HARDY -- With a population around 770, Hardy ranks as the smallest Arkansas city boasting a district on the National Register of Historic Places.
The presence of Hardy Downtown Historic District is one reason why the Sharp County community's Main Street has so far avoided the dereliction of boarded-up storefronts seen in so many other little towns struggling to stay alive.
A few buildings along Hardy's several commercial blocks are empty and seeking new tenants. But enough businesses remain open that the local tourism office prints a brochure about them.
There are 11 places listed under "Antiques, Crafts, Collectibles," plus eight "Artisans" and 10 "Boutiques, Beauty, Specialty Shops." A dozen "Dining" spots are mentioned, the unlikeliest being Baros Mongolian Bar and Grill, which offers sushi as well as meats grilled in front of diners.
One page of the brochure describes Hardy's establishment in 1883 thanks to arrival of the Kansas City, Springfield and Memphis Railroad. The town was named for railroading contractor James Hardy of Batesville. After a few decades, several blocks of Main Street were lined with shops and other businesses that attracted thousands of summer visitors.
From 1894 until 1963, Hardy was one of two Sharp County seats, sharing that role with Evening Shade before the current single seat was established at Ash Flat. At 213 E. Main, the surviving two stories of the three-story stone courthouse built in 1894 are now occupied by the Calaboose Trading shop. The original jail is located in the rear.
Main Street is the axis of Hardy Downtown Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. With 24 of its 43 buildings having historical value, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior, this is "the best example in Sharp County of a commercial district that served a small but active resort community during the heyday of the spa community era."
Along Main Street, the city's heritage is charmingly illustrated on the Hardy History Fence. Updated two years ago by Liane Maddox, the artist who originally painted it, the fence pictures people and places dating back to the late 19th century. Among the faces are the locally born Wilburn Brothers, Doyle and Teddy, nationally popular country music performers from the 1950s to the '70s.
Also on the National Register of Historic Places is Hardy Cemetery, located east of the business district along the south side of Main Street. Added to the register in 2006, the site's historic section contains 184 graves dating back as far as 1888. Of particular interest is the varied design of headstones, many bearing Masonic or Eastern Star markings.
Sixteen miles north of Hardy, just before U.S. 63 crosses into Missouri, Mammoth Spring State Park is well worth the added drive when visiting from central Arkansas.
The park encompasses a natural spring that flows at nearly 10 million gallons per hour with a constant water temperature of 58 degrees. As with Hardy, the site began attracting tourists in the late 19th century thanks to the arrival of a railroad line. That past is evoked at its restored railway depot, built in 1886.
More information on Hardy is available at VisitHardyArkansas.com. For details on Mammoth Spring State Park, visit ArkansasStateParks.com or call (870) 625-7364.
Weekend on 08/23/2018