For the first half of the 20th century, Reno was known as the "divorce capital of the world." Its divorce laws were quite liberal for the time, which allowed couples to get a divorce after a short period of time (they needed to be a resident for just six months; during the Great Depression, the state reduced even more). This attracted thousands of people to the city and Nevada and a whole industry developed around it, including the hotels and casinos (mining and railroads were key parts of the economy as well). The city began to change in the 1960s with the development of the arts movement. By this time, many residents didn't want to gamble but were instead interested in cultural activities. As a result, the library was built, along with the Pioneer Theater-Auditorium and the Fleischmann Planetarium, in the 1960s. The library also features an auditorium with a grand piano and an art gallery on the balcony. In 1968, the American Association of Nurserymen awarded the library the Industrial Landscape Awarded, which Lady Bird Johnson (wife of President Lyndon Johnson) presented to the library in a ceremony. Nationally, the library was part of a growing trend around the country to improve the physical environments in which people lived through enhanced landscaped design, including creating more parks with playgrounds, having cleaner streets, and improving highway design.

The downtown Washoe County Library is known for its modern architecture and interior landscape design.

The Washoe County Library is the downtown branch of Reno's public library system. Erected in 1965, it is notable for its modern architecture and it reflects the city's evolution from primarily a tourist destination to a community that embraces arts and culture. Designed by architect Hewitt Wells, the library is best known for its interior, which features hundreds of plants, shrubs, several mature trees, and a pond (landscape architect Mitchell Serven designed the interior). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. 


Washoe County Library

This short walk includes stops at several museums as well as some of Reno's most unique historic homes.  

The residence of Francis G. Newlands, U.S. Congressman 1893-1903, and U.S. Senator 1903-1917, was built from 1889 to1890, with the front wing and arbor added at a later unknown date, but&nbsp;sometime before 1908. The Shingle style mansion contains numerous Queen Anne touches, including a random horizontal plan with wings, bays and porches, and the steep gable roof. Francis Newlands came to Nevada in 1888 to manage the interests of William Sharon, one of the Comstock silver barons. Newlands was elected to the House of Representatives in 1892, and in 1903 he was elected to the Senate. He served as a senator until his death in 1917. Newlands was the primary author of the Reclamation Act of 1902. The Reclamation Act sought to promote agriculture in the arid west through the construction of large-scale irrigation projects. The first project under the Reclamation Act was the Newlands Irrigation Project in Nevada's Lahontan Valley. After Newland's death, George Thatcher, a prominent local attorney, purchased the home in 1920. Thatcher was a well-known and successful divorce lawyer, who occasionally let his prominent clients reside in his home. This was the case when Woolworth dime store heiress Barbara Hutton came to Reno for a divorce in 1935.Because of Newlands's prominence in politics, water and reclamation projects in the west, his property was designated a&nbsp;National Historic Landmark, one of just six in Nevada. Newlands's mansion was the first residence built along the bluff overlooking the Truckee River, and the area grew into a fashionable neighborhood known as Newlands Heights. Today it contains many historic mansions and homes. The majority of the residences were erected between 1920 and 1940, and the diversity of architectural styles range from large Colonial Revival and French Chateau mansions to more modest Spanish Colonial Revival and Craftsman bungalows.

From 1890 until his death, this large shingle-style house was the home of Francis Griffith Newlands (1849-1917), Congressman (1892-1903) and Senator (1903-1917) of Nevada. Newlands was the author of the Reclamation Act of 1902, which placed the Federal government in the irrigation business, opening up vast areas of the West to farming.

Francis G. Newlands Home

Luella Garvey’s life is a bit of
a mystery. The widow of a Cincinnati steel magnate, she moved to Reno from
Pasadena in 1929 for reasons that are unclear. Most people who moved to Reno at that time came to work in mining or to get a divorce; she needed neither. She seemed to prefer a&nbsp;relatively quiet life admiring her garden.&nbsp;

In 1934, Garvey chose noted
architect, Paul Revere Williams, to design her home. Williams, who was
African-American, was unusual at the time in that he was not only successful in
a profession that was often closed to African-Americans, but that many of his
clients were among the rich and famous. Williams was known as the “architect to
the stars” because of his work in Beverly Hills.&nbsp;

The home Williams built was a
two-story Classical Revival structure with a price tag of $40,000. Much of the
cost was associated with the extensive landscaping that Garvey requested,
though the home’s interior was also elegantly appointed. It was the most
expensive home ever built in Reno at that point.&nbsp;

Following Garvey’s death, the
home changed owners several times. Subsequent owners made some changes to the
home, but it remains largely as Williams designed it. The home was the first in
Reno designed by Williams, and is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places.

The Garvey house is significant because it was designed by famed African-American architect Paul Revere Williams. By the time the Garvey home was built in 1934, Williams was already well-known for his famous clientele. The Garvey home, constructed at a cost of $40,000,  was the most expensive ever built in Reno up to that point. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.



Luella Garvey House 

William Levy was born in Prussia (now Germany) and immigrated to the United States sometime in the mid to late 1800s. He made his way to Nevada and ran a few dry goods stores in mining towns before opening the Palace Dry Goods store in c.1885 here in Reno. He married his wife Tillie Goldsmith and they would eventually have two daughters, Fritzie and Mildred. They bought the property in 1906 and built the home shortly thereafter. William was wealthy enough to own a home in San Francisco and the family back and forth between the two cities. The house remained in the family until 1978, when Mildred passed away. The Nevada Museum of Art owns the house and leases it to the bookstore.

Now the location of the Sundance Books and Music store, the former Levy House is a historic home built in c.1907. It is significant as a good example of Classical Revival style and for its association with prosperous local merchant and mining entrepreneur William Levy. Notable features of the house include a two-story entrance with Ionic columns and porches on both floors. Sundance Books has been located at the house for over 30 years. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Levy House

The Nevada Museum of Art has been in business for over eighty years, preserving and displaying art exhibitions while also offering courses on art and art history. On Thursday evening, the museum offers a special program with beverages and snacks for museum patrons as they view the exhibits and listen to the live music. The museum also offers a variety of lectures throughout the year in the auditorium, as well as special events that connect artists, writers, and scholars with the public. Tours of the museum are offered to museum members for free and are offered in English and Spanish. Once a month senior citizens are offered a social one day a month along with a tour of the museum and studio art classes.The CA+E is a program at the museum that stands for Center for Art and Environment. They display current art that is popular in the region online, and the environment is the artwork that is found in the environment.

Established in 1931, the Nevada Museum of Art is the oldest cultural institution in the state. The museum has been located in a variety of campus buildings, the historic Hawkins House, and one other building prior to the completion of its current space. The museum includes works from around the globe and specializes in acquiring and displaying works created by young and developing artists from the region. Along with its unique exhibits, the Nevada Museum of Art offers a variety of activities and classes. Tuition-based classes are offered each quarter to students of all ages. There are scholarships offered to students who have financial need. This museum also offers advice on how to preserve one's personal artwork. Another opportunity offered at the Nevada Museum of Art is the chance to submit their artwork in an exhibition.

Nevada Museum of Art

It appears that the Nortonia was originally a single-family house built by a woman named Annie Rogers. The next owner, and for whom the house is named, was a man named Norton, who converted it into three flats. The house was officially named the Nortonia Apartment House by 1909 and its manager was S.M. Henley, who advertised that rooms could be rented short-term.The divorce industry started to boom in Nevada in the early 20th century. Divorce laws stated that one only had to live in Nevada for six months to officially become a resident, which made it faster to legally get a divorce. Also, the laws accepted seven legal grounds for divorce, whereas other states had few or, like in the case of South Carolina, none at all (i.e. divorce was not allowed there). As a result, unhappy couples began to arrive in Nevada in droves, including wealthy people, such as Laura Corey, who was the wife of the president of the United States Steel Corporation and moved to the state in 1905. Her story, and others, garnered nationwide publicity and established the perception that Nevada was the place to go for a divorce. This is how Reno started to become a tourist destination, as not only were apartments were built and rooms put up for rent, but hotels were constructed as well.At some point an apartment building with eight units was built next to the Nortonia, with a covered passage connecting the two buildings. That building was eventually demolished sometime after the 1960s.

Formerly called the Nortonia Boarding House, this historic building is considered one of the best examples of Queen Anne architecture in Reno. The most notable feature of the house includes the attractive circular balustraded porch which is supported with columns. Built around 1904, it is also significant as a reminder of the period in which Reno became known as the "divorce capital of the world." The Nortonia provided temporary housing to individuals seeking a divorce, which was easy to get in Nevada at the time compared to other states. Today, law offices occupy the building.

Nortonia Boarding House

Long before Reno became a
gambling and divorce mecca, it was a small community centered around the toll
bridge of Myron Lake. Consequently, the early settlement earned the name “Lake’s
Crossing,” and Myron Lake is considered the founder of Reno.&nbsp;

The home which came to bear Lake’s
name was built in 1877 by William Marsh. Lake purchased the home in 1879, and
it originally stood at the corner of California and Virginia Streets. Following
Lake’s death, the home became the property of his ex-wife and the couple’s son,
who made a number of improvements to the property, including adding indoor
plumbing.&nbsp;

In 1971, the home was nearly
demolished to make way for a bank. Local preservationists had the home moved
three miles south near the Convention Center. The home was moved again in 2004
to its current location. The home is now owned by Arts for All Nevada and is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

&nbsp;

Sometimes referred to as “Reno’s first address,” the Lake Mansion was built in 1877. Two years later, the home was purchased by Myron Lake, who is considered to be a founder of Reno. His toll bridge over the Truckee River led the settlement to be called “Lake’s Crossing.” The home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been moved twice since its construction.

Lake Mansion 

Major General Jesse Lee Reno (1823-1862)Major General Jesse Lee Reno was a career military officer who served in the Mexican-American War, the Utah War (1857-1858; fought between the federal government and Mormon settlers), and the Civil War. Reno often fought alongside his troops, and was considered a "soldier's soldier" among his men. He was killed during the Battle of South Mountain, which is near Boonsboro, Maryland, on September 14, 1862. The city is named in his honor. The statue was installed in 2012.Historical Marker: Nevada First CavalryIn 1908, a large, fourteen-foot water fountain memorial dedicated to the Nevada First Calvary, which fought in the Spanish-American War, was once located on Plaza and North Virginia Streets. The Reno Red Cross Society and the Women's Christian Temperance Union donated the fountain to the city. The fountain is now located in the Reno Amtrak station.USS RenoThe USS Reno was an anti-aircraft light cruiser built in 1942 and the first warship named after the city of Reno. It served in the Pacific Theater of World War II, participating in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and other confrontations with the Japanese Navy. In early November, 1944, the Japanese torpedoed it but it remained afloat as it was protected by a destroyer. The USS Reno was then towed to an American base, repaired, and sailed on its own power to Charleston, South Carolina. It underwent more repairs and was then tasked with transporting U.S. troops home before finally being decommissioned in November 1946.

The Powning Veterans Memorial Park is a small memorial park located in downtown Reno. It features a military flag display with the bell from the USS Reno; a memorial dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the War on Terror; a statue of Major General Jesse Lee Reno (for whom the city is named); and a historical marker about a memorial water fountain dedicated to the Nevada First Cavalry Volunteers who fought in the Spanish-American War (1898-1899). The park is named after a prominent Reno figure C.C. Powning, who was the publisher of the Nevada State Journal in the last quarter of the 19th century. 


Powning Veterans Memorial Park

The courthouse is the third one to serve county and the second one at this location. The county expanded it a few times over the decades including a modern wing in 1963. Architect Frederic J. DeLongchamps designed the building; it was his solo commission in the state and he would go onto to be one of Nevada's prominent architects of the 20th century.The federal government acquired what is now Nevada (as part of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Cession" target="_blank">Mexican Cession</a>) from Mexico after the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). The Nevada territorial legislature adopted marriage and divorce ordinances from California in 1850 and then officially established them into law in 1861. When Nevada attained statehood in 1864, the laws remained in place, setting the stage for what would eventually come a few decades later. The laws stipulated that one only needed to be a resident for six months to establish residency and that seven grounds for divorce were allowed. At the time, divorce laws in other states were far more strict. In New York, for example, adultery was the only legal ground for divorce. In South Carolina, law forbade divorce completely.The divorce industry in Nevada took off in the early 1900s. In 1900, an English lord moved to Nevada to divorce his wife and marry again. Then in 1906, the wife of the president of the United States Steel Corporation moved to Nevada to get a divorce. These stories, the latter one in particular, garnered a lot of attention and soon Nevada attracted thousands of people seeking a divorce, and Reno earned the nickname "divorce capital of the world." To make money from the influx of people moving to the state, businesses of all kinds were established, most notably hotels which provided short-term lodging (residents also rented out space in their homes). Needless to say, the divorce industry was incredibly lucrative for the state, and the legislature reduced the residency requirement to three months to grow it even more. Even during the Great Depression the industry proved stable (in 1931, the legislature reduced the residency requirement to just six weeks). During the 1930s, over 30,000 divorces were granted at the courthouse. Additionally, the state legalized gambling in 1931, which helped the economy as well.The divorce industry shaped Reno in a number of ways. It laid the foundation for what the city is today, a thriving tourist center. It also grew the city as well, as many people who moved here decided to stay. The industry affected the rest of the country as well. Other states would eventually adopt more lenient divorce laws by the 1960s, thereby bolstering women's rights.

Built in 1911, the Washoe County Courthouse is historically significant for its architecture, the political history of the county, and its association with the divorce industry. The courthouse has been in continuous use as the county seat of government since its construction. As for its architecture, the courthouse is a fine example of Beaux-Arts architecture and features many decorative elements including the large portico with Corinthian columns, terra cotta ornamentation, and the copper dome. Lastly, the courthouse is notable for the role it played in the early 20th-century divorce industry when the state became attractive to couples seeking to separate thanks to Nevada's more lenient residency laws (thousands of couples were granted divorces at the courthouse). For these reasons, the courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Washoe County Courthouse

This unique building is the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, which was built in 1967 and designed by the architecture firm Bozalis, Dickinson and Roloff. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 for its architecture and the role it played in bringing more cultural events to Reno. Its gold geodesic dome roof, which contains 500 aluminum panels, has been nicknamed the "golden turtle." The theater contains 1,500 seats and hosts a variety of shows. The seating area is sunk deep into the ground, allowing the roof to almost touch the ground outside. 

Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts

Established in 1989, this museum showcases the extensive collection of the late Bill Harrah, as well as a variety of newly-acquired vehicles and special rotating exhibits related to automotive history. The museum's four galleries include over 200 vehicles, many of which are one-of-a-kind such as the 1907 Thomas Flyer-winner of the 1908 New York to Paris Race. The museum includes cars from the personal collection of celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, and Elvis Presley. 

Reno Walking Tour - South of the Truckee River

Washoe County Library

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources