Washoe County Library
National Register of Historic Places

Washoe County Library

Reno, Washoe County, Nevada
Listed
February 13, 2013
Type
Building
Period
Modern
Ref No.
13000011

About this property

The Downtown Reno Library is the main library of the Washoe County Library System, at 301 S. Center St. in Reno, Nevada. It occupies a historic Modern-style building listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Washoe County Library. It is known also as the Downtown Library. It was designed by Hewitt Campau Wells in Modern style and was built in 1965. The building received the national Industrial Landscape Award in 1968 for its interior use of plants, shrubs, and trees as an integral part of its design. The award, presented by Lady Bird Johnson in Washington, D.C., was given specifically to architect Hewitt Wells, to landscape architect Mitchell Serven, and to Purdy and Fitzpatrick Nursery. Although the building was less than 50 years old, the usual requirement, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. It has a fallout shelter which in 2015 was one of the few remaining ones in Reno. In 2014 Cengage Learning gave the library the award "coolest internal space", giving the library $500.

Location

301 S. Center St.
Reno, Washoe County, Nevada
39.52445, -119.81132

Categories

ARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
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.

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Everything a full report reveals about Washoe County Library

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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.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Pioneer Theater-Auditorium
Pre Contact
0 mi
US Post Office-Reno Main
Industrial
0 mi
Riverside Hotel
Early Republic
0.1 mi
Virginia Street Bridge
Civil War
0.1 mi
Southside School
Civil War
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

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

Questions about this property

When was Washoe County Library listed on the National Register?

Washoe County Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 13, 2013.

What type of historic resource is Washoe County Library?

Washoe County Library is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Washoe County Library?

The period of significance for Washoe County Library is recorded as the modern era.

Can I research the history near Washoe County Library?

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