Railroad Cottage Historic District

A total of 64 cottages were constructed by the railroad from 1900 to 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]

This historic significance of the homes was first identified in a 1978 survey called Historic Preservation Inventory & Planning Guidelines City of Las Vegas, by Charles Hall Page & Associates. 28 homes identified as "Railroad employee cottages" were included in the survey.^[4]

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.^[5][6] The cottage at 604 South Fourth Street was moved to the Springs Preserve^[7] 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 former residence at 626 S Casino Center is the last remaining home of the Railroad Cottage Historic District. There are three other former railroad cottages on the same block at 608, 612, and 616 S 3rd, which were not included in the 1987 Railroad Cottage Historic District listing.^[4]

The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1987.^[8][9][10]

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^[11] and/or 2006.^[12] In 2013, the cottages were moved to a permanent location within the preserve and restoration work began.^[12] The three restored cottages were included in the preserve's Boomtown 1905 exhibit that opened February 4, 2017.^[13]