| Conway Cemetery State Park | |
|---|---|
) | |
)  Location of Conway Cemetery State Park in Arkansas ) Conway Cemetery State Park (the United States) | |
| Location | Bradley, Lafayette, South Arkansas, Arkansas, United States |
| Coordinates | 33°6′6″N 93°40′59″W / 33.10167°N 93.68306°W |
| Area | 11.5 acres (4.7 ha)[1] |
| Established | March 29, 1986[1] |
| Named for | Conway Cemetery |
| Governing body | Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism |
| Website | Conway Cemetery State Park |
Conway Cemetery State Park is a 11.5-acre (4.7 ha) Arkansas state park in Lafayette County, Arkansas in the United States. Located on the former cotton plantation grounds of James Sevier Conway, the cemetery serves as Conway's final resting place.[2] No recreational or visitors' amenities are available at the historic site. The site became a state park in 1986 as part of Arkansas's sesquicentennial.[1]
History
The Conway-Sevier-Rector family dominated Arkansas politics from territorial days until the American Civil War. James Sevier Conway was the first governor of Arkansas, serving from 1836 to 1840. He began many basic state programs, such as banks, roads, and prisons. Conway retired to his plantation near Bradley, where he died in 1855. Several other prominent figures in early Arkansas politics were buried in the cemetery, including Ambrose Sevier.
Locals succeeded in acquiring state protection of the site with the passing of legislation acquiring the site in 1975. After receiving listing on the National Register of Historic Places two years later, the cemetery was given to the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism on March 27, 1984.[3] After paving of a parking lot and addition of picnic tables, the park was admitted to the park system in 1986. The park encompasses the old homesite and family cemetery of the Conway family.
References
- ^ a b c Staff of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture (September 10, 2008). "Conway Cemetery State Park". The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. The Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
- ^ "Cane Creek State Park". Arkansas State Parks Guide, 2011. Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. p. 17. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.