One of the most beautiful buildings of pre-revolutionary Rostov-on-Don is the income house of merchant Stepan Fedorovich Gench-Ogulaev. It was built on the order of the merchant by the famous Russian architect Alexander Nikanorovich Pomerantsev, who later became the president of the Imperial Academy of Arts. Today, the building has the status of a cultural heritage site of federal significance.

Construction of the house began in 1880 and was completed in 1883. This was Pomerantsev's first project in Rostov-on-Don, which opened up wide opportunities for further work in this southern city. Subsequently, he built many buildings here at the request of local authorities and residents.

The income house of Gench-Ogulaev is located at the intersection of Bolshaya Sadovaya Street and an alley that was named Semashko after the revolution. The building has a U-shape and occupies a narrow end of the block. It consists of four floors, including an attic. The main entrance is located at the corner of Bolshaya Sadovaya and Semashko alley. The architecture of the building harmoniously combines elements of various styles. The facade is decorated in the baroque style, with elements of classicism, while the turret on the pediment is done in the gothic style.

Merchant Gench-Ogulaev rented out the house: the first floor housed commercial premises, while above were offices and apartments. For some time, the building housed the printing house of the newspaper "Priazovsky Krai," and from 1897, the branch of the Volga-Kama Bank until the construction of its own building.

After the establishment of Soviet power, the building was confiscated. According to data from 1925, it housed the Southeast Commercial Joint-Stock Bank, the administration of the Rostov-on-Don district "Neftesyndikat," the "Myasoprodukt" store, and other organizations. The residential premises occupied the second to fourth floors. In the 1930s, a "Fish" store opened in the building, and it began to fall into disrepair.

During World War II, the roof of the building was destroyed. In 1948-1949, the house was restored under the guidance of architect G. O. Kalaydzhyan, but with some deviations from the original project: brick dormer windows appeared, the tower was lowered without a spire and with a sea horse on top. Several balconies were not restored. Despite these changes and subsequent careless treatment of the architecture, the building continues to amaze with its beauty. Currently, various shops are located in it.