Maxfield Park, Royal on Main marry history and vision in Batesville.

By Chris Hancock

This community cares. Sidewalks are free of litter. Bright murals invite selfies. Tidy landscaping is in bloom. Lovingly restored storefronts tempt passersby to treat themselves, shop for gifts, dine, tune their bikes for the trails or pick a book to enjoy in the pocket park. Fresh paint and the percussion of construction hint at what’s to come. There’s momentum.

At Maxfield Park in Batesville, parents watch their children play. A child careens down the slide. Another is mesmerized by the waterfall. They walk to a program at the Independence County Library.

Nearby, a couple walks from the Royal on Main Hotel to the Citizens Bank Pocket Park to play baggo. They stroll toward the Melba Theater, stopping along the way at Stella’s for gelato.

It wasn’t always this way. The city of Batesville, Batesville Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Batesville and numerous local businesses, organizations and individuals have all contributed. Vision, leadership, partnerships and community engagement have made this a reality.

“In the early 2000s, our downtown was a ghost town,” said Main Street Batesville Executive Director Maggie Tipton-Smart.

Main Street Batesville has been a critical player in Batesville’s historic district and placemaking efforts. Admiral (Ret.) Bob Carius is credited by Mayor Rick Elumbaugh, and many others, as a catalyst for revitalization through the program.

“My first year in office, I met with Main Street Batesville,” Elumbaugh said. “Main Street was in very poor shape. More than half of the buildings were empty.”

With its playground and waterfall, Maxfield Park is popular with families, while nearby attractions like the Melba Theater invite exploration and leisure. *Photos by Chris Hancock*

A turning point occurred in the late 2000s when the city council voted to designate a historic district downtown. Though controversial at the time, its success is undeniable. The historic district designation not only preserves the area, but also makes additional resources and funding opportunities available. It created an enabling environment for new investment.

“This laid the foundation for revitalization efforts and provided a strategic framework for future development,” Batesville Chamber of Commerce CEO Crystal Johnson said.

The city also created an entertainment district downtown allowing for the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, which has appealed to investors and attracted more people downtown.

“Now, our downtown is an economic hub for our community and it’s growing every day,” Elumbaugh said.

Johnson said she believes the momentum stems from community initiatives and collaboration. “This collaborative effort has led to a significant decrease in downtown vacancies, from 22 in 2015 to typically less than five annually, and record investments in historic structures,” she said.

The Royal on Main, transformed into a boutique hotel by Stan and Shanna Fretwell, has revitalized Batesville’s downtown.
*Photo by Chris Hancock*

It didn’t happen overnight. The city of Batesville, led by Elumbuagh, in collaboration with its consortium of partners, has been working to realize this vision for nearly 20 years.

“It’s taken a couple of decades of hard work to get here,” said Tipton-Smart of Main Street Batesville. “But I will say the Royal on Main and Maxfield Park started changing the atmosphere.”

Maxfield Park was made possible by a property donation, once the site of the Maxfield store, by Anne Maxfield Strahl for the construction of a public park. The project was fueled almost entirely by private donations and volunteers.

A small group of passionate volunteers led by Danny Dozier transformed the space. Masterful masonry utilizes stones from the original store, along with local stones, some featuring fossils.

“Maxfield Park serves as a vibrant centerpiece in the rebirth of our historic downtown,” Johnson said. “By providing a gathering place for families from diverse backgrounds, it has reinvigorated our downtown.”

The park is a popular destination for families, citizens and tourists of all ages who enjoy live music and events.

“People that live on the other side of town will specifically come downtown to Maxfield Park,” Tipton-Smart said.

Live music events have been incredibly successful. Main Street Batesville applied for and received a grant to host more concerts. The competitive process incorporated community voting and citizens were extremely supportive.

Maxfield Park can accommodate about 100 attendees, and the audience is now outgrowing the venue.

“We realized that we were running out of space,” Tipton-Smart said.

Community demand for a larger venue has influenced planning for a new plaza, for which voters approved the funding in August 2023.

“Maxfield Park really led the way to planning for these larger community spaces,” Tipton-Smart said.

Genuine community engagement is a recurring theme in the renaissance of downtown Batesville.

“Citizens are part of the process,” Tipton-Smart said. “They actually help bring some of those things to fruition. It has helped build our volunteer base and build community trust. If you do not have buy-in from your community, it doesn’t matter how many dollars you throw at it. It’s not going to be successful.

Along with new lodging options, the murals and public art installations also boost local tourism. *Photo by Chris Hancock*

“You’ve got to leave the office, pitch a tent and talk to people ... They want to see your face, to know that you care ... And it’s a game-changer.”

The Royal on Main has been another game-changer.

“It has been such a success,” Elumbaugh said.

The hotel has been complemented by a well-traveled news crew and by multiple Arkansas mayors during a meeting of the Arkansas Municipal League. It is inspiring similar developments elsewhere.

“Stan and Shanna Fretwell stepped in to transform the space into a boutique hotel,” Johnson said. “Their vision not only revitalized the historic structure but also injected new life into our downtown … it attracts visitors who then explore and patronize our local businesses. Having a hotel on Main Street is instrumental in promoting tourism.”

Tourists visit for Batesville’s quality of place, restaurants, venues and access to outdoor recreation. The hotel is now a cornerstone of the tourism industry.

Batesville isn’t done yet. Multiple restaurants and a microbrewery are anticipated. Poke Bayou Outfitters and partners have plans for a shuttle service for visitors to kayak Poke Bayou, which flows a block off Main Street. The “Build a Better Batesville” campaign, which garnered the support of 70% of voters in 2023, has secured funding to develop a downtown plaza, among other amenities.

“We have many projects planned to help improve the quality of life for the citizens of Batesville,” Elumbaugh said.