HRPS presented its July 2020 Artown Neighborhood Stories virtually using Zoom. Did you miss any of the live story events or wish you could see it again? We recorded each story so you can watch at your leisure. Just scroll down to see what is available and then click the link to the video. The videos may take some time to load depending on your bandwidth.
Reno underwent a building boom in the 1960s and 70s to keep up with trends in modern architecture. Learn about the Modern Movement and the many important properties built in Reno during that era including the Downtown Reno Library, "old" City Hall (now the Discovery Museum), "new" City Hall (formerly First Interstate Bank building) and the Pioneer Center.
Presenter: Sharon Honig-Bear
Learn about one of Reno's oldest and most prestigious neighborhoods and its impressive variety of architectural styles. Newlands Heights Historic District was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
Presenter: Scott Gibson
Turn back the clocks to the 1920s and 1930s to learn about the prohibition era in Reno. We will explore the streets and alleys and significant buildings to recall Reno's saloons and reformers (the WCTU and Anti-Saloon League).
Presenters: Sharon Honig-Bear and Debbie Hinman
Chinese herbal shops, Judaism's early days and a rich African-American heritage come alive in this presentation. Includes a visit inside the Lear Theater and the historic Bethel AME Church.
Presenter: Sharon Honig-Bear
Hear about the Humboldt and Lander Streets Neighborhood. Discover the architectural treasures of this area: a mix of bungalows, period revivals and cottage styles.
Presenter: Susan Mullen
Learn the story of Reno's most treasured historic neighborhood. Many of early Reno's prominent families built generous homes on this once treeless bluff overlooking the Truckee River with panoramic views of Peavine Mountain and the Sierra. Imagine the beauty and charm of this coveted neighborhood, largely developed by U.S. Senator Francis Newlands.
Presenters: Donna and Paul Erickson
Hear about Writing from the "Underbelly." There's more to Reno's literary history than "City of Trembling Leaves!" Reno continues to be a mythical magnet for 'outsider' writers and characters. The misfits, outcasts and seekers. Let your imagination roam as we travel downtown streets encountered by traditional writers like Will James, Robert Laxalt and Joanne de Longchamps, then learn the haunts of contemporary writers such as Bernie Schopen, Willy Vlautin and Susan Palwick.
Presenters: Pat Klos and Sharon Honig-Bear
Join HRPS for a visit to two of Reno's most historic cemeteries: Knights of Pythias and Hillside to become acquainted with some of their most notable residents.
Presenters: Frances Tryon and Brett Banks (Hillside) and Bill Mardon (Knights of Pythias)
Hear about Reno's relationship with the Truckee over time, learn of the great floods and of Reno's architectural heritage, hear the Voice of the City, and learn about Reno's history.
Presenters: Jim Smith and Brad Carlson
The architectural gems along Ridge Street & California Avenue were the homes of senators, physicians and businessmen who made early Reno the Biggest Little City in the World. U.S. Senator Francis Newlands developed this neighborhood that sits on the bluff overlooking the Truckee River with panoramic views of Peavine Mountain, the Sierra and downtown Reno.
Presenters: Donna and Paul Erickson
Hear the story of Reno architects Edward Parsons and Russell Mills and the homes they designed, many of which were located in Newlands Heights, one of Reno's most unique neighborhoods. Learn about the hallmarks of each architect's style and how their careers were intertwined.
Presenter: ZoAnn Campana
Hear about an area of southwest Reno steeped in history from the 1920s and 30s. Hear about the original Reno Golf Club, Reno's first airfield and the luxurious, ill-fated Country Club. With the growing popularity of the Washoe Golf Course and the newly-created Virginia Lake, the early 1940s saw the rise of a new neighborhood created for suburban living. The sale of lots rather than homes ensured an eclectic mix of architectural styles and homes of all sizes.
Presenter: Debbie Hinman
Hear the stories behind Reno’s tallest historic buildings in our downtown. Learn about the changes in technology that allowed architects and engineers to create buildings at increasingly towering heights, as well as the evolving details used to adorn high rise architecture between the 1930s and 1960s.
Presenter: ZoAnn Campana