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The interior fountain courtyard at the Historic Fifth Street School will be dedicated to Frank Wright on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 5:30 p.m. at 401 S. Fourth St. Wright, a longtime proponent of historic preservation, was a driving force in placing the Historic Fifth Street School on the National Register of Historic Places. Mayor Pro Tem Gary Reese and incoming City Manager Elizabeth N. “Betsy” Fretwell will be on hand for the dedication.
Wright has long been counted as one of Southern Nevada’s greatest historians. He mined local stories and reports for the true history of Las Vegas, and served as the curator of education for the Nevada Historical Society.
Formerly known as the Las Vegas Grammar School, the Historic Fifth Street School, has been renovated into a cultural oasis housing a number of organizations including the Las Vegas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the city of Las Vegas Cultural Affairs Division, the Nevada School of the Arts and University of Nevada Las Vegas Fine Arts program including the Downtown Design Center for the School of Architecture.
Many of the common areas, including a multi-purpose auditorium, a gallery space, conference room and courtyards, are available for public or private functions. More information on the facility can be found at www.lasvegasnevada.gov/5thstreetschool.
Approximately $13.4 million in funding for this building’s transformation was provided by the city of Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency.
Frank Wright Plaza, just west of City Hall, had been named in honor of the historian. That park area was closed in August to make way for construction on the historic post office as well as major refurbishment of Stewart Ave. The post office, which was also once the site of the Federal Court, is being transformed into the Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, or “Mob Museum” for short.
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