McCarthy House --Three Historic Nevada Cities: Carson City, Reno and Virginia City--A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary

[graphic] Three Historic Nevada Cities Carson City, Reno, Virginia City A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary

Front entrance of McCarthy House
Photo by Terri McBride, Courtesy of Nevada State Historic Preservation Office

This home was constructed in 1875 in a wor king-class neighborhood in the eastern portion of Virginia City. At the time the house was built, the Comstock Lode was at its zenith. The house is a vernacular or "Folk Victorian" one-and-a-half story, wood-framed building with a steeply-pitched, gabled roof that combines simple elements of the Italianate and Greek Revival styles. The building's facade sports matching bay windows on either side of the entry. Timothy Francis McCarthy, a blacksmith from County Cork, Ireland, brought his nephew over from Ireland to assist him with the construction of his home. The McCarthy family included Timothy, his second wife, Frances, their two children, two children from a previous marriage, his brother James, and nephew Robert Dwyer. The McCarthy House provided just over 700 square feet of living space for this large family; the building included a parlor, kitchen, and one large and two small bedrooms on the first floor. The second floor was not finished as living space but was used as a sleeping area by the McCarthys. The 19th-century outhouse and an adjoining woodshed still stand on the property.

[photo] McCarthy House, built in 1875
Photo by Terri McBride, courtesy of Nevada State Historic Preservation Office

The McCarthy family has retained ownership of the house since its construction. The home stood vacant from 1915, when Timothy moved to Arizona to live with one of his sons, until 1986, when his grandson John McCarthy moved into the house and oversaw its restoration, including the installation of electricity and indoor plumbing, finishing the second story and a rear addition.

The McCarthy House is located at 50 South I St. in Virginia City. It is privately owned by the McCarthy family and not open to the public.

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