– UPDATE –
Sadly, the one remaining stone house on Mt. Rose has fallen victim to the rampant development affecting Northern Nevada. It is no more and is being replaced by a development of modern homes.
Progress marches forward, kicking Nevada history to the curb! Over the last 3 – 4 years, we’ve noticed that this appears to be a common theme in our area. Without protection, many of our historic landmarks will be destroyed in the name of progress.
In the old days (say the late 1950s through the 1970s), when we went to Reno, we’d take Old 395. At the junction of Old 395 and Mt. Rose, there were five small houses, a couple were built of pink stone, another couple were wood frame and one looked as though it was a combination of both building materials.
At the time, we didn’t question why those houses were there, out in the middle of nowhere. And over time, people, for the most part, forgot about these houses. This was especially true once I580 opened as the houses are/were not easily visible from the freeway.
Today, only one of the houses has survived and it looks as though it’s become party central. We went exploring and believe that the craftsmanship of the lone survivor can be attributed to the Native American stonemasons from the Stewart Indian School. The house is pretty much destroyed, only the walls are standing and it’s full of trash and used drug paraphernalia.
It’s a shame that these houses were neglected, that they were not loved and protected. Hopefully, whoever owns the property will protect the last house and, maybe, even restore it! The house is a vital part of Nevada’s history and deserves to be saved!
