Texarkana Museums System Awarded Grant For Restoration Project

The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, recently awarded the Texarkana Museums System a $20,329 Historic Preservation Restoration Grant for restoration work at the 1916 Patrick Ahern House in Texarkana. In addition, the agency also awarded the City of Texarkana a $7,000 Certified Local Government Grant for training, a website and outreach.

About the 1916 Patrick Ahern House

According to the website Wikipedia, The Patrick J. Ahern House is a historic house at 403 Laurel Street in Texarkana, Arkansas. It is a large 2-1/2 story concrete block structure, set on a corner lot with a low retaining wall, which serves to accentuate the buildings already large scale. The hip roof projects over the street-facing sides, and is supported on those sides by two-story Doric columns. On the side facing East 4th Street, a portion of the upper level has been enclosed, one of the few alterations made to the structure since its construction. It was built in 1906, during the city's boom years, by Patrick Ahern, an Irish immigrant who owned a dry goods business, and has remained in the hands of his descendants

According to the Texarkana Museum System, The Aherns had six children: Joe, Mary, Ann, Catherine, John and Eleanor. All but the eldest were born in the 403 Laurel house. Eleanor Ahern-Horrigan was responsible for giving the house to the Texarkana Museums System. The Aherns were founding members of St. Edward's Church and hosted the Sisters of Charity while their convent was being built in 1918.

The Ahern home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and it part of the Texarkana Museums System. Visit their website to learn more.