Look for a wide, buff brick building with a low gable roof and a striking white Art Deco entrance, right in the center and framed by trees and parked cars.
Step closer and let’s travel back to 1936, when Community Center No. 1 first opened its doors in Jonesboro-a time when swing music filled the air and folks were digging out of the Great Depression. Imagine workers hauling smooth white concrete and buff bricks, all thanks to the Public Works Administration: you can almost hear the clang of hammers and the shuffle of busy boots on fresh pavement. The main entrance, decorated with crisp Art Deco towers and swirling shapes, must’ve sparkled with possibility, promising warmth and togetherness. Inside, families from all over town came here to play, gather, and build a sense of community, while the flat-roofed wings buzzed with laughter and games. Over the years, this simple center got quite the glow-up, finally being named after Earl Bell, the Olympic pole vaulter who once called Jonesboro home-try to picture him vaulting dreams as high as his Olympic bar! Today, standing in front of this building that’s lasted through name changes and changing times, you’re witnessing a true survivor, listed proudly on the National Register of Historic Places. Not bad for a little community hangout, right?
