Watson Chapel, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Watson Chapel is a neighborhood in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. It is located at the fork of Highway 79 (Camden Road) and Highway 54 (Sulphur Springs Road), directly southwest of downtown Pine Bluff.
Watson Chapel, Arkansas | |
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Coordinates: 34.189°N 92.066°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Arkansas |
County | Jefferson |
Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
ZIP code | 71603 |
Area code(s) | 870 |
GNIS feature ID | 58837 |
History
Watson Chapel was once a frontier town named after Methodist minister Benjamin Watson, who settled in nearby Sulphur Springs in the 1870s. Watson later converted to Presbyterianism and founded a church and school which were named Watson's Chapel. On April 5, 1880, the school district was formed, with the school still meeting in Rev. Watson's church until a separate school building was erected in 1898.[1]
Education
Watson Chapel is served by the Watson Chapel School District, including Watson Chapel High School.
The Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Library System operates the Watson Chapel Dave Burdick Library, near the high school and along U.S. Highway 79. Its namesake is a man who served as a library director from 1991 until 2012.[2]
References
- "Camp White Sulphur Springs Confederate Cemetery". Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- "Watson Chapel Public Library." Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Library System. Retrieved on August 2, 2017.