The Bentonville Academy was built in 1895 and paid for by the citizens of Bentonville. It was dedicated on Sptember 17th, 1895. The 1897 brochure, according to historian J. Dickson Black, said, " Annual Catalogue, Bentonville Academy, non sectarian school, for both sexes." Just after the start of the 1900's the Academy was turned over to the Arkansas Baptists who built a two story dormitory. They changed the name to Ouachita Baptist Academy. This was short-lived. It was later sold to the Bentonville School District and was used as a high school for many years. The main building was torn down in 1929 after the high school moved to their new facility on NW 2nd.

This building, which still existed until the fairgrounds was razed in 2010, was the dormitory the was constructed by the Ouachita Baptists for their school around 1900.