This stone cabin endured in Reno high desert for over 80 years. Then it was gone

For more than eight decades, a tiny remnant of south Reno’s hot and steamy past — an old stone cabin — stood just off Old U.S. 395.

Surrounded by a sea of sagebrush, the lonely structure was a familiar sight for motorists making the commute up Mount Rose Highway. Whether it be from shoppers at the nearby mall or folks journeying to Lake Tahoe, the cabin’s golden stone walls turned heads. It also garnered just as many questions from folks curious about its past.

The abandoned cabin had been at that spot for so long that it felt like it was going to be there forever. Then one day, it disappeared.

So just exactly what was the old stone cabin? And what happened to it?

Digging deep into the stone cabin’s history

The cabin’s history can be traced back to 1936, when Otto Herz decided to drill a well on the property with his sons, Richard and Harold.

The decision would prove to be a heated one — literally.

The Herz family’s efforts were rewarded by a towering burst of hot water that shot high up above their heads. After finding the geothermal water that they were looking for, the Herz trio built three cabins and a bar, which they operated as Mt. Rose Hot Springs. The business would also be referred to as Herz Hot Springs.

Susan Herz Callahan, the daughter of Harold Herz, recounted the story of the cabins’ creation to the Reno Gazette Journal in 2007.

While constructing the first building, her grandfather, father and uncle lived in a tent.

Sue Herz Callahan stands in front of the last remaining cabin at the site of Mt. Rose Hot Springs in 2007. It was originally thought to be part of Reno Hot Springs but they were located almost half a mile to the south. Her family owned and operated the hot springs.

“True to their pioneer spirit, these three hard-working gentlemen picked up rocks from the land to build the first building,” Herz Callahan wrote in a letter. “It was larger so that it would accommodate a living quarters for these three, as well as room for a bar.”

One challenge that the Herz men faced was getting cool water to the property, which only had hot mineral water underneath it. Fortunately, their neighbor, Louis Damonte Sr., allowed them to run 2,000 feet of pipe to his property to get fresh water from his well.

Rather than the gray granite common to the area, the Herzes sought out beautiful golden-hued metamorphic rock for the stone cabin. An indoor soaking pool sunk into the concrete floor was filled with hot spring water for guests’ private spa.

As time passed and the other structures from Mt. Rose Hot Springs went away, the last cabin continued to stand on that stretch of road for decades.

The four buildings that made up Mount Rose Hot Springs are seen in the late 1930s. The last remaining cabin, second from left, was torn down in 2024.

Herz Callahan marveled at the sturdiness of the cabin.

“Their handiwork was quite something, for if you look at the walls of the one remaining cabin you will only find one crack, on the south wall,” Herz Callahan wrote.

“That’s amazing coming from a well driller (Otto), a future director of Motor Vehicles (Richard), and the first Allstate agent in Nevada (Harold).”

Development signals the end for the old stone cabin

As development spread to the outskirts of Reno, the stone cabin’s days appeared to be numbered.

The site of the stone house where Herz Callahan grew up, for example, is now the Shayden Summit Reno mall.

Construction continues on the 580 South project in south Reno on June 5, 2025.

In 2006, Las Vegas-based Station Casinos announced plans for a $500 million hotel-casino on the land. One recession and pandemic later, however, Station abandoned its Reno plans. The old stone cabin survived once again.

The reprieve was only temporary. The land was acquired in 2022 for the 580 South project, a large industrial development that counts Amazon as one of its future tenants.

The 580 South project broke ground in early 2024 and several construction machines proceeded to flatten the land.

After more than 80 years, the old stone cabin was finally gone.

The final fate of the last stone cabin from Mt. Rose Hot Springs

One of the questions amid the construction was whether the old stone cabin could be saved.

But its condition meant that preservation was not an option, according to the developers behind the 580 South project.

“It was taken down in 2024 because it was no longer structurally sound and was deemed unsafe,” said spokesperson Meagan Noin.

While the cabin is no more, some of its remnants remain. The 580 South project plans to honor the site’s history by reusing some of its materials in the project.

“Although it was not an official landmark, Panattoni worked with the City of Reno through the process and materials saved during the demolition will be incorporated into the project along with some historical signage,” Noin said.

The developers also made sure to preserve the rock material from the building, which will be donated to Washoe Tribe due to its “cultural significance.”

“Similar rock material was used to make tools in the past and the Washoe Tribe will use them for education purposes moving forward,” Noin said.

This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: This stone cabin endured in Reno high desert for over 80 years. Then it was gone

Reporting by Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette Journal / Reno Gazette Journal

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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