Don’t worry Clinton fans out there. I simply came across this article as a part of my research for a future article for this site. This was actually my first time hearing of this and wonder if anybody else heard about this…
This was written back in 2001…
A historically important freight depot built by former slaves and located on the grounds where Bill Clinton plans to build his presidential library has been demolished. Arkansas preservationist Gregory Ferguson told CNSNews.com that the building’s demolition was done in an “underhanded” and “reprehensible” manner.
Ferguson was at the federal courthouse in Little Rock, filing a legal challenge to the demolition of the freight depot Wednesday, when a city representative informed the court that the building had just been destroyed.
“We had a hearing set for 1:45 p.m., but by that time a witness for the city who was on site testified that the Choctaw Freight Depot was essentially destroyed,” he said.
“While I was in the process of filling out my [legal challenge], the demolition contractor’s huge front-end loader machines were tearing out the heart of the Choctaw Freight Depot.”
The freight depot was built at the end of the 19th century by former slaves. The structure is a showpiece for at least two African-American stone and brick craft skills, according to Ferguson.
Clinton Says Black Heritage Site Is Useless
Clinton told CNSNews.com in September that the depot was “of no use to anybody.”
African-American preservationist Susan Branch told CNSNews.com earlier this month that Clinton must have been “misinformed,” and she called the planned demolition a “disgrace.” (more…)
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