The Frederic J. DeLongchamps
Architectural Drawing Collection


Frederic J. DeLongchampsFor over fifty years Frederic DeLongchamps was Nevada's premier architect. He designed over 500 buildings including many of the state's most significant: Washoe County Courthouse, Reno Main Post Office, Riverside Hotel, buildings at the University of Nevada, Reno, and six other Nevada and eastern California courthouses. He had an office in Reno from 1907-1965.

In 1978 the University Library acquired the collection of the architect's drawings and documents relating to his business. It was acquired from one of his last partners, Hewitt Wells. The collection contains thousands of drawings and is, without question, the most significant collection of historical architectural records in Nevada. An addition was made to the collection by the architect's son, Galen DeLongchamps, in 1989.

The Frederic DeLongchamps Collections (NAA1 and NC1215) receive extensive use from architects, historians, and historic preservationists. It forms the basis of the Nevada Architectural Records collection, which contains the drawings and papers of other significant northern Nevada architects.

Access to the DeLongchamps Collection is through a collection guide prepared by the Special Collections Department. The collection is indexed by building name, location, and chronology. Some of the drawings are available in the Architectural Drawings Digital Collection.