Lemmon-Anderson-Hixson Ranch, Residence, 11220 North Virginia Street, Reno

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS NEV,16-RENO,4A-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

This building is significant as a contributing element of the Fielding-Hixson-Anderson Ranch, a property that has been determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. This wood frame home is the larger of two residences at this site and was probably occupied by a ranch manager, or perhaps as a home for Henry Anderson when he came to stay at the ranch. As such, this home may have been the effective headquarters for the Peavine Ranch operations. Description: The main residence, the most northerly of the four buildings in this ranch complex, is a Pyramidal Style Bungalow, built around It is rectangular in plan with a hipped roof of medium pitch, oriented front to rear. Exposed rafters line the eaves.

A recessed entry porch exists under the roof at the front left comer. The house is set on a rough-cut stone foundation. Asbestos shingles, which were installed over the original wooden shingles, cover the walls. Composition shingles cover the roof. A brick and stone masonry chimney protrudes from the center right side of the ridge. Windows around the house are bungalow style in character, particularly the front picture window. It is divided into three parts, with a large square pane at the center, and narrow panes at each side, with each side pane being divided again into four smaller panes. The overall window composition is horizontal. A second three-part window exists on the left (south) side of the house.

Other windows around the house are predominantly vertical two- over-two double hung wooden sash. A pair of shorter double hung LEMMON-ANDERSON-HIXSON RANCH Residence HABS No. NV-32-A (Page 2) windows is found at the left (south) side sharing one common wooden frame. This building is located about 70 feet west of North Virginia Street. The room arrangements are shown in the attached Sketch Floor Plan.

Historic Context: This building was built as part of the larger Peavine Ranch, which was operated as a cattle operation between the and the late and as a sheep operation from through the Unfortunately, little information exists as to the exact functions of the four remaining historical buildings, although their general functions may be inferred from archival data and the character of the buildings. The four buildings are: two residences (including this building); a blacksmith shop; and a summer kitchen. The two residences stand side-by-side. Both are rather small: this building has a living space of about 800 square feet, minus the stone masonry cool house. The other residence has an area of about square feet.

The larger residence was clearly built after the sheep ranch was started in It is possible but not likely that this cottage was built before It is presumed that the two residences were used as housing for field hands or ranch managers for the sheep operation. The Peavine Ranch was a huge facility, covering acres. To the west (behind these buildings), the ranch was probably an open range. To the east, the ranch included irrigated pasture and alfalfa fields. There was a separate cluster of buildings, including at least one residence, along the edge of Silver Lake. Scant oral historical data suggests that this home may have been used by Henry Anderson and his family when they came to inspect and manage the sheep operations.

It is known that Henry Anderson's full-time residence was on North Virginia Street near the University of Nevada, about 10 miles southeast of this site. It is probable, however, that Anderson and his family would have visited the ranch site from time to time. The only evidence to support the idea that they stayed in this house comes from the recollections of Rosemarie Hixson, the current owner of the home. Hixson knew Andrew Anderson, Henry Anderson's son, between the late and his death in Hixson recalls that Andrew Anderson told her of staying in this house when he was a child. LEMMON-ANDERSON-HIXSON RANCH Residence HABS No. NV-32-A (Page 3)

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS NEV,16-RENO,4A-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

This Historic American Buildings Survey documentation is being prepared to mitigate impacts of the Alturas Transmission Project. The Sierra Pacific Power Company of Reno, Nevada will construct a 345 kV transmission line and electric substations from a tap point on the Bonneville Power Administration lines near Alturas, California. It will extend to Reno, Nevada, crossing both private and public lands. This project will require installation of a power line along the west right of way of U.S. between North Virginia Street and the freeway. This line will pass across the street from the Lemmon-Anderson-Hixson Ranch property. It will also require installation of a power pole on the east side of North Virginia Street, across from the northeastern comer of the Lemmon-Anderson- Hixson property.

No part of the ranch parcel will be taken; impacts to it are strictly indirect, relating to the power line and power pole. A Memorandum of Agreement has been reached between the Nevada State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) regarding mitigation for these indirect impacts. Among the provisions was one that the buildings, structures, and landscape elements of this property be recorded to Level II of the Historic American Buildings Survey.

Lemmon-Anderson-Hixson Ranch

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