Historic cottages at Springs Preserve to spotlight era of early settlers

The Springs Preserve recently began phase one of its historic railroad cottage restoration project.

The four cottages, built between Casino Center Boulevard and Fourth Street in 1910, were relocated to the preserve in 2006 and were trucked nearly a mile within the park to their permanent location March 13 near Valley View Boulevard .

“Most likely, if we hadn’t taken them, they would have been demolished,” Springs Preserve’s resident archaeologist, Nathan Harper, said. “We want to maintain the character of the structures.”

The cottages were built for mid-level employees of the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, a subsidiary of Union Pacific Railroad, such as engineers and conductors. Las Vegas served as the halfway point between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City in part because of the natural springs.

Sixty-four cottages were constructed in the area bounded by Casino Center Boulevard and Fourth Street to the east and west, Clark and Garces avenues to the north and south. The four-room homes came in four different styles .

Harper said the Springs Preserve was given the buildings’ original blueprints courtesy of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas library’s special collections department. The blueprints, according to Harper, provide great details — down to the color of trim in each room — that his crew will use to restore the cottages to their original form.

Downtown advocate and blogger Brian “Paco” Alvarez was one of the first people to work on UNLV’s collection of Union Pacific Railroad material, including the plans for the tract housing.

“(The railroad cottages) were one of the first tract home communities in the United States,” Alvarez said. “That’s a pretty big deal.”

The Springs Preserve received $12.1 million in Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act funding for the project . Funds will also help pay for an expansion of the Springs Preserve’s trails system and its pond project, an effort to restore natural habitats for indigenous insects and amphibians.

“We’ve placed the four cottages on original sized lots,” he said. “We’re going to try to stay as close as possible to the original design — the roofing, the picket fences, everything.”

Much like the Clark County Museum’s Heritage Street, the cottages will serve as museums offering a glimpse into the lives of early settlers. The Springs Preserve also plans to construct a small train depot next to the cottages.

J.A. Tiberti, a civic leader and pillar in the Las Vegas construction industry, lived in one of the cottages , according to Harper, and part of the exhibit will incorporate his history.

It is that type of historic preservation work that Alvarez said is much needed in the city’s urban core.

“The railroad first came to Las Vegas because of the water, and for the railroad cottages to be moved closer to the source of that water, I think, is touching,” he said.

Phase one of the restoration is expected to be completed around September, Harper said.

Other proposed exhibits to be included with the cottages are a re-created town atmosphere with storefronts and a re-creation of a Las Vegas rail depot. These secondary projects are still in the design process , said Harper.

“It is incredible to have that depth of history available to us,” he said. “It helps to connect people to the history of their city. That is really the goal of the Springs Preserve.”

Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter Nolan Lister at nlister@viewnews.com or 702-383-0492.