The Rector Commercial Historic District encompasses the original 1882 central business district of Rector, Arkansas. It includes a roughly triangular area of the city, bounded on the west by Main Street, the north by 3rd Street, and the southeast by the railroad tracks. Most of the district was developed before 1920, and includes a significant concentration of buildings with iron components in their storefronts provided by the noted St. Louis, Missouri firm, the Mesker Brothers, and other similar producers of such architectural elements. The district's buildings are otherwise predominantly brick.