In the News

Decades of renovation result in prestigious recognition from Preserve Arkansas

1/14/2020
Yahoo! Finance

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Jan. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kerry McCoy, President and owner of FlagandBanner.com, will be honored by Preserve Arkansas with a Special Award for Outstanding Stewardship on January 17, 2020, for her efforts to preserve the Taborian Hall and Dreamland Ballroom. Preserve Arkansas is a local historic restoration advocacy organization. Each year, they host an award ceremony in the Governor's mansion for those who have made exceptional strides in historic preservation.

The historic and cultural significance of the Taborian Hall has been documented in an AETN documentary: Dream Land: Little Rock's West 9th Street and in the books The Temple of Dreams and The Line: Little Rock's West 9th Street by Berna Love.

McCoy's timeline renovating the historic landmark:

In 1990, McCoy bought Taborian Hall to house her company, Flagandbanner.com.
In 1992, FlagandBanner.com opened on the first floor of the building.
In 1998, renovations on the second floor were complete.
In 2009, McCoy founded the non-profit, Friends of Dreamland, to aid in the restoration of the third floor Dreamland Ballroom and help raise funds for an elevator addition to make the building Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant.
In 2012, the Ballroom was deemed viable to host the Third Annual Dancing into Dreamland fundraiser.
In 2018, the National Park Service awarded the non-profit a $499,668 grant to move the ballroom toward ADA compliance.

Former Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodala said of McCoy, "Her leadership and perseverance have been absolutely critical to the preservation of this rich piece of Little Rock's history." U.S. Congressman French Hill added, "In recent decades, Taborian Hall has fallen into disrepair and was likely to be demolished before Kerry McCoy of Friends of Dreamland purchased it with the vision of restoring it to its former glory."

McCoy was chosen to receive the Outstanding Stewardship Award from a statewide field of distinguished nominees.

Founded in 2009, Friends of Dreamland celebrates the legacy of the Dreamland Ballroom and Taborian Hall and is dedicated to bringing its history, culture, and community to the people of Arkansas through tours, artistic performance, music education, cultural outreach, and preservation. For more information visit DreamlandBallroom.org. Located at 800 W. 9th St, Little Rock, AR 72201. To schedule a historic tour or viewing for an event call 501.255.5700 or email friends@dreamlandballroom.org.