Photos of the Wungnema family are seen on the mantle over the fireplace in the Wungnema House in Mills Park. To see inside the historic site, attend an open house on Sunday, Dec. 18.
A glimpse into one of Carson City’s historic buildings and Native American history and culture is planned Sunday, Dec. 18.
The Foundation for Carson City Parks & Recreation is holding an open house at the Wungnema House in Mills Park from 2 to 5 p.m.
The foundation maintains the historic Wungnema House under a lease from the city. The historic 1,000-square-foot house was built in 1948 on what was then the outskirts of Carson City.
Burton Wungnema, with the help of his father, Earnest Wungnema, and then pregnant wife, Pearl, used the stone from his father’s 14 quarries in Brunswick Canyon to build this home for his family.
The home is representative of the mason work done in the churches and homes built by Burton and his father around Lake Tahoe from 1925 to 1955 and elements reflect the Wungnemas’ Hopi heritage.
The family’s Hopi pride is reflected in certain features of the building, including the downstairs fireplace with its Hopi Water Clan symbolism, which incorporates three semicircular stones (representing clouds) with rain falling below and two lightning bolts above.
The building is accessible by the park entrance on Saliman Road, opposite Carson High School. Admission to the open house is free. Refreshments will be served.
Founded in 2015, the foundation is a nonprofit member-driven 501(c)(3) organization created for charitable and educational purposes related to parks and recreation in Carson City.
It is dedicated to bringing together members of the Carson City community to encourage and enable public support for the continuing enhancement of Carson City’s parks and recreational facilities.
The foundation provides an umbrella under which various organizations and citizens can come together to explore innovative ways to promote and facilitate their activities. It assists organizations with similar goals to promote and meet the foundation’s fiduciary objectives to help manage and protect monies raised by members for their projects.
Currently the foundation is providing assistance to projects for the restoration of missing headstones in Lone Mountain Cemetery, for improvements at the ladies’ gun range, for development of a disc golf course on Flint Drive, and for maintenance and improvements to tennis courts in city parks.
The foundation welcomes new members and is interested in individuals who can assist with fundraising, newsletter, publicity, special events, recruitment, and park clean up. Annual membership is $25.
For more information, call David Bugli at 775-883-4154, or go to http://CarsonCityParks.org.