Gaines House

The Gaines House, located at 1702 South Gaines St. in Little Rock (Pulaski County), is home to the nonprofit organization the Gaines House Incorporated. Established in 1967 in the Governor’s Mansion Historic District, the Gaines House is a home for women eighteen years or older who are or are close to being homeless and who have mental, physical, or behavioral disabilities, including drug and alcohol abuse. It was founded by the combined efforts of the Little Rock Junior League, the Pulaski County Mental Health Association, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, and Altrusa International of Little Rock.

The house was built in 1870 and was designed by Charles Thompson. The two-story, single-family-type home could be classified as Federal style with inspiration from both Greek Revival and Second Empire architectural styles.

The house has rooms that are occupied by between two and four residents, as well as four full bathrooms. The home can house twenty-five women at a time and has a staff of five. There is no set time limit that residents are allowed to stay, but the average stay is six months to a year. The Gaines House offers an experience that feels like a home and supports independent living rather than just a shelter where one can stay only a few nights at a time. The Gaines House invests in the lives of its residents and offers a familial experience along with outings and family days. The organization and its live-in services provide a safe and supportive environment to enable women from all seventy-five counties to complete the psychiatric rehabilitation process and become productive community members.

As a nonprofit, the Gaines House receives donations from its founding groups and others, as well as holding fundraisers. In 2007, one of the first fundraisers in their forty years of existence was held at the Governor’s Mansion. The dinner raised $60,000 for operating expenses and maintenance of the house.

For additional information:
Friedman, Samantha. “Significant Gaines.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, July 8, 2007. https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2007/jul/08/significant-gaines-20070708/ (accessed April 16, 2024).

Gaines House. https://www.thegaineshouse.org/ (accessed April 16, 2024).

Jessica Gates
North Little Rock, Arkansas