Bowers Mansion—located in Washoe City between Carson City and Reno—is a prime example of one of Nevada’s most stately homes and was constructed with wealth accumulated from the Comstock Lode. While originally Eilley Bowers’ dream house, it soon became a house of sorrows as she lost her three children (two as infants) and her husband before becoming destitute herself. Take a look at this heartbreaking story behind this famous Nevada mansion.
Bowers Mansion was constructed by American Teamster Lemuel “Sandy” Bowers…
Bowers Mansion Regional Park/Yelp
…and his wife, Scottish pioneer and women’s suffragist Allison “Eilley” Oram.
Public Domain
Throughout the 1860s the couple used their accumulated wealth of nearly $4 million ($100 million today) from the Comstock Lode to build their mansion.
Mike B./Yelp The mansion was built in 1863 on land Eilley won in a divorce settlement from ex-husband #2, Alex Cowan. This mansion was Eilley’s dream house with marble fireplaces, gold and silver doorknobs and inserts, and the finest European furniture. For $400,000 ($7.7 million today), this gorgeous mansion combined Georgian and Italianate architecture to resemble Eilley’s Scottish homeland.
There are several informational signs on the property providing a history of the mansion and the Bowers family.
Ken Lund/Flickr Tragedy struck Sandy and Eilley when they lost two infants. During the mansion’s construction, they toured Europe purchasing items for their new home and came home with a new baby named Margaret Persia Bowers.
The original root celler, now the visitors’ center:
Mike B./Yelp
The trail to Bowers Mansion Cemetery:
Ken Lund/Wikimedia Commons
Bowers Mansion Cemetery in Bowers Mansion Park:
Ken Lund/Flickr
This monument was erected by the Masons and shows Alison Orum Bowers (1826-1923), Lemuel Sanford “Sandy” Bowers (1833-1868), Theresa Bowers (1861-1861), “Infant Child” Margaret Persia Bowers (1862-1874), and John Bowers (1860-1860), “Infant Child.”
Ken Lund/Wikimedia Commons Eilley’s sorrow wasn’t over, however. Sandy died in 1868 at the age of 35. She was left destitute and tried several methods to keep her beloved mansion: renting out part of her home, doing Comstock miners’ laundry, holding seances, and throwing lavish parties—anything to make money. Eilley sent Persia to Reno to live with relatives and in July 1874, typhoid, malaria, diphtheria, and cholera hit Reno, and her precious daughter died.
Bowers Mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and was dedicated to the children of United States’ World War II veterans.
Ken Lund/Wikimedia Commons
To maintain its former stateliness, more than 500 Nevada families have donated antique furniture to the mansion.
Reno Tahoe/Flickr Today, visitors flock to the mansion that offers hourly weekend tours from 21 May to 30 October. There is also a playground, swimming pool, and picnic area on the park’s grounds.
On 27 November 1876, Eilley sold her mansion at auction for $10,000 and moved to Virginia City, and then San Francisco, and lived as a poor fortuneteller. She returned to Nevada just prior to 1900 and was sent to the Washoe County poorhouse before being given $30 and sent back to San Francisco where she died on 27 October 1903 at Oakland’s King’s Daughters Home. Her ashes were returned to Bowers Mansion Cemetery and buried next to Sandy.
Bowers Mansion Regional Park/Yelp
Public Domain
Mike B./Yelp
The mansion was built in 1863 on land Eilley won in a divorce settlement from ex-husband #2, Alex Cowan. This mansion was Eilley’s dream house with marble fireplaces, gold and silver doorknobs and inserts, and the finest European furniture. For $400,000 ($7.7 million today), this gorgeous mansion combined Georgian and Italianate architecture to resemble Eilley’s Scottish homeland.
Ken Lund/Flickr
Tragedy struck Sandy and Eilley when they lost two infants. During the mansion’s construction, they toured Europe purchasing items for their new home and came home with a new baby named Margaret Persia Bowers.
Ken Lund/Wikimedia Commons
Eilley’s sorrow wasn’t over, however. Sandy died in 1868 at the age of 35. She was left destitute and tried several methods to keep her beloved mansion: renting out part of her home, doing Comstock miners’ laundry, holding seances, and throwing lavish parties—anything to make money. Eilley sent Persia to Reno to live with relatives and in July 1874, typhoid, malaria, diphtheria, and cholera hit Reno, and her precious daughter died.
Reno Tahoe/Flickr
Today, visitors flock to the mansion that offers hourly weekend tours from 21 May to 30 October. There is also a playground, swimming pool, and picnic area on the park’s grounds.
Bowers Mansion Park is located at 4005 U.S Highway 395 North in New Washoe City. Please call (775) 849-1825 for more information such as ticket prices and directions.
Have you visited Bowers Mansion Park and toured this magnificent home? Please share your thoughts and experiences below.
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