Clemens, Orion, House
a.k.a. Mark Twain`s House
502 N. Division St., Carson City (Independent City), NVBuilt in 1862 by Orion Clemens, an attorney and the first Secretary of Nevada Territory. The Great Seal for the Territory was designed by Orion while he resided in this house. Territorial Governor Nye often traveled from the Territory and on those occasions Orion Clemens was Governor 'Pro Tem". Because of Mr. Clemens' often being so designated, the residence became known as the "Governor's Mansion". This particular name has all but virtually disappeared in contemporary works and speech.
A frequent visitor to and oftentimes resident of the home was Orion's brother, Samuel Clemens. Samuel, a U.S. Government employee not allowed to receive pay from other sources, utilized his now famous pseudonym Mark Twain. It is Samuel's pen name rather than his brother's proper name commonly heard as the home's designation.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.