National Register of Historic Places

Leavitt, Thomas, House

Bunkerville, Clark County, Nevada
Listed
November 14, 1991
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
91001653

About this property

Thomas Leavitt House, a brick house built in the nineteenth century in Bunkerville, Nevada, United States, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Thomas Leavitt House was built by Thomas Dudley Leavitt (1857–1933), who was born in Santa Clara, Utah, the son of Lemuel Sturdevant Leavitt and his wife Laura Melvina (Thompson). Thomas Dudley Leavitt settled in Bunkerville, Nevada, near Mesquite, Nevada. in 1877 with 22 other members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Leavitt's group harked back to church pioneer Joseph Smith, founding a utopian community based on an economic system based on cooperative labor and communal property ownership, principles that Mormon leader Brigham Young had set aside in favor of the tithing system. But Young permitted the settlement to proceed despite his differences with the utopian ideals of the United Order settlers. Thomas Leavitt built a two-story brick home in Bunkerville for his first wife Louella (Abbott). Then Leavitt subsequently married a second wife Ada (Waite). The prosperous Leavitt, who had thrived growing grain, raising cattle and selling molasses, built another home for the family. The T-shaped house, two stories high and one room deep, had chimneys at each end. The design was typical of the homes of Mormon settlers dispersing from Salt Lake northward to Idaho and southward towards Nevada. The house featured multiple exterior doors, which in a Mormon polygamist community meant that the house would allow circulation while allowing some interior privacy. The house had no hallways, and was surrounded by large wooden porches on the exterior. Eventually, the large home couldn't contain the Mormon settler's entire brood. He had gone on to father some 22 children—11 with each wife. So Leavitt built a house next door for his wife Ada. The original brick house today is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It sits on a large lot surrounded by a picket fence, with honey locust trees, chicken coops and the house's original stone granary out back. The house retains the character of the early Mormon utopian settlement. Thomas Dudley Leavitt Park in Bunkerville is also named for the early Mormon pioneer.

Location

160 S. First West St.
Bunkerville, Clark County, Nevada
36.77089, -114.12776

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTARCHITECTURERELIGION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Leavitt, Thomas, House

This page lists Leavitt, Thomas, House. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Leavitt, Thomas, House report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Hunt, Parley, House
Industrial
0.7 mi
Desert Valley Museum
Industrial
4 mi
Mesquite High School Gymnasium
Industrial
4.6 mi
Spanish Trail, Old,-Mormon Road Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Colonial
22.5 mi
LDS Moapa Stake Office Building
Industrial
23.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Leavitt, Thomas, House listed on the National Register?

Leavitt, Thomas, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 14, 1991.

What type of historic resource is Leavitt, Thomas, House?

Leavitt, Thomas, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Leavitt, Thomas, House?

The period of significance for Leavitt, Thomas, House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Leavitt, Thomas, House?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Leavitt, Thomas, House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Clark County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Clark County.

Explore ClarkCounty ›

More historic places in Nevada

Browse all historic places in Nevada.

View Nevadahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Nevada history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Nevadahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Leavitt, Thomas, House will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report