Pillow-Thompson House Anchors Helena Tourism and Hosts Hospitality Training Programs

The Pillow-Thompson House at 718 Perry Street in Helena is a restored Queen-Anne Victorian built in 1896 by Jerome B. Pillow and designed by architect George Barber, a designer of several Helena homes. The house is described by Phillips Community College as "one of the finest examples of Queen Anne architecture in the South" and is listed among the city’s most prominent heritage landmarks; five generations of Pillow descendants lived in the residence.

Ownership of the house passed to the Phillips Community College Foundation in 1992 when Josephine Thompson and her son George de Man donated the property. The house "was restored through a joint effort of the community and Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas" and was opened to the public on June 3, 1997, marking its transition from family home to community historic site.

Public access is steady: the Pillow-Thompson House is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed on Easter, July 4th, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Group tours are available, and handicapped visitor access is available to the first floor with the explicit instruction to phone ahead for assistance.

The facility positions itself as an events venue. Materials state, "The Pillow-Thompson House is the perfect place to plan a variety of events. Let us help make your event more special and more memorable." The house can provide meeting space, audiovisual equipment, and meet catering needs. An example program listed under rentals and special events is the "Fabulous First Thursday Lunch."

Architectural significance and stewardship remain central to the house’s role in Helena-West Helena. The property is also referenced historically as the Jerome Bonaparte Pillow House, underscoring the Pillow family’s long association with the building. Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas and the Phillips Community College Foundation serve as the current stewards named in college materials.

For visitors and event planners, the house’s weekday schedule, holiday closures, group-tour availability, rental services, and the phone-ahead accessibility note are the concrete operating details published by Phillips Community College. The building’s combination of restored 1896 fabric, documented connection to George Barber, and provenance through five Pillow generations anchors its standing among local heritage sites and shapes how it is used for tours and community events.