Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources, various sites around Arkansas

Conservation Solutions, Inc. (CSI) was contracted by the Arkansas Department of Parks to perform a condition assessment of historic and heritage sites throughout the state. These included Oilfield Park located at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in Smackover, the Carnes Playhouse at the Arkansas Post Museum in Gillett, and the Rust Brothers Cotton Picker and Seed Processing Equipment located at the Plantation Agriculture Museum in Scott. Artifacts ranged from oil derricks to a fully furnished scaled playhouse build in the 1930’s. Each location represents a unique piece of Arkansas history and provides a glimpse into the evolution of the state’s energy, textile and manufacturing industries as well as social history.

The objects at each site were inspected to determine the materials of their construction, their present conditions, and the likely causes of any observed deterioration. Research into available documentation on the artifacts was performed to assist in understanding the specifics of the artifacts’ and structure’s manufacture and history.

The results of the study were incorporated into four separate assessment reports. All findings were presented in written and photographic form.CSI made recommendations for treatments based on the observed conditions of each artifact and provided budgetary cost proposals for the treatments.

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