On the southwest corner of Lincoln Park, three great brownstone residences stand, a legacy of one of Las Vegas' pioneer citizens, James H. Ward. Ward's career as a contractor with the A T & SF Railroad brought him to Las Vegas in 1879. Here, h bought lots by the newly created Lincoln Park, which was to become one of Las Vegas' most fashionable neighborhoods by the turn of the century. Here, Ward built his own stone mansion at 403 Eight Street along with two others, at 717 and 725 Jackson Street.

Ward's own house, built in 1883, is one of New Mexico's finest Italian Villas. round-arch window molding stones contrast handsomely with precision-cut brownstone walls. A square corner tower with mansard roof and cast-iron cresting accents the asymmetry and massing of the house plan. The original cast-iron balcony and fence still remain intact.