Reno’s 1868 house was sold for $1, but there was one catch

The Benham-Belz House, which is believed to be the oldest surviving house built in Reno, sat at 347 West Street, on Lot 8 of Block E of the original Reno townsite, for 150 years. But in July 2025, the historic house left the neighbourhood where it had stood since the 19th century. Its move was not the end of the house’s story, but an effort to preserve it. The historic house has been relocated to a private site near Mayberry Drive and McCarran Boulevard, just as its previous owner wanted. In spring 2024, it was sold to a private party for just $1, with one important condition: it had to be moved and preserved. More than a year later, on 10 July 2025, the house was relocated.Built in the year Reno’s history beganReno was barely a town when the house went up. The Central Pacific Railroad began selling lots on the original townsite in May 1868, and the family of I.T. Benham, a stonemason, bought Lot 8 of Block E, according to the Historic Reno Preservation Society (HRPS). The lot is now 347 West Street. The Benham-Belz House was constructed in Reno’s founding year, 1868, or early 1869, according to Reno Historical. No wonder it is the oldest surviving house constructed in Reno. That c...