Virginia City Historic District (Virginia City, Nevada)
39°18′37″N 119°38′58″W / 39.31028°N 119.64944°W
Virginia City Historic District | |
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Location | Virginia City, Nevada, United States |
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Area | 14,750 acres (59.7 km2) |
Built | 1859 |
Architectural style | Bungalow/craftsman, Late Victorian |
NRHP reference No. | 66000458 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966[1] |
Designated NHLD | July 4, 1961[2] |
Virginia City Historic District is a National Historic Landmark District encompassing the former mining villages of Virginia City and Gold Hill, both in Storey County, as well as Dayton and Silver City, both to the south in adjacent Lyon County, Nevada, United States. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961, the district is one of only six in the state of Nevada.[2][3]
Virginia City was the prototype for future frontier mining boom towns, with its industrialization and urbanization.[4] It owed its success to the 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode. The town is laid out in a grid pattern 1,500 feet below the top of Mount Davidson. Most of the buildings are two to three story brick buildings, with the first floors used for saloons and shops. Virginia City was the first silver rush town, and the first to intensely apply large-scale industrial mining methods.[4][5]
After a year in existence, the boomtown had 42 saloons, 42 stores, 6 restaurants, 3 hotels, and 868 dwellings to house a town residency of 2,345. At its height in 1863, the town had 15,000 residents. From its creation in 1859 to 1875, there were five widespread fires. The 1875 fire, dubbed the Great Fire of 1875, caused $12,000,000 in damages.[6]
Virginia City continues to attract over 2 million visitors per year. In 2004, the historic buildings were considered to be in a "threatened" state. An inactive mining pit may subside, causing some of the buildings to slide into the pit. The cemeteries have been, and continue to be, vandalized, while erosion threatens more damage. Continued use of the district for tourism is harming historical buildings that are still in use, while neglect of privately held unused buildings increases the damage to the historic nature of the entire district.[2]
Other NRHP listings within the district
- Piper's Opera House, 1885
- Henry Piper House, 1875
Contributing properties
The National Register of Historic Places inventory nomination form lists 65 contributing properties in the historic district,[7] including:
- First Presbyterian Church - 1867; only extant church constructed before the 1875 fire[8]
- Fourth Ward School - 1876;[8] a school until 1936; operating as a museum
- Knights of Pythias Building - 1876;[8] located on west side of B St., between Union & Sutton St.; constructed with cast iron and stuccoed brick
- Prescott House - 1864; located at 12 Hickey St.[9]
- St. Mary's in the Mountains Catholic Church - 1868 (destroyed by 1875 fire); rebuilt in 1876–77;[8] St. Mary's is designed as a basilica; still open for services
- St. Paul's Episcopal Church - 1862 (destroyed by 1875 fire); rebuilt in 1876;[8] still open for services
- Storey County Courthouse - 1876–77; replaced the first county courthouse that was destroyed by the 1875 fire; the brick building is still in use[10]
- Territorial Enterprise building - 1870s;[8] Mark Twain worked as a reporter in the building[11]
Gallery
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Fourth Ward School (1982)
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Piper's Opera House (2009)
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Saint Mary's and Saint Paul's (2016)
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Storey County Courthouse (2016)[12]
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Territorial Enterprise (2016)
See also
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Nevada
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lyon County, Nevada
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Storey County, Nevada
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Virginia City Historic District". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2007-12-22. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
- ^ Charles Snell and Marilynn Larew (April 21, 1978), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Virginia City Historic District (pdf), National Park Service and Accompanying 50 or so photos from 1968, 1971, 1978 and other dates. (8.81 MB)
- ^ a b Virginia Historic District -Three Historic Nevada Cities: Carson City, Reno and Virginia City-A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary
- ^ Snell and Larew, pg.2, 5, 7
- ^ Snell and Larew, pg.2, 8, 9
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places inventory nomination form". pp 13–14. nps.gov. National Park Service. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f "Historic Virginia City Walking Tour". (archive). visitvirginiacitynv.com. Virginia City Tourism Commission. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
- ^ Bernadette Franke and Andria S. Daley (April 1993). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: C.J. Prescott House". National Park Service. and accompanying photo from 1993
- ^ "Storey County Courthouse". (archive). nps.gov. National Park Service. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
- ^ Snell and Larew, pgs 2-4
- ^ "Storey County Courthouse". nps.gov. National Park Service. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
The first county courthouse was destroyed in the Great Fire of October 1875. Reconstruction began in 1876 and the present building...was completed in February 1877.
External links
- National Park Service: Virginia City Historic District website
- Historical Marker Data Base — list of all available markers in Virginia City
Located in Virginia City, Storey County, Nevada:
- HABS No. NV-15-1, "C Street Area Survey (Commercial Buildings)", 21 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-2, "Brick Vaults, Office of Consolidated Virginia Mining Company", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-3, "Virginia Hotel, C Street", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-4, "Virginia City Union Sunday School, C Street", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-5, "Blaubelt Mansion", 2 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-7, "Piper's Opera House, B & Union Streets", 8 photos, 7 measured drawings
- HABS No. NV-15-8, "Hardware & General Store, C Street", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-9, "Mark Twain "Enterprise" Building, C Street", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-11, "Knights of Pythias Hall, West side B Street, between Union & Sutton Streets", 1 photo, 5 measured drawings
- HABS No. NV-15-12, "Savage Mining Office", 2 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-18, "Masonic Hall, C Street", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-19, "Storey County Courthouse", 5 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-20, "Miners' Union Hall, West side B Street, between Union & Sutton Streets", 2 photos, 5 measured drawings
- HABS No. NV-15-21, "Fourth Ward School, South C Street at Highway 17", 3 photos, 9 measured drawings
- HABS No. NV-15-26, "Frederick House, D Street", 2 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-29, "Crystal Saloon", 4 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-30, "Episcopal Church, D Street", 2 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-31, "King House", 8 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-32, "Virginia City News Building, C Street", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-33, "Old Bar, C Street", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-35, "Comstock House, C Street", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-36, "Palace Clothing Store Building, C Street", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-37, "Union Brewery", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-38, "Molinelli's Hotel, C Street", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-39, ""Evening Chronicle" Building, C Street", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-40, "Silver Hotel, C Street", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-41, "Norcross Mining Office", 3 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-46, "Wells Fargo Building, C Street", 9 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-52, "St. Mary's in the Mountains", 11 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-54, "Jail", 3 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-58, "Frame House", 4 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-77, "Virginia City, General View Area Survey", 11 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-78, "First Street (Commercial Buildings)", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-79, "Cemetery", 6 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-80, "Frame Store", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-81, "Harness Shop", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-82, "Hose House", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-83, "Sutro Mansion", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-84, "Shaft House, Active Mine", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-85, "Shaft House, Consolidated California & Virginia Mine", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-86, "Mine, General View", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-87, "Fire House", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-15-88, "Fire Station", 2 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-89, "Hall of Records, B Street", 2 photos
Located in other villages in the district:
- HABS No. NV-15-13, "Liberty Fire House, Gold Hill, Storey County, NV", 2 photos
- HABS No. NV-15-14, "Miner's Union Hall, B Street, Gold Hill, Storey County, NV", 4 photos
- HABS No. NV-10-1, "Sutro Tunnel Entrance, Comstock Mines vicinity, Dayton vicinity, Lyon County, NV", 1 photo
- HABS No. NV-13-30, "Bluestone Manufacturing Company, Main Street & Shady Avenue, Dayton, Lyon County, NV", 1 measured drawing
- HAER No. NV-3, "Donovan's Mill, Silver City, Lyon County, NV", 46 photos, 7 data pages, 4 photo caption pages
- Buildings and structures in Virginia City, Nevada
- Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Nevada
- Tourist attractions in Storey County, Nevada
- National Historic Landmarks in Nevada
- Nevada State Register of Historic Places
- National Register of Historic Places in Storey County, Nevada
- National Register of Historic Places in Lyon County, Nevada
- Buildings and structures in Lyon County, Nevada
- Historic American Buildings Survey in Nevada
- Historic American Engineering Record in Nevada
- History of Storey County, Nevada