The Freight House District was once the home to the Southern Pacific Railroad Freight House. Built-in 1931, the freight house was once bustling with traffic from the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Western Pacific Railroad. The SPRR had filed plans and specifications for a new two-story Art Moderne-style freight house and accompanying sheds that included indoor freight storage space and offices encompassing more than 9,000 square feet. 

The construction of the new freight house allowed the old sheds blocking Center Street to be demolished. This meant that Center Street could finally connect with University Avenue. By August of 1931, those old sheds were abandoned, and the project helped revitalize the local economy. The Center Street-University Avenue connection opened up a formal gateway to the University of Nevada, Reno. 

However, by 1970 passenger and freight railroads were losing popularity and financially suffering as people began traveling by highway rather than rail. Soon enough, the Southern Pacific Railroad demolished its freight sheds and sold the Freight House. Currently, as it still stands, the Freight House has been converted to commercial use, and in 2009, it became the namesake and focal point for the Freight House District surrounding the Reno Aces Ballpark.