Lake Nixon is a private recreation area on Cooper Orbit Road on the southwestern outskirts of Little Rock, Arkansas. The lake is 34 acres (14 ha) in size, with a narrow shape oriented roughly northwest to southeast. The south side of the lake is in a natural state, while the central portion of the north shore has been developed as a summer day camp. The site of the camp was the subject of a ground-breaking civil rights case, Daniel v. Paul, decided by the United States Supreme Court in 1969. The camp was in 1966 a private enterprise offering membership for a low fee ($.25) to whites, but refused to grant memberships to African-Americans. Two African American girls sought admission to the grounds during a heat wave in 1966, and filed suit after they were refused. The Supreme Court ruled that the club constituted a public accommodation under civil rights legislation. This case was key in combatting the use of private clubs as a means for racial discrimination.[2]
Lake Nixon | |
  Location in Arkansas  Location in United States | |
| Location | 18500 Cooper Orbit Rd., Little Rock, Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°43′5″N 92°26′2″W / 34.71806°N 92.43389°W |
| Area | 185.5 acres (75.1 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 100001013[1] |
| Added to NRHP | June 5, 2017 |
The lake and surrounding amenities were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "NRHP nomination for Lake Nixon" (PDF). Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
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