Railroad Cottage Historic District

The Railroad Cottage Historic District is an area originally comprising eight historic cottages along Casino Center Boulevard in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. The eight cottages had once been part of a development of 64 homes constructed by the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad to provide housing for their employees. Although a handful of cottages still existed at the time, only eight neighboring cottages were included in the district when it was created in 1987.

Railroad Cottage Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
The only remaining cottage in its original location.
Location	601-629 S. Casino Center Boulevard Las Vegas, Nevada
Built	1909-11
Architect	San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad
Architectural style	Bungalow/Craftsman
NRHP reference No.	87001622
Added to NRHP	December 22, 1987

Beginning in 2005, all but one of the eight cottages in the district were demolished or moved to clear land for the failed Club Renaissance condominium tower.[1]

Las Vegas' railroad cottages

This empty lot was where the eight cottages once stood; the only remaining cottage is behind the white fence. As of 2019, the lot remains vacant.

A total of 64 cottages were constructed by the railroad from 1900-1912 in three different styles.[2] The three bedroom model offered 812 sq ft (75.4 m²) and the two bedroom house contained 768 sq ft.[3]

Most of Las Vegas' railroad cottages have been demolished, although a few have been preserved. In 2002, the cottage at 521 Third Street was moved to the Clark County Museum, where it was restored and opened to the public in 2013.[4][5] The cottage at 604 South Fourth Street was moved to the Springs Preserve[6] in 2005, where it was later restored as part of the preserve's Boomtown 1905 exhibit. (Neither of these two cottages were part of the historic district.)

The district's eight cottages

The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1987.[7][8][9]

The District's Eight Cottages

Address	Status
601 South Casino Center	Moved to Springs Preserve
605 South Casino Center	Demolished 2006
609 South Casino Center	Demolished 2006
613 South Casino Center	Demolished prior to May 2002
617 South Casino Center	Moved to Springs Preserve
621 South Casino Center	Moved to Springs Preserve
625 South Casino Center	Demolished 2006
629 South Casino Center	Only remaining cottage at original location

As most of the district was to be replaced by Club Renaissance, it was decided to save some of the cottages. Three of the homes were moved to a temporary location in the Springs Preserve in 2005[10] and/or 2006.[11] In 2013, the cottages were moved to a permanent location within the preserve and restoration work began.[11] The three restored cottages were included in the preserve's Boomtown 1905 exhibit that opened February 4, 2017.[12]

References

1. Kulin, Dan (February 17, 2005). "60-story building to replace historic railroad cottages". Las Vegas Sun. Las Vegas, Nevada. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
2. "2003 Eleven Most Endangered". Preserve Nevada. Archived from the original on 2007-11-19. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
3. "Self guided tour #1b: Downtown Las Vegas (south of Fremont Street)". Architecture Studies Library. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
4. Lyle, Michael (July 15, 2013). "Historic railroad cottage renovation is under way at the Clark County Museum". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Las Vegas, Nevada. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
5. Lyle, Michael (November 15, 2013). "Restored railroad cottage opening to public in Henderson". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Las Vegas, Nevada. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
6. Thomson, Joe (January 2004). "Railroad Cottages soon to be cut in half" (PDF). pacc.info. PACC January 2004 Newsletter. Preservation Association of Clark County. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
7. "Railroad Cottage Historic District". Archiplanet. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
8. "Nevada Entries in the National Register of Historic Places". Archived from the original on 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
9. "Railroad Cottage Historic District". National Register of Historic Places-Registration Form. National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
10. "Las Vegas Downtown Centennial Plan [August 2009 revision]" (PDF). ndotprojectneon.com. August 8, 2009. Retrieved August 23, 2020. To make way for the Club Renaissance highrise development on Casino Center Boulevard and Bonneville Avenue, three historic railroad cottages dating from 1909 were moved to the Las Vegas Springs Preserve in 2005. Other cottages were dismantled for the restoration of the three intact cottages. The project was completed with the considerable assistance and cooperation from the developers of Club Renaissance, non-profit organizations, and the City of Las Vegas.
11. Cullen, Natalie (March 13, 2013). "Railroad Cottages Moved for First Phase of Restoration". 8newsnow.com. Las Vegas, Nevada. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
12. Prevatt, Mike (February 1, 2017). "Springs Preserve's Boomtown Re-creates a Las Vegas Streetscape". Las Vegas Weekly. Las Vegas, Nevada. Retrieved August 23, 2020.