The Empress of Little Rock

The Arkansas Small Business Persons of the Year for 2009 are the husband and wife team of Robert H. Blair and Sharon Welch-Blair.  The Blairs are the owners of The Empress of Little Rock, a unique and outstanding bed and breakfast in the historic Quapaw Quarter District.  The Empress of Little Rock was one of the largest private restorations of an historic building in Arkansas and a major catalyst in the revitalization of downtown Little Rock.   The National Register of Historical Places describes the Empress as the best example of ornate Victorian architecture in the state, as well as the most important existing example of Gothic Queen Anne style regionally.  Built of all Arkansas materials, its unique architectural features include a divided stairway, a three and a half story corner tower, stained glass skylights and octagon-shaped rooms.

Robert Blair was born in Michigan and moved to Jonesboro, Arkansas in 1957.  There he met Sharon Gail Welch, an Arkansas native, and they married in 1966.  While Robert pursued a career with Southwestern Bell, Sharon was a homemaker, an avid tennis player, and had her own studio where she taught decorative art to 40 students. A Southwestern Bell corporate transfer brought Robert and Sharon to Little Rock in 1985.  Here Sharon began a career in insurance and financial planning for New York Life for which she has received numerous awards in the last 21 years. 

The Blairs’ interest in historic buildings led to the purchase of the Hornibrook Mansion in 1994.  They began renovation, but the high costs soon depleted their funds.  In addition some lenders were reluctant to finance this type of project.  However, Bank of America shared their vision, and the Blairs received an U.S. Small Business Administration guaranteed loan in 1995. With this funding they were able to open their business.  Sales volume continued to grow as the Blairs used innovative marketing strategies to attract business travelers, honeymooners, and vacationers.  The Empress of Little Rock has received numerous awards including the 2008 Best of the Best for bed and breakfast establishments in central Arkansas, the Jimmy Strawn Historic Preservation Award, and the Best City Escape by BedandBreakfast.com.

Robert and Sharon are very active in the community.  They are both elders in the First Presbyterian Church.  Robert also chairs the Mansion Area Advisory Committee of the Capitol District Zoning Commission and sits on the boards of the Downtown Little Rock Community Development Corporation and the Arc Arkansas, a social services agency that assists individuals with disabilities.  Sharon has been the president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association since 2000.   She is also the first president of the Southside Main Street Project which she organized in 2004.  That Project is now part of the Main Street Arkansas Program.

The Blairs have two children and four grandchildren, all of whom live in central Arkansas.