Bufkin House
This site is part of the Black Springs tour, a partnership with Our Story, Inc. Visit the Tours page for the tour introduction and complete list of sites.
The house where Barbet and Jewell Bufkin lived, at 375 Westbrook Lane, dates to approximately 1940 and was likely moved here from its original location sometime in the mid-to-late 1950s. Additional living space was subsequently added to the rear of the house.
The Bufkins were originally from Mississippi, where they married in 1930. The couple then moved to Herlong, California, where they lived for about ten years before moving to the Reno area. The couple had five children: Barbet Jr., Joseph, Marcus, Mildred, and Georgia. Jewell died in 1972 at age 60.
Her family recalls that Jewell loved flowers, and the yard was filled with beautiful rose bushes. Barbet served for a time in the 1970s as the chairman of the Black Springs General Improvement District. Helen Townsell-Parker, who grew up in the house next door, recalls how Mr. Bufkin spent a lot of time working in his yard in his overalls. Known as a religious man, he was very well respected in the community and died in 2001 at age 95. The house was later purchased by Bufkin's grandson, Gino Osborne.
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