Abstract
The MacDonald Ranch Architectural Records contain master plans, architectural drawings, civil drawings, and landscape drawings primarily detailing the community development process of MacDonald Ranch, one of the oldest and most affluent master-planned communities in Clark County, Nevada between 1972 to 2007. Included are also drawings for MacDonald Highlands and Green Valley Ranch.
Finding Aid PDF
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Related People/Corporations
Scope and Contents Note
The MacDonald Ranch Architectural Records contain master plans, architectural drawings, civil drawings, and landscape drawings primarily detailing the community development process of MacDonald Ranch, one of the oldest and most affluent master-planned communities in Clark County, Nevada between 1972 to 2007. Included are also drawings for MacDonald Highlands and Green Valley Ranch. Master plan drawings include phasing diagrams, land use allocation studies, land surveys, parcel maps, and topographic maps. Architectural drawings include overall site plans, commercial building plans, and conceptual sketches. Civil drawings include plans detailing street proposals and modifications, water and sewer work, power and electrical work, and slope and drainage analyses. Landscape drawings include landscape development plans for community entryways, golf courses, and country clubs.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
Material is arranged chronologically.
Biographical / Historical Note
The MacDonald Ranch, developed by Richard “Rich” MacDonald, Jr, is one of the oldest master-planned communities in Henderson, Nevada. Originally from Nevada, Rich’s parents, Richard “Mac” MacDonald, Sr. (1924-2014) and his wife Francis MacDonald (1924-2017), lived in Hawaii for twenty years, founding one of Hawaii’s largest real estate firms. After Sam Boyd showed the MacDonalds two square miles of property south of Las Vegas, Nevada, they, along with their son Rich, moved back to Las Vegas and began the development of MacDonald Ranch in the early 1980s.
At creation, the 1,200 acre MacDonald Ranch community included approximately 500 custom homes, that focused on the natural landscape through varying levels of elevated views. It would eventually total four villages of more than 3,200 acres containing two 18-hole golf courses, public and private schools, office parks, and retail centers. Rich MacDonald would continue developing luxury homes, affordable homes, and commercial properties in Henderson for more than thirty years, creating some of the most affluent communities in Clark County. This would include MacDonald Highlands, which contains seventeen neighborhoods primarily consisting of custom homes within 1,200 acres of development.
Sources:
Evans, Charlotte. “Las Vegas Icons.”
Las Vegas Review-Journal Obituaries. “RICHARD MACDONALD.”
Las Vegas Review-Journal Obituaries. "FRANCIS MACDONALD."
MacDonald Highlands. “Dragon’s Reserve at MacDonald Highlands offers 360-degree views.” MacDonald Highlands. April 5, 2017. Accessed July 17, 2018. http://www.macdonaldhighlands.com/2017/04/05/dragons-reserve-macdonald-highlands-offers-360-degree-views/.
Nevada Business Magazine. "MacDonald Ranch: Family’s Vision Becomes Reality in Hillside Community."
Wang, Andy. “How Developers are Turning Vegas Land into Multi-Million Dollar Luxury Spaces.”
https://vegasmagazine.com/vegas-properties-developers-are-turning-into-luxury-spaces.
Preferred Citation
MacDonald Ranch Architectural Records, approximately 1972-2019. MS-00892. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/f13d2x
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 2018 and 2024 by Rich MacDonald; accession numbers 2018-039 and 2024-046.
Processing Note
In 2018, as part of an archival backlog elimination project, Jimmy Chang rehoused and arranged the materials, wrote the finding aid, and entered the data into ArchivesSpace.