Anton Roland, a pioneer resident of the twin cities, was born in Urbana in 1858 and entered the real estate business in the early 1890's. He built over two hundred homes during his lifetime and owned 90 at the time of his death in 1923. In 1915 Anton Roland sold his farm to the University of Illinois, it is where the University of Illinois Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall are located today.

Vern Roland, Anton's son, worked with Anton building houses before he entered the apartment business in 1922. He designed and built 909 S. First Street. In 1924 he built another building at 905 S. First Street. Vern Roland owned and managed these two buildings until his death in 1971.

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Robert H. Gillespie married Vern Roland's only child, Jean Roland Gillespie in 1946. He joined Vern Roland at the Roland Apartments and built 901 S. First Street.

In 1964, 805-807-809 S. First Street were acquired. The lot that 805-807-809 S. First was built on was large enough to accommodate additional development. In 1968, 56 and 58 E. Daniel Street were built on that lot.

In 1982, Tom Gillespie, a grandson of Vern Roland, joined Gillespie Roland Apartments.

In 1987, 903 S. First Street was constructed. This sixty unit building is perhaps the largest single apartment building in Champaign. It spans an entire city block in length and is one hundred feet longer than a regulation football field.

In 1990, Tom Gillespie founded Roland Realty, Inc. Roland Realty, Inc. provides an independent real estate management entity. All of the properties owned by Gillespie Roland Properties, L.C.C. are currently managed by Roland Realty, Inc. Roland Realty, Inc. also manages over twenty houses owned by Real TEK Properties, Inc. and an additional fifty units at various sites for independant property owners.