Getting To Know Your Venue
History
Choosing your location is going to be one of the first things you’re faced with when you start planning an event. Whether it be a wedding, a celebration of life, a corporate event, or any kind of celebration, sometimes you’ll select a location because of the emotional connection you have with it and sometimes you’ll be called to a place because there is no other place you could imagine spending your day.
The Elm Estate is attractive in so many ways. From the breathtaking grounds, the attention to detail, the elegance, and the luxury. It is all extremely appealing from the moment you set your eyes on it.
Now maybe you want to dig a little deeper. You’ve discovered this hidden gem in Reno and you’re not quite sure how you missed it before… Was it always here? Was it always The Elm Estate?
This week we want to divulge the history that got The Elm Estate to be what it is today. It didn’t just pop up out of nowhere. In fact, history is what adds to the magic of the property.
1880
Dating back as far as 1880, the house that is known today as The Elm Estate was built as The Chism house. Sitting on 115 acres of land, the house was Surrounded by an apple Orchard. By the 1890s the land was put to good use and cows became the main source of income for the Chism family. The Chism house became a Dairy farm and boasted the largest number of cows in the state of Nevada. With all that Dairy, the entrepreneurial Chism family began churning their dairy and running it around the water wheel to create ice cream! In an innovative time when freezers were not yet invented, the concept was ahead of its time with Ice cream being transported by horse-drawn carriages.
It wasn’t till about a quarter of the century in that half the property was then transformed into a trailer park whilst the rest remained as the Chism house. The house was remodeled in the 1940’s and the Chism family continued their legacy within the house and around Reno. The family was heavily involved in politics and education and to this day many of them still are living in Reno.
2015
In 2015 the Chism family decided it was time to venture elsewhere and The Chism house came under new ownership. With the idea to keep the beauty of the history alive on the property, it was also understood that there would be a complete remodel. The house was rejuvenated and no expense was spared on the remodel. Under new ownership, The Elm Estate was born and within its first five years of existence with remodels, landscaping, and new buildings going up. It quickly became Reno’s most luxurious wedding and event venue. The attention to detail when you wander is astonishing, particularly as you learn about history. Within the walls of The Elm Estate house, there’s an exposed brick that stays true to the 1980 original building. The grand staircase that leads guests to the bridal beauty room makes for a jaw-dropping, dramatic backdrop for those timeless photos of brides in their dresses.
The trailer park, now River West Resort, is home to luxurious small homes and cottages that are rented out throughout the year. Some opt to stay for events, some opt to stay for whole seasons. Once you discover this hidden gem in Reno, it’s going to be hard to leave.
2022
The Elm Estate, like so many other small businesses and event industries was of course heavily impacted by Covid-19. A year full of wedding bookings became a year full of cancellations, postponements, and pivoting against the challenges thrown our way. Come early 2021 we started to feel the sun warming our faces again as the excitement and the buzz around reuniting and getting together for those all-important special occasions were back. The rush to celebrate and to appreciate the moments that you have together has become all the more important with celebrations being booked for not only weddings but for anniversaries, birthdays, the baby showers. It is a time when people truly want and deserve to celebrate everything.
So with all that being said, come and tour our property. Join us for our public events, Wine&Whiskey, Western night, Paint and sip and get a feel for our property. We don’t only strive to be a venue for your big day but we strive to be a venue where people can unite, families can come together and memories can be made.