This historical fort was the first non-native structure built in the Las Vegas area. It was built by missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called the Mormon Church) who were sent by President Brigham Young to settle the valley in 1855. The area was known for its meadows and springs in the middle of the vast desert. They built a 150-square-foot adobe fort next to Las Vegas Creek in an area rich with cottonwoods and willows.

The 30 original missionary-settlers worked with the Southern Paiutes sharing their religion as well as new farming techniques. The settlers also explored the area looking for mining opportunities. However, after just two years, the LDS missionaries abandoned the fort, moving to other settlements in the Great Basin area. Some miners stayed on longer at the fort looking for silver on Mount Potosi in 1861.

The fort’s history did not end there, however. It is not unlikely that Union soldiers were stationed there during the Civil War. A few years later, William Knapp, one of the original settlers, returned to live at the fort and opened a store for miners and travelers. In 1865, Octavius Decatur Gass built Los Vegas Rancho on the site and continued in that trade. in 1881, Archibald and Helen J. Stewart took over the property and ran it as a ranch. Helen is known as “The First Lady of Las Vegas” and raised her five children on the ranch after Archibald was killed in a gunfight in 1884. She eventually sold the property and its water rights to the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad in 1902.

The fort served the growing town as a post office at one point and a dairy ranch at another. It provided places for tourists to stay. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation leased it from 1929–1931 as office space and laboratory testing facilities during the construction of the Hoover Dam.

Though not much remains of the original 14’x2′ walls, a portion of the wall is on display and is heralded as the oldest-known building remains in Nevada (at least non-native structures). In addition, many parts of the building have been rebuilt to show visitors what life was like on the early ranch, complete with antiques from the era.

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Doris White is a native of Oregon and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English and a minor in Editing. She loves to talk with others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Beehive House was constructed in 1854. Brigham Young was also territorial governor of the Utah Territory, and the Beehve House served as his executive mansion from 1852 to 1855, where he entertained important guests. It later became the official home of later presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Lorenzo Snow and Joseph F. Smith.

The Lion House, so named for a stone lion which sits on top of the front door to the house, was constructed in 1856 and housed up to twelve of Brigham Young’s wives and their families. Mormon polygamy was still being practiced at this time, and Brigham Young had several families to take care of. It was in the Lion House that Brigham Young founded the Retrenchment Society for his daughters and other young women of the Church to learn together principles of industry, modesty, and religion. This society became today’s Young Women Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Brigham Young died in the Lion House in 1877.

Both houses were designed by Truman Angell, Brigham Young’s brother-in-law and architect of the Salt Lake Temple. The houses are built out of adobe and sandstone. While the Lion House is named for a stone lion which reminded Brigham of a similar lion featured on a prominent home in Vermont (where Brigham grew up) and which also served as a reminder of Brigham’s nickname “Lion of the Lord,” the Beehive House is named for a carved beehive on top of the house. Brigham Young frequently used the symbol of the beehive to denote industry.

After the death of Brigham Young in 1877, his family maintained the houses for several years before selling them to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After being used as a residence for LDS Church presidents, the Beehive House later became a dormitory. It was restored in 1960 and is now a historical site open for public tours.

The Lion House became a home economics center for the Latter-day Saint University, which was located on the same block of South Temple Street. The Lion House later became a social center for young women of the Church where the Young Women Mutual Improvement Association held classes in myriad subjects including art, needlework, and lectures on diverse subjects. After its restoration in 1968, it remained a social center. It is home of the Lion House Pantry restaurant and is available for wedding receptions, group meetings, and birthday parties.

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Doris White is a native of Oregon and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English and a minor in Editing. She loves to talk with others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.