It borders the neighborhoods of Harrison and Gilmer on the west, Washington Park on the north, Williamson Road on the east and Downtown Roanoke on the south.

[3] Developed by William Rowland, Gainesborough was established as the Roanoke Valley's oldest town, and takes its name from Major Kemp Gaines, who both founded and provided the early financing for the village.

[3] The location of the settlement would shift slightly to the southwest after 1852 following the arrival of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad and the establishment of Big Lick.

[3] Referred to as Old Lick between the 1850s and 1880s, what would become present-day Gainsboro began to develop as a predominantly African-American community.

Established in the 1970s, the Gainsboro Neighborhood Alliance has served as the citizen advocacy group for the community.