Crystal River Tourist Camp

Crystal River Tourist Camp (formerly Crystal River Cave Court, today Cave Courts Motel) is a motor inn built in 1932 in Cave City, Arkansas. It is the oldest operating motor court in the state.[2] It is built of fieldstones from the Ozarks.

Crystal River Tourist Camp
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Location	206 North Main, Cave City, Arkansas
Coordinates	35°56′36″N 91°32′52″W
Area	2.2 acres (0.89 ha)
Built by	Prince Matlock
Architectural style	Ozark fieldstone
NRHP reference No.	91000620[1]
Added to NRHP	June 6, 1991

History

Prince Matlock built the motel in 1932 by setting thousands of rocks from the area. He used geodes and quartz as decorative rocks and created many designs of crosses and animals to add to the rock walls. Underneath the motel is a large cave for which Cave City is named.[3] The subterranean Crystal River runs through the cave's five chambers.

Today

The motel was abandoned for several years before being purchased and restored. It is now reopened as the Cave Courts Motel.[3]

• 
  Tourist Camp sign
• 
  Fieldstone building detail

See also

• List of motels
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Sharp County, Arkansas

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "Cave Courts Motel - The Oldest Motor Court in Arkansas". American Profile. December 23, 2000. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
3. DeLano, Patti (2005). Off the Beaten Path, Arkansas (9th ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: Morris Book Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7627-4856-3. ISSN 1537-0550.