Bowers Mansion in Washoe County, Nevada

Constructed in 1863, the Bowers Mansion in Washoe County, Nevada was once home to Lemuel "Sandy" Bowers and his wife Eilley Orrum Bowers. They earned their fortune through mining gold and silver ore, and became the first millionaires in the Nevada Territory. 

The Bowers Mansion, which is located between Reno and Carson City, is especially notable because of Nevada's storied mining history. Many stately homes began construction following the Comstock Lode mining boom which began in the late 1850s. Today the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is owned and operated by the Washoe County Parks Department. Tours and events are regularly hosted here throughout the summer and autumn months. 

I happened to arrive just following a massive snowstorm. The site was obviously closed for the season, but I still did some wandering. To give you an idea of how deep some of the snow was, I walked out to the fountain in the yard and the snow was nearly up to my waist.