The Herald & Democrat Print Shop building was constructed sometime between 1914 and 1922 as a brick masonry single-story commercial building. It first housed the Herald & Democrat newspaper office. The newspaper printed from c. 1920s to 1991. Copies of the Herald & Democrat can be found within the Arkansas State Archives and the Central Arkansas Library System. In recent history, the building was occupied by Books on Broadway, an extension of Café on Broadway; however, the bookstore closed, and the building is currently vacant.

The structure is distinctive along Broadway’s streetscape due to its dark brick masonry, tall window transoms, four brick pilasters which rise to the building’s brick corbelled cornice, giving it an overall vertical emphasis. The building displays a traditional brick storefront with wooden framing, a single-leaf recessed entry lighted by three-pane transoms, and large display windows lighted by two-pane transoms.

The façade is, in part, similar in appearance to the Western Gas building, at 108 E. University, before the structure on University was altered. The passage between Café on Broadway and the bookstore was originally a north-facing window that has been covered and uncovered throughout the decades since 123 N. Broadway was constructed adjacent. Over the years, the façade has remained unaltered and the building is considered contributing to the historic district.

For more information on this building’s history, contact the Siloam Springs Museum at Don@siloamspringsmuseum.com. For information on building improvement consultation, grants and tax credit opportunities, contact Main Street Siloam Springs at info@mainstreetsiloam.org. 

Herald & Democrat, c. 1930, Siloam Springs Museum. 

Herald & Democrat Building, d. 2020, Main Street Siloam Springs.