Beard Elementary teacher Jan Honeycutt let out a joyful cheer when she heard that restoration is finally on its way for the old Fort Chaffee building where rock’n’roll legend Elvis Presley got his first G.I. haircut 50 years ago.

“Awesome! Totally awesome! I’m glad I lived to see it happen ... I can’t wait to tell my students,” Honeycutt exclaimed after learning Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority board members had approved executive director Ivy Owen’s request for funding to restore Building 803.

Building 803 has served many purposes since it was built for U.S. Army base Camp Chaffee in 1941. Now it sits empty, not far from FCRA offices, on the decommissioned Army property known as Chaffee Crossing.

Thousands of soldiers once passed through the former Reception Center’s
doors, but its biggest claim to fame came during its use as a barber shop on March 25, 1958. Chaffee barber James B. Peterson sheared the king of rock’n’roll’s trademark long black hair and sideburns there that day, while photographers from all over the world jockeyed for shots of the rock and movie star’s transformation to Private Presley.

Honeycutt teaches economics to fourth through sixth grade special education students at Beard. In 1995, she and her students learned the former Chaffee barber shop might be demolished as excess property when the Army base was closed. So they began trying to convince local leaders it would make good economic sense to preserve the building as both a local landmark
and a place Presley fans might want to visit – especially those already on their way to other Elvis attractions in Memphis. The students also began hosting fundraisers, including an annual Elvis Economics Carnival in Honeycutt’s classroom, to help fund the building’s restoration.

Honeycutt says she will now be happy to give Owen the more than $1,000 her classes have raised throughout the years when she makes her annual class field trip to Chaffee this month.

“I’ll be pleased to accept any donations for this project, especially from Ms. Honeycutt’s class,” Owen said in learning of the teacher’s offer. “This is a non-profit project to help preserve the history of Chaffee and anyone is welcome to contribute. A special account has already been set up for all
money allocated or donated to the restoration.”

Project organizers have recently been in touch with Elvis Presley Enterprises which maintains legal control over Presley’s image, name and persona. They anticipate further discussion with EPE in hopes of proceeding with their cooperation and endorsement.

FCRA staff has estimated basic renovation project costs at $29,000 and that
amount was approved by the board from funds on hand in archery hunting permit fees and sales of copper reclaimed so far from the 155 WWII barracks at Chaffee recently destroyed by a wildfire. But donations
of period barber shop chairs, equipment and supplies – or money for
purchasing such items – will also be accepted and appreciated.

Owen and others involved with the project have studied film clips and photos of the building, and consulted at the site with several area barbers who worked there in the late 50s, in order to try to duplicate exactly how the barber shop looked then.

Plans for the restoration of a World War II Army barracks to original specifications and the opening of a building to document the Vietnamese and Cuban refugees repatriated at Fort Chaffee are also being discussed
by Owen and the board, along with continued improvements to the historic
Maness School House.

Carolyn Joyce, Tour and Travel Sales Director for the Fort Smith Convention
and Visitors Bureau is excited about what she sees as “a new chapter of history on Camp Chaffee.”

“Visitors to the city continually show interest in Chaffee, whether they or family members were stationed there in training or were refugees who see it as their Ellis Island,” she said. “We look forward to promoting the new landmark to touring groups as well as sharing it as an educational
opportunity with visitors.”

“From the very beginning the restoration of the old barber shop has been an
educational effort led by elementary school children,” Honeycutt reiterated. “It’s wonderful to see our dream for the building is finally coming true. Because of Elvis’ GI haircut, my students have learned about economics, tourism, sociology, music, entrepreneurship…and so much more. My students who started this project graduated high school in 2002. Wouldn’t it be great if there could be a plaque with their names on it somewhere at the building?”

 

Linda Seubold, editor of Entertainment Fort Smith Magazine, can be reached at lindaseubold@efortsmith.com. Read her archived columns and articles online.

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