Established in 1965,
Bella Vista
is a recreational community of about 24,000 people that offers a
picturesque, activity-based lifestyle. Bella Vista has over $35 million
in recreational amenities - including golf courses, 12 lighted tennis
courts, eight lakes, swimming pools, paved nature trails, playgrounds
and more. Golf is a big draw with eight, championship-quality courses
available for play. Country clubs and theater are also popular.
Use of most amenities is managed by the
Bella Vista Property Owners Association,
a private organization that acts as the village's local government. The
association charges property owners a monthly assessment for use of the
facilities.
While it has primarily been an affluent retirement area, recent
growth has diversified it with young couples and families. It was the
first of a successful group of communities to be developed by John
Cooper, founder of Cooper Communities.
Built in honor of Cooper's wife, the
Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel
in Bella Vista was created by renowned
Arkansas architect E. Fay Jones.
In 1991, Jones was awarded the American Institute of Architecture's
highest award, the AIA Gold Metal. Designed to fit the environment, the
Chapel contains large glass windows, bringing light, shadows and each
season into the space.
It is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
seven days a week or by reservation for special ceremonies - weddings,
renewal of vows, concerts, cultural events, baptisms and memorial
services. Jones created another well-known architectural chapel,
Thorncrown Chapel, in the Victorian spa town of
Eureka Springs.
Tucked into the rolling hills of the Ozarks, the northwest Arkansas
area consists of extensive hardwood forests, primarily oak and hickory
that shelter large populations of wild deer, turkey, squirrels, birds,
and other native animal species.
In Benton County, Bella Vista is located on Ark. 71 between
Bentonville and the Missouri state line.
No comments:
Post a Comment