Reno in Washoe County, Nevada — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Mizpah Hotel
Photographed by Alvis Hendley, March 18, 2016
1. Mizpah Hotel Marker
Listed in the National Register of Historical Places, it served the community well for eighty four years.
Destroyed by fire on October 31, 2006
In remembrance of those who perished
Alford Edward Yates, Gregory Jack Wiltse, Kevin M. Sutherin, Ernest James Duarte, William John Serrao, Paul D. Smith, Unknown Victim, Christopher James Covert, Jeremy Lee Wren, Nadine Inge Nicodemus, Diana Barbara Pochini, Philip James Bridges
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Disasters • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1922.
Location. 39° 31.656′ N, 119° 48.634′ W. Marker is in Reno, Nevada, in Washoe County. It is at the intersection of Lake Street and East 2nd Street, on the right when traveling north on Lake Street. This marker was removed during construction but has since been restored. It is on the south side of the building on the northeast corner of the intersection of E 2nd St and Lake St. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Reno NV 89501,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Sierra Nevada and in the Lake Tahoe Basin. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Reno Depots (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Reno Arch (about 700 feet away); Jacob Davis's Tailor Shop (approx. 0.2 miles away); Votes for Women (approx. 0.2 miles away); Ginsburg Jewelry Company (approx. 0.2 miles away); "Sister Act" (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Virginia Street Bridges (approx. 0.2 miles away); Frederick Joseph DeLongechamps (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Reno.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Reno at the Crossroads (was about 700 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Regarding Mizpah Hotel. In 2006, the Mizpah Hotel was a residential hotel. On the night of
Photographed by E Gardner, October 25, 2024
2. Mizpah Hotel Marker
The hotel was destroyed. Twelve people died.
A tenant pleaded guilty to twelve counts of first degree murder and one count of arson. She testified that she had been drinking and taking drugs that night and didn't even remember the fire.
The hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1984 as the Pincolini Hotel, the name of the hotel opened when it opened in 1922.
The following is excerpted from the NRHP nomination.
The Pincolini (Mizpah Hotel) was built in three stages. The original five-bay structure was built in 1922. Major additions were added in 1925 and 1930 resulting in a three-story, ten-bay, brick commercial block with retail space on the ground floor and a hotel above. Before it was destroyed by fire in 2006, it was a well-preserved example of an early 20th century residential hotel, an architectural type which was once common to downtown Reno.
The Pincolini Hotel was significant for its historical association with Reno's Little Italy, a district which served as the center for Italian commercial and community
Photographed by Alvis Hendley, March 16, 2016
3. Mizpah Hotel Marker in its prior environs
The Pincolini family, immigrated to Nevada from Parma, Italy, between 1896 and 1905.
Joseph Pincolini, the first family member to settle in the Reno area, purchased the San Rafael Ranch. The Pincolini family acquired substantial agricultural acreage in northern Nevada and were among the first in northern Nevada to employ mechanized farming methods which allowed the Pincolinis to realize substantial profits from farming.
National Register of Historic Places, 1984
4. Mizpah Hotel
Photograph submitted with the National Register of Historic Places nomination form in 1984
Credits. This page was last revised on July 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 14, 2016, by Alvis Hendley of San Francisco, California. This page has been viewed 2,181 times since then and 196 times this year. Last updated on October 27, 2024, by E Gardner of Reno, Nevada. Photos: 1. submitted on April 14, 2016, by Alvis Hendley of San Francisco, California. 2. submitted on October 25, 2024, by E Gardner of Reno, Nevada. 3, 4. submitted on April 14, 2016, by Alvis Hendley of San Francisco, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
