Isaac Homard House

At 1217 West Third Street in Little Rock (Pulaski County) stands the Isaac Homard House, a striking Neoclassical residence built during the Gilded Age just blocks from the Arkansas State Capitol, which was being constructed at about the same time. The house embodies an era of growth powered by railroads, streetcars, and new civic buildings. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

Isaac J. Homard and his wife, Nellie Van Campen Homard, arrived from Ohio shortly after they married in 1890, as Little Rock boomed with railroad jobs and developing infrastructure. Isaac worked first as a machinist, then as an engineer for the Iron Mountain and Missouri Pacific lines. In 1902, the Homards began building their new house on Third Street, near Union Station and the bustling “Railroad Call” district where train crews were summoned for duty. The home was likely designed by prominent architect Charles L. Thompson and completed around 1905.

The Homards adjusted plans to stay within budget restrictions, with stories passed down suggesting a move from three stories to two, a partial basement instead of a full basement with a wine cellar, and strategic window choices. Even scaled back, Nellie’s dreams were ambitious for her husband’s modest railroad income.

The Homard House is an excellent example of Neoclassical architecture in Little Rock. A full-façade, two-story porch with a front-gable pediment gives the house a Greek-temple profile. Four two-story, fluted Roman Doric columns in cypress anchor the front. The gable’s blue-slate-clad pediment includes a carved composition of lily stalks, as well as a wreath-draped obelisk. The ornate front entrance is flanked by fluted wood pilasters with Ionic capitals topped by a wood pediment decorated with floral motifs, wood moldings, and a keystone. The wood door has thirty-five glass panes and is surrounded by sidelights and a transom that have eight panes each. Brick veneer over a wood frame sets the home apart from the simpler one-story frame houses that once lined the nearby Railroad Call blocks.

The Homards lived on West Third for roughly two decades, taking in boarders to help cover expenses. Their son Benjamine married, moved out, returned, and later took title to the house before the Great Depression forced changes in ownership. The home passed to Missouri Pacific engineer Thomas Spain and his wife, Nell, in the 1940s, and after Thomas’s death, Nell divided the second story of the house into several apartments for use by railroad workers and soldiers’ families stationed at Camp Joseph T. Robinson. It was passed down to Andrew and Lillian Hanks in 1956. The Hankses operated the White Kitchen Café in mid-century Little Rock, and Lillian Hanks would occupy the home for fifty-one years, through 2007.

A fire in December 2013 damaged the rear two-story porch and left soot throughout the interior. The city cited the property in 2014 and warned that demolition could follow if repairs did not proceed. In 2015, Laura Winning (of Whodunit Holdings, LLC) purchased the house and led an extensive rehabilitation. Crews showed up the foundation, meticulously removed inappropriate grout, and used walnut blasting to clean and deodorize historic framing without destroying it. Original windows were retained with new double-pane glass, and irreplaceable tile and metal fireplace components were salvaged. When necessary, interiors were creatively matched with period materials sourced from across the country.

Because the property became professional offices, the rear porch footprint was rebuilt as a fully enclosed addition with a second-floor conference room that captures a vista of the Arkansas State Capitol. In 2017, the preservation efforts led to a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 2018, Preserve Arkansas honored the project with its Award for Excellence in Preservation Through Restoration.

In the twenty-first century, the building serves the Ludwig Law Firm, which specializes in criminal defense, personal injury, and nursing home abuse. Owners Kale and Kyle Ludwig (Twin Fox LLC) have expressed gratitude for the craftsmanship of the restoration project, which allows their own operational needs to be met in a space filled with Little Rock history.

For additional information:
“The Homard House.” Ludwig Law Firm. https://ludwiglawfirm.com/the-homard-house (accessed January 9, 2026).

“Isaac Homard House.” National Register of Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at https://www.arkansasheritage.com/arkansas-preservation/properties/national-registry (accessed January 9, 2026).

Sides, Ashley. “Sandwiching in History Tour: Isaac Homard House.” Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/ahpp-documents/sandwiching-tour-scripts/sandwiching-in-history—isaac-homard-house-little-rock-february-2024—script.pdf?sfvrsn=718377e0_2 (accessed January 9, 2026).