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Two views of the Storey County Courthouse
Photos by Rebecca Ossa,
Courtesy of Nevada State Historic Preservation Office |
The Storey County Courthouse was built in the high Italianate style that
embodies 19th-century ideals of decorative opulence as well as law and
order. The first county courthouse was destroyed in the Great Fire of
October 1875. Reconstruction began in 1876 and the present building, designed
by the San Francisco architectural firm of Kenitzer and Raun and built
by contractor Peter Burke, was completed in February 1877. The total cost
of construction, including fixtures and the jail, was $117,000, a remarkable
sum even for the Comstock boom years. A life-sized figure of Justice stands
as sentry at the entrance, but she is not blindfolded, a rare occurrence
in our national symbology. The façade of the building was decorated with
elaborate ironwork, painted contrasting colors, and a pediment that included
the date of construction, 1876, also the national centennial.
The Storey County Courthouse in 1937
Photo by Robert W. Kerrigan, Library of Congress, Prints and
Photographs Division, Historic American Buildings Survey, Reproduction
Number HABS, NEV,15-VIRG,24-1 |
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This courthouse is the most opulent of those built in Nevada in the late
19th century. Far exceeding the cost of its counterparts, the building
served the state's richest community. Ironically, the county built the
courthouse at a time when the boom economy of Virginia City was on the
verge of collapse. Perhaps due to the inevitability of a downturn, local
leaders rebuilt their town following the devastating 1875 fire in grand
style. The Storey County Courthouse remains a vivid example of this community's
rebirth in the face of economic decline. A portion of its restoration
was funded through a grant from the National Park Service's Historic Preservation
Fund.
The Storey County Courthouse is located 12 South B St., two doors
south of Piper's Opera House. Today the courthouse still serves in its
official capacity and is open to the public 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday-Friday.
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