p.m. in the center's Lecture Hall, following a 5:30 p.m. reception.

This will be a panel presentation with Charles Penix, chief operating officer of Cromwell Architects and Engineers; Bill Worthen, director of the Historic Arkansas Museum; and Don Evans, architect and associate of Cromwell. They will explore Cromwell's legacy as a creative architect, a visionary planner and a champion of  historic preservation. Chris East will be the program's moderator.

Ed Cromwell graduated from Princeton University in 1931 with a degree in architecture. After working at various jobs during the early years of the Great Depression, he moved to Little Rock in 1935 to take a position with the Resettlement Administration. After a year with the agency, he left to devote his full time to the practice of architecture, a career that spanned 48 years, from 1936 to 1984. Cromwell, who remained active in the community after his retirement, died in 2001, leaving a legacy that continues to impact people's lives.

There would be no city of Maumelle if it hadn't been for Cromwell's vision of a planned community on the 5,000 acres of land owned by Jess P. Odum, an Arkansas businessman and insurance executive. The Capital Hotel might have been taken out by the wrecking ball if it hadn't been for his determination to save the historic structure. He was an advocate for the city's riverfront development, and he understood its importance long before others did. He championed historic preservation and chaired the commission of the Arkansas Territorial Restoration, which is now the Historic Arkansas Museum. Cromwell Architects and Engineers, the firm he founded, has to its credit the design of many public buildings and facilities throughout the state and beyond.

The 2014-15 Art of Architecture lecture series is sponsored by the Architecture and Design Network, a non-profit organization, with support from the Central Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Arkansas Arts Center, the Fay Jones School of Architecture and community members. The Ed Cromwell Legacy is funded in part by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact ardenetwork@me.com.