David Smaill House, 313 West Ann Street, Carson City, Carson City (Independent City)

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS NEV,13-CARCI,18-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

century, typical of those erected "by Carson City's early settlers. Architecturally, it is noteworthy for its elaborate ornamental trim. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Date of erection: The construction date of the house is not definitely known;, but several references tend to place it in the mid loTO's. Moses Dow, whose name has "been given as the "builder, did own the property from to However, Dow is not listed in the several directories of the period as living at this address. In Dow sold the property for less than his purchase price ten years earlier, which might indicate that the economy was in a depression, that he was a poor businessman, or that he had not made any improvements, such as building a house on the property during his time as owner.

From to the property was owned by Charles H. Jones. It was during this time that the Birds Eye view of Carson City, which shows no building on the lot, was published. Until I876, the property on which the house was built (the west half of lots 9 and 10 of Block 11 of Curry's Division of Carson City) was part of a large parcel. In how- ever, Jones divided the tract by selling the west half of lots 9 and 10 separately from the rest. In July, the property was bought by David Smaill for In October, it was sold by Mr. and Smaill for This price increase in little over i?>-Cf\aci DAVID SMAILL HOUSE HABS No. NEV-13-19 Page 2 a year would, seem to indicate that a substanital improvement had "been made-on the property during that time.

Further, when the property changed hands in after interim owner- ship "by the Johnson and Bigler families, it was descrihed as "the property known as the Smaill property." It would seem, then, that in light of the present state of investigation, would, he a strong contender for the year In which the house was erected. 2. Architect: none known 3. Original and subsequent owners: The house is located on the western portion of lots 9 and 10 of Block 11 of Curry's Division of Carson City. (A. Curry, the founder of Carson City, was one of the four original purchasers in of the Eagle Ranch., upon which the city was platted (see HABS NEV-13-13). The following references tracing the title of these lots are found in the Ormshy County, Nevada Deed Books.

i860 Deed August 20, i860, recorded in Book 1, page A. Curry of Carson City, Utah Territory sold all of Block 11 of Curry's addition to E.E. Edson for Deed June 6, recorded in Book 1, page Eugene E. Edson sold to Frank Perkins of Carson City, Ormshy County, Nevada Territory lots ht 5, 9 and 10 in Block 11 of Curry's addition, Perkins paid Deed October 19, recorded in Book 8, page Frank Perkins sold lots and 10 in Block 11 to Dow for Deed May 13, recorded in Book 15, page Moses Dow sold lots k9 5, 9 and 10 in Block 11 to Charles Henry Jones for Deed July 2, recorded in Book 18, page 83. Charles M. Jones and wife sold one half of lots 9 and 10 (being the west half, ^0 feet on Ann Street and 68 feet on Division Street ) to David Smaill for Deed October 31, recorded in Book 18, page David A.

Smaill and Rachel E. Smaill sold the west half of lots 9 and 10 in Block 11 to W.A. Johnson of Alpine County, California for NEV. DAVID SMAILL HOUSE HABS No. MEV-13-19 Page 3 Deed March 12, recorded in Book 22, page kk, William A. Johnson of the Town of Bodie, Mono County, California sold the west half of lots 9 an& 10 in Block 11 to James Bigler of Carson City for Deed, August 19, recorded in Book 22, page James E. Bigler and Louisa Bigler, his wife, of Oak- land, California sold the vest half of lots 9 and 10 to Russell Fitton for "the same subscribing the property known as the Smaill property." Deed March 22, recorded in Book 25, page 57- Russell and Annie Fitton sold to A. Livingston the west 60 feet of lots 9 and 10. Deed, October 28, recorded in- Book 36, page 30. A.

Livingston deeded to May Livingston for the west 60 feet of lots 9 and 10. Deed, May 12, recorded in Book 48, page May Livingston, widow, of San Francisco, sold to Liva B. McCabe the west 60 feet of lots 9 and 10 for Deed February 25, recorded in Book 55, page Liva B. McCabe, widow, sold Joint tenancy of west 60 feet of lots 9 and 10 to Thomas 0. McCabe for Deed August 8, recorded in Book 71, page Liva B. McCabe and Thomas 0. McCabe and Jessie Agnes McCabe (the latter two husband and wife) deeded the west 60 feet of lots 9 and 10 to Margaret E. Coe. The present owners, Mr. and Sarcinella, obtained the property from Margaret Coe in h. Original plans, construction, etc.: none known 5.

Alterations and additions: Aside from the expected changes in kitchen and bathroom facilities, there has been little alteration of the basic fabric. An I885 photograph of the house, reproduced in the HABS.records, shows additional ornamental trim on the porch which has since disappeared. The present owners have installed a brick hearth and fire- place in the southeast corner of the dining room. B. Historical Events and Persons Associated with the Building: Moses B. Dow, whose name has been associated with the house, was a blacksmith and wagon maker, whose shop was located on K. Carson DAVID SMAIIi HOUSE HABS No. NEV-13-19 Page k Street "between Robinson and Spear Streets. In his residence was at. the corner of Ormsby and Washington Streets.

In the property was "bought by Russell FiLtton, who had come to Carson City from Ireland in Fit ton was a machinest in the railroad shops of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad. C. Sources of Information: 1. Old views: The "Birds Eye View of Carson City," drawn by Augustus Koch and published by Britton, Rey, and Co. of San Francisco, significantly does not show the house (see item A-l above). The earliest known view of the house is a photograph taken in I885s reproduced in the HABS records. Ann Donehue Fitton, wife of Russell Fitton, is shown in it with two of their children, Martha on the left and Marion on the right. 2.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS NEV,13-CARCI,18-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Ormsby County, Nevada, Deed Books. Prepared by: S. Allen Chambers s Jr. Architectural Historian National Park Service December, PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1. Architectural Merit and Interest: A good representative small house of the late century with interesting orna- mental wooden details, largely in its original state. 2. Condition of fabric: Good. B, Detailed description of exterior: 1. Overall dimensions: approximately 2k ft. (three bays) by h9 feet (five bays). One story; slightly modified rectangular shape. 2. Foundations: low; rubble masonry, 3. Wall Construction, finish: Frame, covered with novelty sid- ing, seven-inch exposure, corner boards five inches wide. Painted; no indication of original color. DAVID SMA.ILL HOUSE HABS No. MEV-13-19 Page 5 ^.

Porches: There is a small entrance porch, one by two bays, at the east part, of the north, front. The columns consist of two square pieces- between which there is fretted ornament. They have moulded capitals above which there are pierced ornamental brackets, A low railing is also pierced in an ornamental design. The floor consists of narrow matched boards. This porch and the adjoining bay windows are covered by a hip roof of low pitch. On the west side toward the south end there is a small square porch serving to shelter a secondary entrance. It has square posts with chamfered corners, moulded capitals, and simple bracket-like tracery work above the capitals. At the south (rear) end there is a small recessed porch, 5.

Chimneys: There is a small brick chimney on the ridge near the south end of the main portion of the house. 6. Openings - Doorways: The main entrance is at the center of the north front. The opening has plain trim. There is a single door with four moulded panels, the upper panels hav- ing semicircular heads. Above it there is a rectangular glazed transom. There is a secondary entrance on the west side, and there are two entrances through the rear porch one at each end of the porch. b. windows: Windows are rectangular and have plain trim. Sash are double hung, two lights above two lights. Windows on the north front are double. At the west part of the north front there is a bay window rectangular in plan and projecting about five feet (the same as the depth of the entrance porch).

Below the window openings there are moulded panels. In the north gable there is a round ventilating opening, filled with fan louvers. 7. Roof: a. Shape, Covering: The main part of the house and its main southern part have gable roofs. The main (northern) part is. covered with wooden shingles in somewhat weathered condition, and the remainder with composition shingles. DAVID SMAILL HOUSE HABS Ho. NEV-13-19 Page 6 b. Cornice: There is a box cornice with bed moulding and cymatium, below which there is a plain frieze. Along the sides of the house the soffit slopes according to the slope of the roof. At the north gable there are pierced ornamental barge boards, scalloped along the lower edge. At the apex of the gable there is an ornamental pendant. c. There are no dormers. C.

Description of Interior: 1. Floor Plan: Along the east side there are, beginning at the north front, an entrance porch and three bedrooms (the southern-most projects slightly on the east; it is now used as a utility room). Between the middle and south bedrooms there is a bathroom. Along the west side there are a living room, dining room and kitchen. Between the north bedroom and the living room there is a small entrance vestibule. 2. Flooring: All rooms have modern floor "'covering. 3. Wall and Ceiling Finish: Walls and ceilings are plastered and covered with wallpaper. The kitchen has a wainscot of vertical matched and beaded boards, painted. Walls generally have a moulded wooden base, painted. k.

Doorways and Doors: Door openings are rectangular; typical doors have four moulded panels and are hung on two butts. Between the living and dining rooms there is a wide rectang- ular opening, whose height has been lowered somewhat. 5- Trim: Door and window openings in the four front rooms and entrance vestibule have architrave trim. In the kitchen there is plain trim. Some rooms have ornamental plaster centerpieces in the ceiling. 6. Mechanical equipment: In the entrance hall there is an old gas lighting fixture suspended from the ceiling. It is cylindrical in shape and the glass is etched. It has been electrified. The water closet has a round water tank of unusual form; this may date from around D.

Site and Surroundings: The house located at the southeast corner of Ann and Division 13 *CfiRc\ 1 ^ DAVID SMAILL HOUSE HABS No. NEV-13-19 Page 7 Streets, facing north to Ann St. The terrain is level, blocks are small, and lots are small-typical in Carson City. An photograph shows trees along, the north and. -west sides, and a wooden picket fence with cased posts. At present there is a picket fence which is a more recent replacement. Southeast of the house, and close to it, there is an L-shaped wooden gable-roofed garage, of uncertain date. Prepared by: Harley J. McKee Supervisory Architect National Park Service August 16, 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 Landmarks Society assisted the HABS recorders in Nevada. Professor Harley J. McKee, Supervisory Architect, National Park Service, selected the subjects and provided architec- tural data for the sixteen Carson City structures which were recorded. Histor- ical documentation for these buildings was prepared 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 arcbitects 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.