1907 BUILDING
Once nearly condemned and on the brink of erasure, the 1907 Building now stands as a restored landmark, reactivated for contemporary use while preserving its industrial past. Originally built as Rogers’ first grocery store with a warehouse and distribution hub at its rear, the building served as a critical piece of civic infrastructure, receiving and dispatching goods at an industrial scale to support the surrounding rural economy.
Fallen into decades of neglect, the structure had deteriorated substantially by the time of intervention. The project began with extensive structural rehabilitation stabilizing the historic heavy timber post-and-beam system and rebuilding degraded masonry elements. This work was not just architectural, but civic: the developers saw the building’s preservation as essential to the cultural memory and future vitality of downtown Rogers.
Our task was to both honor and reinterpret the building’s layered history, negotiating between preservation requirements and the functional needs of a contemporary mixed-use program. The renovated building now houses twelve residential units, a taqueria and mezcalería with a west-facing patio, an upstairs speakeasy bar and restaurant, a café headquarters, an event space, and storage.
While remaining respectful of historic materials and form, the project makes strategic departures where necessary. Historically, auxiliary structures were made of wood, however, we reinterpreted these shed-like extensions in steel and metal cladding to ensure long-term durability while clearly distinguishing the new from the old. A side entrance accesses the upper-level bar and restaurant, while the preserved rear loading dock becomes a porous threshold between service and social space.
1907 BUILDING
YEAR 2017
ROGERS, ARKANSAS
Photos by Andrew Camarillo
Developers High Street Real Estate & Development, LLC
Construction by Stronghold Construction
Engineering by J Engineering
The project threads between eras, preserving the industrial DNA of a regional landmark while integrating a vibrant and diverse contemporary program. In doing so, it transforms a building once at risk of demolition into a hub of culture, community, and continuity.