Main Street Texarkana is once again offering the chance to own a piece of Texarkana history with the 2023 Christmas Ornament. This year’s ornament was commissioned to celebrate Texarkana’s 150th anniversary. The pewter ornament features the Old Post Office, a landmark memorialized in one of the cities’ most iconic images.
“This year’s ornament features the original Texarkana Post Office, made famous by the post card of a man standing in Arkansas and his donkey in Texas,” explains Main Street Texarkana director, Ina McDowell. “Behind them you see the original red brick post office built on the state line.”
Constructed in 1892, the original post office was a Gothic-style building situated on the state line in the same spot as the current Post Office and Federal Court Building. It was built to settle the matter of which state would host the post office, an argument that raged throughout the 1870s and 1880s.
“It took a literal act of the U. S. Congress to build the Old Post Office,” says Ms. McDowell. “Prior to that, both cities fought over the privilege of having the post office on their side of the state line.”
The 2023 Main Street Texarkana Christmas Ornament can be purchased at three locally-owned businesses: Hart’s on Broad, located at 223 East Broad; Ginger Junction, located at 3400 Richmond Road; and Gables Gifts, located at 5708 Richmond Road. The cost is just $25 for this beautiful, limited edition ornament designed to celebrate Texarkana’s milestone 150th birthday. Ornaments from previous years can also be purchased at Hart’s on Broad for $20 each. Proceeds benefit Main Street Texarkana.
Main Street Texarkana, accredited through the National Main Street program, is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization which combines economic development with historic preservation. The Main Street Texarkana District encompasses historic downtown Texarkana, USA and is the only two-state program in the country. Main Street Texarkana is a recognized leading program among the national network of more than 1,200 neighborhoods and communities who share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities. For more information or to become a Main Street investor, visit www.MainStreetTexarkana.org.
