First United Methodist Church, 200 North Division Street, Carson City, Carson City

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS NEV,13-CARCI,9-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Carson City's Methodist Church is a substantial stone church of the mid-nineteenth century with well executed Gothic Revival details. The congregation it serves is the oldest of its denomination in the state, and the church is known as "The Cradle of Nevada Methodism." PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION: A. Physical History: 1. Date of erection: c. Although the property on which the structure was erected was not deeded to the trustees of the church until most accounts give as the date for the beginning of construction. While one refer- ence states that by June the church "still incomplete, had involved an outlay of court records indicate that the land was not secured by the church until September of that year.

It has been stated, and may well be the case, that the property had been acquired earlier, but that the official transaction was not made until later. It is known that the building was completed by September and was dedicated on the 8th of that month. Total cost was given at 2. Architect: none known 3. Original and subsequent owners: The Church is built on lots 8 and 9 of Block No. lk of Proctor and Green's Division of Carson City. (Frank M. Proctor and Green were two of the four original purchasers in of the Eagle Ranch, upon which Carson City was platted). *Noreen Humphreys, "One Small Step" (Carson City, p. 7. METHODIST CHURCH (FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH) HABS No.

NEV-13-10 Page 2 The following references tracing title to the church, property are found in the Ormshy County, Nevada Deed Books: Deed, February 15. recorded in Book 8, page Ruth Lecky bought all of Block ik from Henry Fulstone for Deed, September 7 > recorded in Book 10, page The trustees of th.e Methodist Episcopal Church, "and their successors in office," received a deed in fee simple to lots no. 6 and the west l6 feet of lot no. T in Block No. 10, and the whole of Block no. Xh9 all in Proctor and Green's Division. A recording fee of -was paid by the trustees. Deed, September 3, recorded in Book 12, page The trustees of The Methodist Episcopal Church paid Lacky and wife for Block lU of Proctor and Green's Division. k. Original plans, construction, etc.: The Rev.

Warren Kims, pastor of the church from to seems in large part to have been responsible for the construction. Thompson and West's History of Nevada notes that during Nims "might have been seen every week-day driving a two-horse team hitched to a lumber wagon, on which he hauled all the rock used in the construction of the edifice." (The stone was hauled by the Rev. Mr. Nims from the Nevada State Prison Quarry.) Nims had the prisoners quarry and square the stone; then he hauled them and laid them himself. As built originally, the church was rectangular in plan, and four bays long. Bay divisions were marked by buttresses with pinnacles. A square tower projected slightly at the center of the east front. This was stone up to a point just above the roof ridge.

Above that there was a square wooden belfry having one pointed-arched opening on each side, with louvers. This carried a pinnacle at each corner, and octagonal spire. An early photograph showing the building in this original state is in the HABS records. 5- Alterations and additions: In May only seven years after its dedication, according to Thompson and West, the church was "repaired, re-painted, the windows stained, and the pews and choir-gallery remodeled." In the build- ing was further altered. At the south side, the central two-bays were taken down and a wide gabled projecting wing resembling a transept was built in a style matching the METHODIST CHURCH (FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH) HABS No. NEV-13-10 Page 3 original work. The stone used was also from the Prison Quarry.

At the same time, a one-hay porch with modified Corinthian details was "built to shelter the entrance door- way. A stone flight of steps, apparently the present ones, was built to give access to this porch. A one-story ad- dition was built along the north side, providing a Sunday- school room and accessory rooms. A wide opening was made in the north wall of the church to connect with the Sunday school room. The opening was filled with a paneled screen which could be raised and lowered. This addition also extended one bay along the west end of the church, at the south corner of which the present secondary entrance porch was added. A small porch, also still existing, was built at the northeast corner of the church, to shelter a direct entrance to the Sunday school wing.

The interior of the church was given an apse whose floor was elevated above that of the church auditorium. It had a door opening to a small vestibule on the south, and another door opening to the north. On the wall at each side of the apse there was a tall window-like panel containing a painting. These were painted by Hornaday, wife of the Rev. Hornaday> then pastor of the church.

The ceil- ing sloped on each side to a central ridge; a large coved cornice marked its intersections with the walls.* These major alterations were said at the time to have given "to the Capital City the finest Methodist house of worship in the State."** The "new" church was dedicated by Bishop Edwin Holt Hughes during the annual meeting of The Nevada Mission in Carson City on August The building was valued -at at the time. During the pastorate of Collins, who served from to the church was re-roofed. In major interior changes were made. A dropped ceil- ing was installed, and the chancel and chancel furniture replaced. It was at this time that the tower assumed its current appearance, and that the entrance porch, installed c. vas removed.

The old, pressed tin ceiling and *Noreen Humphreys, "One Small Step" (Carson City, p. 7- **The description of the church after the renovations was taken from an old photograph taken before a post card some time after a reproduction of an interior photograph taken between and a letter written in July by Mary E. Jasper, Santa Clara, California to the Rev. W.E. Banghart, Minister of the Church, and examination of the existing structure. Jasper is the daughter of the Rev.Hornaday, under Aletf. <}- METHODIST CHURCH (FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH) HABS No. NEV-13-10 Page k remnants of the vail paintings done by Hornaday still exist above the present lower ceiling.

The chancel was again redecorated in The Sunday School wing appears little altered, except for the addition of one toilet and modernization of the kitchen. B. Historical Events and Persons Associated with the Building: Among the early members of the Trustee Board of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Carson City was Gov. Blaisdell, the first elected Governor of the State of Nevada. Blaisdell served two terms, from to In Gov. Blaisdell paid off the remaining debt on the which the build- ing had cost. The many pastors who have served the church are listed in "One Small Step" (see bibliographical entry). C. Sources of Information: 1.

Old Views: There is an exterior photograph of the church as it existed from to in Steeples In The Sage (see bibliographical entry below.) The Nevada State Museum has early photographs of the exterior showing both the first stage and the second These are reproduced in the HABS collections. An interior photograph, after the interior remodelling undertaken then, is in the possession of Marshall Humphreys of Carson City. It has been reproduced in The Good News (see bibliographical entry below). An early panoramic view of Carson City, reproduced both in the Second Biennial Report of the Nevada Historical Society, and Davis, The History of Nevada (facing page shows the building in its original condition. 2.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS NEV,13-CARCI,9-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Davis, Sam. P., ed. The History of Nevada,Reno: The Elms Publishing Co., Humphreys, Noreen. One Small Step, Historical Sketch of The Methodist-Episcopal Church, Carson City, Nevada.Carson City: The Good News, First United Methodist Church Newsletter, vol. 1, No. 95 August, whose charge the alterations were made). The documents were kindly furnished by Noreen Humphreys Marshall) of Carson City who has made a study of the history of this church. METHODIST CHURCH (FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH) HABS No. HEV-13-10 Page 5 Loofbourov, Leon h., Steeples Among The Sage, A Centennial "Story "of Nevada's Churches. Lake Park Press, Thompson, Thomas. H. , and West, Albert A. History of Nevada.

Berkeley: Howell-North, (facsimile reprint of this volume, which was originally published in Wren3 Thomas, ed. A History of the State of Nevada, Its Resources and People, New York: Lewis Publishing Co., New Xork, Prepared by: S. Allen Chambers, Jr. Architectural Historian National Park Service December, PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: The well constructed mid-nineenth century stone church has details of Gothic derivation and interesting early twentieth-century additions. Now largely altered on the interior the church is in generally good condition. B. Description of Exterior: 1. Overall dimensions: approximately 6k1 (five bays) x 75' (five bays); one story; rectangular with projections. 2.

Foundations: Sandstone ashlar foundation, with a plain water table, is generally low though the height varies somewhat because of the slight rise in grade toward the west 3. Elevation details: a. General: The walls are dressed sandstone ashlar, light brown or yellow in color. This material was quarried locally and is variously dressed with pick and chisel. Courses vary in height between l'-O" and Joints vary from to in width. Some old sand-lime mortar is visible in the joints but there has been con- siderable repointing at various periods. The older re- pointing was well done but some more recent cement mor- tar pointing is sloppy. Angle-buttresses are at the corners. The stonework of - the additions matches the original work with the same material course heights. A/EV.

\3Xf\Rci METHODIST CHURCH (FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH) <=j - HABS No. NEV-13-10 Page 6 The two-centered pointed heads of the masonry openings are constructed as corbels, not true arches. One tie rod extends through the eastern portion of the "building. b. Church: East Front: A centrally placed tower, square in plan, projects three feet from the gabled facade. A central entrance at the "base of the tower consists of a pair of eight-panel doors below a colored glass tran- som which fills the head of the opening and is the form of a two-centered pointed arch. Above the entrance is a single pointed window containing colored glass. The tower with one pointed window on each elevation, terminates in a stone cyma recta moulding.

Completing the tower is a low wooden belfry with three louvered openings on each elevation and a low pyramidal roof. A sheet-metal cornice, painted white, extends up the rakes of the gable and has short returns at the corners. The bed moulding is enriched with an egg-and-dart motif. The South Front: One bay west of the front is a wide gabled wing suggesting a transept which projects four feet from the south wall and contains a single large two centered arched window. This is a true arch. The window is triply divided by wooden colonnette mullions and tracery, glazed with colored glass. Above is a cir- cular window in the gable, also containing colored glass.

An extension on the west elevation end includes a porch with stone steps and two octagonal stone columns supporting a wood and sheet-metal entablature. The cornice is the same as the raked cornice. Under this porch is an linteled entrance having a door with five horizontal panels below a transom of colored glass. c. Sunday school addition: On the east front, adjoining the church to the north, the wall of the addition contains an entrance sheltered "by a small porch and one bay containing a pointed window. The concrete foundation is just above grade. An angular buttress is at the corner The entrance porch, which is.at the interior angle between the north wall of the church and the east wall of the addition, has a single fluted sheet-metal en- tablature.

The entrance consists of a door with five horizontal panels with a rectangular transom of colored glass. At the north elevation are four bays, each con- taining a pointed window. Nev. \t> -Cma' METHODIST CHURCH. (FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH) HABS No. NEV-13-10 Page T d. West Elevation: This one-story wall is of stone and contains four windows and a rectangular doorway. A gabled projection which continues the axis of the church, rises above the wall and is faced with "rock-faced" sheet metal on its sides and gable. This part of the building is hip roofed, with half-gables on the east. The north and west elevations are covered with "rock- faced" sheet metal. The entablature matches that of the church and is also sheet metal. *i.

Windows: Typical windows are glazed with colored glass, and have double-hung sash below a fixed rounded triangular unit at the head. The stone sills are plain. C. Deseription of Interior: This description applies only to the Sunday school addition, because the interior of the church has been entirely altered. 1. Plan: The central two bays of this wing are occupied by a square Sunday school and general purpose auditorium. This area was formerly connected to the church auditorium by a wide opening in the south wall, which has been closed. East of this room, is an entrance hall which leads to the east end of the church and to the outside. A larger area occupies the northeast corner of the wing and serves as a small meeting room.

It connects with the larger room through a wide cased opening containing folding doors. West of the Sunday school room, is a kitchen. At the northwest corner a rear entrance hall gives access to the kitchen and to two toilets. 2. Interior finish: Varnished oak trim is typical. The plain window trim is beaded and the door trim has caps. Wains- coting is of vertical boarding. The high moulded base is new, as is the composition floor covering. Doors are yellow pine and have five horizontal panels. D. Site and Surroundings: This lot is located at the Northwest corner of Musser Street, on the south, and Division Street on the east. The main entrance is toward the east. Prepared by: Harley J.

McKee Supervisory Architect National Park Service Date of visit: August 19, 21, 13 -CAi?ci METHODIST CHURCH (FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH) HABS No. NEV-13-10 Page 8 PART III. Project Information These records are part of the documentation made during the latter half of and the summer of in a project undertaken by the Historic American Buildings Survey in cooperation with the Nevada State Park System to record structures in Carson City and nearby areas. The project was under the general supervision of John Poppeliers, Chief, Historic American Buildings Survey. Eric R. Cronkhite, Administrator, Nevada State Park System, and Marshall Humphreys of the Nevada Land- marks Society assisted the HABS recorders in Nevada. Professor Harley J.

McKee, Supervisory Architect, National Park Service, selected the subjects and provided architectural data for the sixteen Carson City structures which were recorded. Historical documentation for these buildings was pre- pared by S. Allen Chambers, Architectural Historian, Historic American Buildings Survey. Project Supervisor for the Nevada Summer Team, which produced the measured drawings, was Robert L. Hartwig of Harvard University. Student assistant architects were John T. M. Creery (University of Utah), Robert P. Mizell (University of Florida), and Jack W. Schafer (University of Cincinatti). Photographs were made by Aaron A. Gallup of Sacramento, California. #