Abstract
The Elmo C. Bruner Architectural and Real Estate Appraisal Records date from 1937 to 1996 and contain architectural and appraisal records from Las Vegas, Nevada. Bruner joined A.L. Worswick’s office in 1947, taking it over following Worswick’s retirement in 1954. In 1958, Bruner formed the Las Vegas Appraisal and Finance Corporation. The bulk of the collection consists of appraisal records for residential and commercial properties in Las Vegas, Henderson, and North Las Vegas. These records provide a detailed look at the urban development of the region as well as building design, style, and neighborhood characteristics. The architectural drawings highlight the work of Worswick and Bruner, including Frazier Hall at Las Vegas High School and the original adobe administration building at McCarran Airport.
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Scope and Contents Note
The Elmo C. Bruner Architectural and Real Estate Appraisal Records date from 1937 to 1996 and contain architectural and appraisal records from Las Vegas, Nevada. Bruner joined A.L. Worswick’s office in 1947, taking it over following Worswick’s retirement in 1954. In 1958, Bruner formed the Las Vegas Appraisal and Finance Corporation. The bulk of the collection consists of appraisal records for residential and commercial properties in Las Vegas, Henderson, and North Las Vegas, Nevada. These records date from 1937 through the late 1970s and provide a detailed look at the urban development of the region as well as building design, style, and neighborhood characteristics. The records also highlight the growth of Las Vegas and the transition of downtown Las Vegas from residential to commercial. Commercial appraisals in the collection include early Las Vegas Strip properties including the Riviera Hotel/Casino and Stardust Hotel/Casino. The architectural drawings highlight the work of Worswick and Bruner, including Frazier Hall at Las Vegas High School and the original adobe administration building at McCarran Airport. Other records in the series include appraisals of land used in flood control projects and appraisals of land and houses purchased by Clark County during the expansion of McCarran Airport.
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
These records are organized into eleven series:
Series I. Personal Papers and Professional Development, 1948-1973;
Series II. Specifications, 1947-1967;
Series III. Early Appraisals, 1937-1973;
Series IV. Book Appraisals, 1959-1973;
Series V. Appraisals, 1947-1996;
Series VI. Steffen Holding Corporation, 1967-1982;
Series VII. McCarran Airport Expansion Appraisals, 1975-1990;
Series VIII. Southern Nevada Water Project, 1955-1983;
Series IX. Photographs and Maps, undated, 1978;
Series X. Oversized Materials, 1950-1990;
Series XI. 2019 Addition, 1937-1973.
Biographical / Historical Note
Elmo C. Bruner came to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1947 and established himself as an architect and appraiser. Born in Texas, he grew up in Oklahoma and attended Oklahoma State University. He graduated in 1931 with a BA and BS in architecture and engineering. He married Lucile Spire that same year. The couple went on to have four children: Elmo, Allen, Jerry, and Janice. After graduation, he worked for the Oklahoma State Highway Department and for several oil companies. From 1945 to 1947, he worked as an architectural engineer on the Los Alamos Project.
In 1947, he relocated to Las Vegas. He took a position as partner is A. L. Worswick’s architectural firm. After Worswick retired in 1954, Bruner took over the firm renamed the firm Elmo C. Bruner, Architect. He formed the Las Vegas Appraisal and Construction Finance Corporation in 1958 and served as president until his death after which his son Jerry took over the business.
As an architect he designed several local buildings including McCarran Air Terminal administration building (1948), Bank of Nevada (1950), Las Verdes Housing Development (1958-1959), Greater Las Vegas Housing Development (1958-1959), Frazier Hall at Las Vegas High School (1948-1949) and St. Anne’s Catholic Church (1963). He was a member of the American Institute of Architects and the American Society of Engineers.
Bruner was active in the local Unitarian Church. His wife Lucile Spire Bruner was a prominent artist in Las Vegas. Elmo C. Bruner died August 14, 1973.
Preferred Citation
Elmo C. Bruner Architectural and Real Estate Appraisal Records, 1937-1996. MS-00177. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated between 1977 and 1982 by Lucile Spire Bruner; accession number T-96. Additional materials were donated in 2003 by Jerry Bruner; accession number 2003-01.
Processing Note
A rough inventory of the accession was created by Peter Michel in 2003. In 2014 Hannah Robinson created a finding aid in ArchivesSpace. In 2016 Joyce Moore processed the collection. In 2018, as part of an archival backlog elimination project, Angela Moor rehoused and arranged the materials, and revised the collection description to bring it into compliance with current professional standards. In 2019, Angela Moor rehoused and arranged the additional materials, and entered the data into ArchivesSpace.
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Storage Location
Some materials are stored in the Lied Automated Storage and Retrieval Unit (LASR). Advanced notice may be required to access these materials.