Notable former residents include later president Bill Clinton and politician turned TV presenter Mike Huckabee.

The site was the former location of the Arkansas School for the Blind, which had moved to new quarters near the city's Pulaski Heights neighborhood.

Little Rock insurance and television executive Clyde E. Lowry led the effort to raise funds to build the mansion.

Construction began in December 1947 (incorporating 300,000 bricks from the original School for the Blind structures), and the Governor's Residence became operational officially on January 10, 1950.

In 2008, footage of the mansion was also used for the television program 30 Rock to represent the home of a character played by Steve Martin.