Monday, February 17, 2020

Split Down the Middle

If you're headed to Arkansas and are looking for a good place to stop and take a picture, you need look no further than the Court House/Post Office on State Line Avenue in Texarkana.  There you'll find the only government building in the country to straddle a state line.  And once you arrive, they're ready for you.


It's such a popular spot for pictures that they built a place to stand to get your shot.  It includes the actual latitude and longitude coordinates so you can make sure you're standing exactly on the border.  With that thoughtfully provided information, tourists can be absolutely certain they have one foot in Texas and another in Arkansas.


Once you're done straddling and find yourself interested in a little historical context, you can venture up the steps to the courthouse to read the historical marker.  It's right out front, attached to the side of the building:


The marker reads:

     "Currently, only Federal office building to straddle state line. Present Texas-Arkansas state boundary (established in 1841 by United States and Republic of Texas) passes through center.
     Each state had separate post offices until 1892, when first joint office was built on this site. It was razed in 1930, and in 1933 the present structure was completed. The base is of Texas pink granite while walls are of limestone from Arkansas."

And speaking of history, the photo op has been around for awhile:


This picture from an old Texas Almanac shows that the signage used to look different but it was always a popular stop for road trippers to stop by strike a pose.