September 2021

T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E

you feel like you’re at the hub of the city, at the heart of the city, at the heritage of the city;” said Peavy, “you can’t go across the interstate and build ‘old.’” “You walk on these floors and you see these little marks and you wonder, ‘What did that mark signify?’” In one bedroom, reclaimed wood from the building was crafted into a large, geometric shelving unit and back-lit with bright LED lights. Among these neon blue shapes that patterned its wall, the “old” and the “new” merge, becoming intertwined, transcending time. “Some people live in new places and that’s where they need to be,” said Peavy. “A lot of people don’t want to live in the same- ole apartment complex. They want to live somewhere different, and that’s what we try to do, to have a community here where everyone knows people.” Walking into the dark space of the basement brings you back to the speakeasies of the 1920’s. Down the center of the space is an area featuring an impressive bar still under construction. “We built that bar out of all these spare parts. Everything that is interesting in the building we brought down to [the speakeasy],” said Peavy. They are currently working on the space, with hopes of someday adding to Texarkana’s options for dinner and live entertainment. “We represent about 100 different artists upstairs. I think there’s people that do music the same way.” Providing a place to feature such talent is the goal. Vintage pictures of Texarkanians lined booths and Art Deco motifs covered its columns. Behind a sliding door was its “secret” street entrance. Holding to the history of the original speakeasy, whispered word of mouth will advertise the new establishment and

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C OMM U N I T Y & C U L T U R E

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