Riverside Hotel (Reno, Nevada) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Riverside Hotel
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 Location in Nevada
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| Location | 17 South Virginia Street Reno, Nevada 89501 |
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| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Frederic DeLongchamps |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| MPS | Architecture of Frederick J. DeLongchamps TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002256 |
| Added to NRHP | August 6, 1986 |
| Riverside Hotel & Casino | |
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| Address | 17 South Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada |
| Opening date | 1927 |
| Closing date | 1986 |
| Notable restaurants | Wild River Grille |
| Casino type | Land-based |
The Riverside Hotel was once a famous hotel and casino in Downtown Reno, Nevada. It stands on the very spot where Reno first began in 1859. Today, the building has been changed into apartments and studios for artists. It is officially recognized and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
A Look Back: Early History of the Riverside Hotel
Reno's First Stop: From Log Cabin to Hotel
In the early days, a man named C. W. Fuller ran a simple log building here. It offered food and a place to sleep for people searching for gold. These gold-seekers were heading east from California in what was called the "Rush to Washoe." This rush was caused by the discovery of gold, and later silver, in an area known as the Comstock Lode.
Later, Myron Lake owned the property from 1861 into the 1880s. He ran several hotels there, all called Lake's House. After he passed away, his daughter and her husband took over. They renamed the hotel the Riverside.
Another owner, Harry Gosse, turned the small wooden building into a brick hotel, keeping the Riverside name. His daughter, Marguerite Gosse, later became a Nevada Assemblywoman, helping to make laws for the state. This brick version of the Riverside Hotel was later destroyed in a fire.
Rebuilding the Riverside: A New Era
Harry Gosse wanted to rebuild, but he couldn't find the money. So, George Wingfield, who was a very powerful man in Reno at the time, bought the property.
Frederic DeLongchamps, a well-known architect and former mining engineer in Nevada, designed the new Riverside Hotel in 1927 for George Wingfield. This new building was six stories high. It was the tallest building in Nevada until the seven-story El Cortez hotel was finished in Reno in 1931.
DeLongchamps designed the building using rich red brick, which was common in Reno. He added details in a contrasting cream-colored Gothic Revival style using terra cotta. The hotel was built right next to the Truckee River and near the Washoe County Courthouse, which DeLongchamps also designed. This made the Riverside Reno's most popular hotel.
A Famous Hotel: The Riverside's Reputation
After Nevada passed a new law in 1931 that made it easier for people to get a divorce, George Wingfield put a huge neon sign on the roof. This sign advertised the hotel and could be seen all over the Truckee Meadows. The Riverside became famous around the world and was often mentioned in books and movies about people getting divorces in Reno.
The Riverside Hotel was designed to be comfortable for people who came to Reno for a short stay. It had 40 special corner suites with kitchens and connecting rooms for children or staff. Each of these apartment suites had a unique refrigerator that was insulated with cork and lined with tile. Cold liquid called "brine" was sent through these refrigerators from a main cooling system in the basement. There were also 60 single rooms for shorter visits.
For example, Clare Boothe, a famous author, editor, congresswoman, and ambassador, stayed in one of these rooms in 1929. She wrote about her experience:
Her train arrived in Reno at 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 6, 1929, in a fierce blizzard. Clare's mood turned bleak as the weather when she discovered that her reserved apartment at the Riverside Hotel (a red brick building between the Truckee River and the courthouse) was occupied and that she would have to settle for a 'cubby hole' of a room for the first three days.
The Riverside Hotel was a popular spot for news reporters. Many journalists came to Reno to cover the national trend that reporter Walter Winchell called "Renovation." Reno had almost as many reporters as visitors, with news offices from major organizations like Associated Press and the New York Daily News. They all wanted to find exciting stories.
The Riverside Casino: Gaming and Entertainment
Opening the Casino: A New Attraction
Besides the hotel suites, Wingfield also opened the Riverside Bank. He rented out space for a casino, taking a large part (up to 25%) of the casino's profits. He was already getting a share of profits from other clubs in town.
The casino inside the Riverside was run by Nick Abelman. It offered high-quality shows, excellent food, and many table games and slot machines. This kept both hotel guests and local people coming back for many years.
Abelman and his partners, Steve Pavlovich and Bert Riddick, managed the gaming until 1949. Then, Mert Wertheimer convinced Wingfield to let him make the casino bigger. Wertheimer had enough money from his other businesses to expand the Riverside.
Changes and Closures: The Later Years
The Riverside added 84 more guest rooms and the first swimming pool ever built in a Reno hotel. Wingfield sold the hotel in December 1955. Over the next 25 years, the hotel had several different owners, and most of them continued to run a casino there.
In 1967, the Nevada Gaming Commission stopped the Riverside from having a gaming license, and the Riverside closed completely in 1968. In 1971, Jessie Beck bought the property and opened her own casino.
Beck ran a successful business. In 1978, she sold the Riverside to Harrah's Entertainment. This sale helped Harrah's make a deal for another casino called the Overland Casino. "Pick" Hobson then took over the Riverside. He ran the hotel and casino until it finally closed in 1986, almost 60 years after Wingfield rebuilt the hotel along the Truckee River.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Park Service.
