Nenzel Mansion (Arendt Jensen House)

Danish immigrant Arendt Jensen built Gardnerville's most elaborate house a block east of Main Street. Arriving in Gardnerville in the 1880s, Jensen became one of the town's most successful merchants. His large two-story house in the Colonial Revival style displayed his wealth to the community. Ionic columns support the porch, which has a wide entablature with brackets under the eaves. A central entrance door with side lights is flanked by paired windows. Ionic pilasters flank the front edges of the central bay and edge the corners of the main mass. It has cornice returns, modillions lining the eaves, and Ionic pilasters at the corners. A large semicircular one-story porch, identical in style to the front porch, extends from the west side of the house. The interior has a central stairhall surrounded by large rooms.

By the time Jensen built this house, he had a successful store and had also opened Gardnerville's first bank. The stately house was the first of many homes the Jensen family built. Diagonally opposite at 1243 and 1235 Eddie Street are the modest bungalows that Jensen built for his son and parents, respectively.