$147,374Average Value$115Average Price per Sq Ft5Homes For Sale
A historically Black neighborhood just north of downtown Roanoke
Gainsboro is the oldest neighborhood in Roanoke, and it’s best known for being a vibrant hub for Black connection and advocacy in the early-to-mid-20th century. When African Americans were excluded from Roanoke’s public resources during segregation, the community formed its own, creating the Gainsboro Branch Library, the Burrell Memorial Hospital and Hotel Dumas, the only venue where Black Roanokers could see musical performances that hosted musicians like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Today, some important gathering points, including the Hill Street Baptist Church, still stand in Gainsboro. “Urban renewal and the construction of the interstate really affected the community,” says Constance Crutchfield, President of the Gainsboro Neighborhood Organization. “It’s not what it once was, but our organization arranges events and community resources, and we try to increase our membership numbers.” Gainsboro has a core group committed to preserving the history and community of the area, and residents only have to travel a mile south to get downtown.
This statue of Martin Luther King Jr sits in front of the MLK memorial bridge in Roanoke.
Downtown Roanoke is within walking distance from St. Andrews Church in Gainsboro.
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Early 20th century duplexes and Foursquares
Historic architecture, like Hotel Roanoke, a Tudor Revival property built in 1882, and St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, which is a Gothic Revival building from 1902, add to the storied character of Gainsboro. Residential properties built in the late 1800s and early 1900s sit close together on sidewalk-lined streets. Crutchfield says that some of the multifamily properties have been sold to larger managing companies to create rentals. “Gainsboro is on the city’s target list for rehabilitating some of the homes in the area. We all want to be actively involved in increasing homeownership in the neighborhood,” Crutchfield says. Cottages and American Foursquares cost between $55,000 and $175,000, depending on modern upgrades. Duplexes are usually priced between $140,000 and $170,000. Some ranches constructed in the late 1990s cost between $190,000 and $220,000.
Gainsboro has several sections of one and two story duplex homes.
This American Foursquare home in Gainsboro is amongst the most popular of housing styles.
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Programs at the historic Gainsboro Library
“The library is a pillar in our community. I’m there a couple of times a week for one reason or another,” Crutchfield says. When the Gainsboro Library opened in 1942, it was the second library for African Americans in the state. Virginia Y. Lee served as Gainsboro’s librarian, building the largest collection of Black literature in southwest Virginia. Lee resisted city officials’ demands to get rid of the materials and hid the books in the library’s basement, checking them out in secret. Today, the library has a room named in her honor, where residents can peruse the titles she added to the collection and more recently published Black literature. Gainsboro Library also organizes events to showcase Black history in Roanoke. The library partners with the Gainsboro Neighborhood Organization on the community’s annual block party. “Our block party is a huge hit. We have it in May, during Roanoke’s designated month to celebrate neighborhoods. We always have fashion shows, raffles, food vendors and music,” Crutchfield says. She adds that Coca-Cola, which has a large distribution center in the neighborhood, is one of the block party’s biggest sponsors. The community organizations also arrange for resources, like free CPR and AED training at Hill Street Baptist Church and health screening from the Roanoke chapter of Young Doctors, a nonprofit for Black teenagers interested in entering the medical field.
The Gainsboro Library is home to a significant Black history collection.
The Gainsboro Branch Library is a historic library located in the Gainsboro neighborhood.
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Lick Run Greenway leads to Washington Park
Entranceway Park, a tiny section of green space, is the only park in Gainsboro, but the Lick Run Greenway runs through the eastern section of the neighborhood. The 4.6-mile trail travels from downtown to the Valley View Mall, running through several parks along the way. Residents often use the greenway to head to Washington Park, which sits directly north of Gainsboro and is popular for its public pool and green space. The park’s pool closed in 2022 due to leakage, but a new pool featuring a lazy river, lap lanes and a kids’ area will open in 2025. Neighbors can also meet for pickup basketball games or tennis matches at Washington Park’s athletic courts or take their kids to the playground. Locals can also get to know more about the Black history and activists that shaped the neighborhood on the self-guided tour of Historic Gainsboro. Stops include the Martin Luther King Jr. Statue and the Dumas Center for Artistic and Cultural Development, which was once the Dumas Hotel.
Swing, slide and hang on the modern playground at Washington Park.
The Lick Run Greenway passes through Washington Park.
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Dining in downtown Roanoke
“So many people want to live here since we are so close to downtown. That’s definitely where we head to go out to eat, and there’s a great farmers market down there,” Crutchfield says. Roanoke’s downtown dining scene runs the gamut from casual Mexican spots like Alejandro's Mexican Grill to pub-style eateries with live music like Martin’s Downtown. There are also brunch restaurants like Scrambled, which serves pancakes and breakfast sandwiches, and breweries like Three Notch'd Craft Kitchen and Brewery, where locals can grab burgers and beer. Downtown also has the Roanoke Co+op, which stocks local produce and organic goods. To shop for groceries at Walmart or Target, residents can travel up to the Valley View Mall, which is 3 miles northwest. The mall has plenty of familiar retailers to browse, like Macy’s, Ulta Beauty and H&M.
Martins restaurant in Downtown Roanoke offers good food with a fun atmosphere.
Three Notched is a local restaurant and brewery in the heart of Downtown Roanoke.
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Extracurriculars at James Madison Middle
Children may begin at Highland Park Elementary, which has a B rating from Niche. Students can advance to James Madison Middle, which has a B-minus rating. The middle school offers extracurricular clubs to encourage student engagement, including Harry Potter club, yearbook, book club and more. Older students can finish at Patrick Henry High, which earns a B.
James Madison Middle School is a public school located in Roanoke, VA.
James Madison Middle School has a student to teacher ratio of 15 to 1.
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Sidewalks and bus routes head downtown
Gainsboro Road is the neighborhood’s central corridor, leading south toward downtown Roanoke. Though it’s currently a four-lane road, the city is planning to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists by reducing it to two lanes and turning the other lanes into bike lanes and street parking. Construction on the road is slated to begin in spring 2025. Sidewalks line the streets, allowing those up to a 1-mile walk to safely walk to downtown. There are also Valley Metro bus stops along Gainsboro Road and Orange Avenue. Residents can pick up Interstate 581 in the northeastern corner of the neighborhood to travel throughout the greater Roanoke area. For further trips, the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport is 4 miles northwest, and the Roanoke Amtrak station, which has a route to go up to Washington, D.C., is about half a mile south.
Gainsboro is a Virginia neighborhood located in central Roanoke immediately north of Downtown.
Public transportation takes you from Gainsboro to downtown in just a few minutes.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Are you familiar with the Gainsboro neighborhood?
to let others know what life in this neighborhood is like.
Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime
Gainsboro
US
Homicide
6
4
Sexual Assault
7
4
Assault with Weapon
7
4
Robbery
6
4
Burglary
6
4
Motor Vehicle Theft
5
4
Larceny
5
4
Crime Score
7
4
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Gainsboro Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Gainsboro, Roanoke sell after 66 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Gainsboro, Roanoke over the last 12 months is $117,499, down 36% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Check out this cozy 2-story in the heart of the city and close to everything! Extensively updated to include new roof, siding, electrical and plumbing, concrete driveway, decking, beautiful tile flooring, walls and paint, and appliances.
Great investment property or single family home. Two story, with three bedrooms, one-full bath and one half bath. Features one bedroom on the main level, along with an eat-in-kitchen and large family room. Half bath on the main level. Two bedrooms upstairs with spacious full bath. Excellent corner lot and exterior led partial basement.
Great single family home. Two story, with three bedrooms, one-full bath and one half bath. Features one bedroom on the main level, along with an eat-in-kitchen and large family room. Half bath on the main level. Two bedrooms upstairs with spacious full bath. Excellent corner lot and exterior led partial basement.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
