Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas
National Register of Historic Places • Listed July 12, 2007
The South Main Street Residential Historic District is a well-preserved collection of late 19th and early 20th century buildings located just south of downtown Little Rock. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 12, 2007.
The district reflects the residential growth of Little Rock as the city expanded southward along Main Street after the Civil War. It contains single-family homes, early apartment buildings, a former hospital, and a few commercial structures that show how the neighborhood evolved from the 1880s through the 1940s.
Upper-middle-class families built elaborate Queen Anne and Eastlake style homes as Little Rock grew rapidly after the Civil War. Railroads helped shift development south along Main Street. Five of these early houses still stand today.
New revival styles appeared, including Colonial Revival and Classical Revival. Early Craftsman bungalows were also built. The area remained a desirable neighborhood for middle- and upper-class residents.
As the city grew, developers built larger apartment buildings to meet demand. Notable examples include the Luxor Apartments and Holcomb Court Apartments. In 1924, several doctors built Trinity Hospital, which offered an early form of prepaid health care.
The Federal Housing Administration helped finance new apartment buildings in the Colonial Revival style. The area continued shifting from single-family homes to multi-family housing.
A small number of mid- and late-20th century commercial buildings were added. These are the only significant non-historic intrusions in the district.
The most decorative Victorian style. Features include complex rooflines, bay windows, patterned shingles, spindles, and elaborate porches. Decorative details appear on nearly every surface.
Low-pitched roofs with wide overhangs, exposed rafters, and front porches supported by columns on brick or stone piers. Emphasizes simplicity and craftsmanship.
Symmetrical designs with classical details such as columns, pediments, and dentil moldings. These buildings drew inspiration from America’s colonial past.
Other styles found in the district include Classical Revival, Greek Revival, Plain Traditional, and some 20th Century Commercial buildings.
The district is associated with the broad patterns of Little Rock’s history — specifically the city’s residential expansion and development from the 1880s through the 1940s.
It contains excellent examples of Queen Anne, Craftsman, and Colonial Revival architecture. The district includes the work of prominent architects and possesses high artistic value as a cohesive group of historic buildings.
The district includes properties on both sides of South Main Street from 19th Street south to 23rd Street, then continues on the west side only to 24th Street. The boundaries were chosen to include the greatest concentration of buildings that still retain their historic integrity.
Nearby Neighborhoods