Mena Commercial Historic District

The Mena Commercial Historic District encompasses the historic downtown area of Mena, Arkansas, the county seat of Polk County in western Arkansas. The district extends along Mena Street between Port Arthur and Gillham Avenues, extending a short way to the south on Sherwood Avenue, opposite the railroad tracks for which the town's existence is responsible. Mena was founded as a major railroad service town for the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad, as its site was located midway between Port Arthur, Texas and Kansas City, Missouri. The railroad located a major service yard here, and the town grew up around it. Most of its commercial center was developed between 1896 and 1940, with a variety of one and two-story commercial brick buildings in typical early 20th-century styles. The district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, includes four properties previously listed separately: the railroad station, Mena City Hall (a repurposed 1917 post office building), the former Elks Lodge, and the former Studebaker Showroom.