Giraud/Hardy House

The Giraud/Hardy House was built by sheep rancher Joseph Giraud around 1914 (the date of the architectural drawings). Its architect was Frederic DeLongchamps (1882-1969), who designed it in a vernacular expression of the Colonial/Georgian Revival style. DeLongchamps was in the early stages of his illustrious and prolific career, having recently designed a number of prominent Reno buildings including the Washoe County Courthouse, Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad Depot, and Reno National Bank.

In 1934, the house was purchased by Roy Allen Hardy, a mining engineer who worked for the mining enterprises of George Wingfield, prominent Nevada politician and banker. Hardy was one of Nevada's outstanding figures in mine and milling operations. He served in numerous capacities as mine foreman, supervisor, owner, and operator of a number of mining operations in Tonopah, Virginia City, and Humboldt County. He also served as a Regent in the University of Nevada System of Higher Education for eight years.

In 1976, the residence was converted into a restaurant, long known as the Hardy House. From 2008 to 2019 it operated as an Italian Cultural Arts Center called arte italia, under the auspices of the E.L. Wiegand Foundation, with the goal of perpetuating traditional Italian art and culinary arts.

The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and the City of Reno Historic Register in 1994.

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