Twaddle Mansion
National Register of Historic Places

Twaddle Mansion

Reno, Washoe County, Nevada
Listed
March 7, 1983
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
83001122

About this property

The Twaddle Mansion was built for rancher Ebenezer "Eben" Twaddle in Reno, Nevada. The two-story frame house was built in 1905 by contractor Benjamin Leon in the Colonial Revival style, an unusual choice for Nevada, and executed with particular opulence. The house features a richly ornamented first floor. The entry porch features clusters of Ionic columns supporting a frieze and pediment. The curving porch extends around the house to the west, echoing the house's corner lot placement. The east side features an extensively decorated hooded window. The porch columns are linked by turned balusters. Corners are marked with two-story Ionic pilasters. The second floor is more restrained in its detailing, almost to the point of relative austerity compared with the first. The house's windows are fitted with beveled glass. Eaves are supported by brackets interspersed with decorative relief over the second floor windows. The hipped roof is outfitted with small dormers with diamond-pane windows. Eben Twaddle was a Reno-area rancher and was a six-term Reno city councilman, hospital administrator, school board representative and fire marshal. After the passage of liberalized divorce laws in Reno, it became a temporary residence for applicants observing the mandatory local residence time for divorce. In 1927 the local six-month waiting period for a divorce was reduced to three months, and in 1931 it was further reduced to six weeks, greatly increasing the divorce trade in Reno. The house later became a religious center for the Baháʼí Faith, and then was converted to commercial use. The Twaddle Mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Laurence Peter Digesti, a local Reno attorney, purchased the mansion in the 1990s and renovated the inside so that it now is The Digesti Law Firm LLP.

Location

485 W. Fifth St.
Reno, Washoe County, Nevada
39.53024, -119.82102

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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 Twaddle Mansion

This page lists Twaddle Mansion. 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 Twaddle Mansion report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Humphrey House
Civil War
0 mi
Borland-Clifford House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Francovich House
Civil War
0.2 mi
Nystrom Guest House
Civil War
0.2 mi
Bethel AME Church
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Verdi Train Robbery — Central Pacific Express NV
1870Frontier
8.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Twaddle Mansion listed on the National Register?

Twaddle Mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 7, 1983.

What type of historic resource is Twaddle Mansion?

Twaddle Mansion is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Twaddle Mansion?

The period of significance for Twaddle Mansion is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1905.

Can I research the history near Twaddle Mansion?

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 Twaddle Mansion will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Washoe County

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

Explore WashoeCounty ›

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 Twaddle Mansion will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report