University of Nevada
The establishment of a State University is specifically provided for in Article XI of Nevada's State Constitution, adopted September 7, 1864--notably, not a typical component of state constitutions. Instruction was to be provided in the disciplines of agriculture, mechanic arts, and mining.
In 1874, the State University of Nevada was founded in Elko. That site proved to be impractical, with most of the state’s residents living in the western part of Nevada, so in 1885, the legislature approved the move of the University to Reno. Land was soon acquired on the bench at the north end of the town, and students were enrolled in the spring of 1886. The first diplomas were awarded in 1891.
Morrill Hall was the first structure built on campus, which originally encompassed ten acres. The building housed the entire university until a dormitory was constructed in 1890 and a machine shop was finished in 1892, built primarily by students. Other buildings soon followed. But the state’s economic decline, with the waning of the bonanza days of mining led to a struggle at the university to build enrollment and gain stature.
Fortunately, Clarence Mackay, the son of John Mackay, one of the successful Comstock silver barons, stepped in as a major benefactor. He funded an athletic field and stadium and several buildings around a quadrangle modeled after Thomas Jefferson’s design at the University of Virginia. The university gained early prominence with its Mackay-funded School of Mines. The elm-lined Quad and the University's original core campus were listed as a Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
NOTE: This is tour is arranged by chronological order of construction, not location.
Morrill Hall
The first building on the University of Nevada, Reno campus housed the entire university's operations upon opening in 1886.
Morrill Hall was the first building on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. A three-story (plus basement) “Second Empire”-style edifice, the building was constructed in 1885-1886 after the relocation of the University of Nevada from Elko to Reno, a process that began in 1884. Relatively few…
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Lincoln Hall
The university's first purpose-built men's dormitory opened in 1896.
Lincoln Hall, a two-and-a-half story brick building named for U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, was built in 1895-96 to serve as a men's residence hall. It replaced the men's Rampasture, which had occupied the top floor of the old wooden Mechanical Building, where the living conditions were…
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Manzanita Hall
Constructed as a women's dorm in 1896 and expanded in 1910
Along with Lincoln Hall and Morrill Hall, Manzanita Hall is one of three remaining buildings on the University of Nevada campus constructed prior to 1900. Like its neighboring dormitory, Lincoln Hall, Manzanita (originally named the girls' Cottage) was built in 1896 from plans designed by the…
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Mackay School of Mines
The Classical 1908 edifice contains the W. M. Keck Earth Science & Mineral Engineering Museum
The Mackay School of Mines set the architectural tone for building design on the University campus between 1908, when it was constructed, and 1941—a time when enrollment increased from fewer than 500 to over 3,000 students. It is named after, and is a memorial to, Comstock silver baron John Mackay,…
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John Mackay Statue
The statue donated by the Mackay family honors the Comstock mining baron whose family's contributions transformed the university.
Dedicated on June 10, 1908, the statue of John Mackay that stands at the north end of the University of Nevada Quad in front of the Mackay School of Mines honors the only Comstock mining baron to give back to the state of Nevada. In 1873, while exploring a vein of low-grade ore in the Consolidated…
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University Quad
Modeled after Thomas Jefferson's plan at the University of Virginia
The University of Nevada’s historic quad was not an original component of the campus, but has long been recognized as its most picturesque. The expansive space, measuring roughly 200 x 600 feet, was created in conjunction with the construction of the Mackay School of Mines building in 1908.…
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Mackay Field and Stadium
Home to the university's athletic facilities from 1909 to 1966
Mackay Field and Mackay Stadium were made possible through the extensive generosity of Clarence Mackay, son and heir of Comstock silver baron John Mackay. In 1908, the same year that he provided funding for the Mackay School of Mines, the John Mackay statue, and the university quad, Clarence Mackay…
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Manzanita Lake and Manzanita Bowl
The manmade lake and adjacent grassy expanse have been sites of campus beauty and recreation for generations.
Manzanita Lake is one of the most iconic landmarks on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. For almost a century, the lake has been the site of public recreation, campus tradition, and a diverse collection of wildlife. Manzanita Bowl is the name given to the grassy expanse of trees and lawn…
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Jones Center
The one-story building was the campus library from 1914 to 1927.
Although it is a small building, the Jones Center is significant for its role in Nevada education, for its association with its architect, Frederic DeLongchamps, and for its part in the unity of Clarence Mackay's master plan for the University campus. The library had outgrown its limited space…
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Frandsen Humanities/Agriculture Building
Designed in 1917, the university's first Agriculture Building also housed Home Economics.
Frandsen Humanities, a two-story, rectangular brick building with a classically-inspired limestone façade, began as the University’s first Agriculture Building. Designed in 1917 by Walter O. Lewis, it was built during an enrollment boom for the University of Nevada. The College of Agriculture in…
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Thompson Building
At first the home to teacher training, this 1920 building was pivotal to the growth of the College of Education.
The Thompson Building was built in 1920 to house the University's teacher training program. A two-story, brick building with a classically-inspired facade, this Georgian-style building was designed by Reno architect Frederic DeLongchamps following the stylistic guidelines of Mackay's…
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Mining Experiment Station
Opened in 1921 as a federal Mining Experiment Station, the building long housed UNR Facilities.
The two-story brick building long known as the Physical Plant was designed in 1920 by renowned Nevada architect Frederic DeLongchamps to serve as a Federal Rare and Precious Metals Experiment Station. Its location directly north of the Mackay School of Mines made it a convenient place to research…
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Clark Administration Building
Opened as the Alice McManus Clark Library in 1927
Alice McManus Clark was born in Virginia City, Nevada. After she married William A. Clark Jr., the son of a former U.S. Senator who made a fortune in mining and railroad interests (and for whom Clark County, Nevada was named), she established an annual scholarship at the University of Nevada. She…
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Alpha Tau Omega
A fraternity house built in 1929
The Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house was built in 1929 on a hill overlooking University Terrace in Reno's West University neighborhood, where a number of other fraternities and sororities are located. It was the first fraternity-built house at the University of Nevada. The large red-brick,…
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Mackay Science Building
A gift from Clarence H. Mackay, the Science Hall was built in 1930 for Chemistry, Math, and Physics.
This building, known originally as the Mackay Science Hall, was constructed to house the Departments of Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. These science departments were closely related to the Mackay School of Mines, one of the University’s most prominent divisions. The building was designed to…
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Palmer Engineering Building
Construction of this 1941 building helped the School of Engineering regain its "Class A" rating.
The Palmer Engineering Building was constructed in 1940-41 to more adequately house the College of Engineering, which had grown rapidly in the preceding decade. Designed by Reno architect Russell Mills and built in the Jeffersonian Revival style similar to the Mackay School of Mines and Mackay…
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Virginia Street Gymnasium
Opened in 1945, the gymnasium was long called the "Old Gym" after more modern facilities were constructed.
The Virginia Street Gymnasium was designed in 1938 by Frederic J. DeLongchamps after it was decided that the original gymnasium was no longer large enough to accommodate the University's growing student population. Located on what was then the northern edge of campus, it was the last of a long…
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Silas E. Ross Hall
A new modern home for UNR's School of Business in 1957
Silas E. Ross Hall opened in June 1957, kicking off a campus construction boom that included the Max C. Fleischmann College of Agriculture Building, the Sarah Hamilton Fleischmann School of Home Economics, the Jot Travis Student Union Building, and Church Fine Arts. Authorized in 1955 by the Nevada…
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Church Fine Arts Building
Designed by modernist architect Richard Neutra, opened in 1960, and named for UNR professor James Edward Church.
The J. E. Church Fine Arts Building, designed by world-famous modernist architect Richard Neutra, first opened in the fall of 1960. It was constructed to unite the departments of Speech Communications and Theater, Art, and Music under one modern roof. The entire art department originally occupied…
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Fleischmann Planetarium
A masterpiece of Populuxe architecture, the science center opened in 1963.
The Fleischmann Atmospherium-Planetarium, later called the Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center, was built in 1963. It was the first atmospherium-planetarium of its kind in the world, with the ability to simulate both day and night conditions and a full range of atmospheric phenomena,…
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