Bowers Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bowers Mansion
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Bowers Mansion, 1940
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| Location | Washoe City, Nevada |
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| Built | 1863 |
| Architect | J. Neely Johnson |
| Architectural style | Georgian, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001143 |
| Added to NRHP | January 31, 1976 |
The Bowers Mansion is a beautiful old house in Nevada. It sits between the cities of Reno and Carson City. This mansion was built in 1863 by a couple named Lemuel "Sandy" Bowers and Eilley Orrum Bowers. It's a great example of the fancy homes built by rich people during the Comstock Lode mining boom in Nevada.
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History of Bowers Mansion
How the Bowers Family Got Rich
The land where the mansion stands was first bought in 1856. Eilley Orrum and her second husband, Alex Cowan, owned it. They moved back to Utah a year later. Eilley then got a divorce and moved to Gold Hill. There, she ran a place where miners could stay and she also did their laundry.
Sometimes, miners couldn't pay Eilley with money. Instead, they gave her parts of their mining claims. This is how she got a mining claim that, along with her third husband Sandy's claim, made them very wealthy. Their fortune came from the rich silver and gold found in the Comstock Lode.
Building a Dream Home
The mansion was Eilley's dream. She wanted a home that showed off their wealth and earned them respect. The house was designed by J. Neely Johnson. He was a builder and a former governor of California. The mansion mixes two styles: Georgian Revival and Italianate.
Eilley had seen elegant buildings in her home country of Scotland. She used her memories to help design the mansion. The Bowers even hired stonecutters from Scotland to help build their new home. It cost a huge amount of money, about $300,000, which was a fortune in the 1860s.
Life and Loss at the Mansion
From 1861 to 1863, Eilley and Sandy traveled around Europe. They bought lots of furniture, statuary, paintings, and other decorations for their new home. Sadly, in 1874, their only living child, a daughter named Persia, passed away at age 12. She likely died from a burst appendix. Their first two children had died when they were babies.
After Sandy Bowers died in 1868, Eilley faced tough financial times. To make money, she rented out rooms in the mansion. She also hosted parties and picnics on the grounds. The mansion even held a big dance for the women's suffrage movement. This movement worked to get women the right to vote. The mansion was also the place for the yearly Miner's Ball. The years 1873 to 1875 were when the mansion was most popular.
However, these efforts were not enough to pay off Eilley's debts. She eventually lost her home in 1876 due to foreclosure. This means the bank took the property because she couldn't pay her loans. The mansion was empty for a while. Then, in 1903, Henry Riter bought it and turned it into a resort.
Bowers Mansion Today
Bowers Mansion Regional Park is located on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It is about 20 miles south of Reno. The park has large, sunny grassy areas and many tall shade trees. This makes it a great place for picnics.
The park also has a swimming pool that is open in the summer. There is a splash pad for kids and two playgrounds. Restrooms are available too. Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space now own and manage the building. About 500 Nevada families have given old furniture to the mansion. You can take tours of the mansion during the summer and autumn months.
Hot Springs at the Park
There is a hot spring at the park. It used to heat a swimming pool, but the spring is no longer used for swimming. However, the warm water from the earth is still used. It provides hot water and heated showers for the park's facilities. Part of the original hot spring pool is still there. It is now used as a pond to store water for watering plants.
See also
In Spanish: Bowers Mansion para niños
