Belle Grove is Fort Smith's grandest neighbourhood, 22 blocks of Victorian houses built by the merchants, lawyers, and judges who prospered during the federal court era. The district runs northwest of downtown and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; walking it gives you a sense of how prosperous this border town became once the Arkansas River trade routes were established.
Two particular addresses stand out. Miss Laura's Social Club on First Street — a baroque Victorian built in 1900 — is the only former brothel on the National Register of Historic Places and now serves as the city's visitor centre. A few blocks away, the Clayton House is an Italianate villa built for a prominent Fort Smith attorney; both buildings are open for tours. The district is best explored on foot, starting from the Visitor Center on First Street and working north through the residential blocks where the houses grow progressively more elaborate as you go.