Peter Dalton Ranch, Dairy-Pump House, 9005 South Virginia Street, Reno

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS NEV,16-RENO,2D-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Dalton-Ferretto Ranch is eligible to the National Register as a district; the four major buildings and the ten outbuildings located on approximately six acres with fencing, an orchard, and other landscape features form an intact late nineteenth century and early twentieth century ranch complex. This ranch is one of the few extant Truckee Meadows ranches. The ranch is eligible under criterion A. Ranching was the major industry in the Truckee Meadows from shortly after gold was discovered on the Comstock until the middle of the twentieth century. At the turn-of~ the-century, agriculture was the largest industry in Washoe County and Reno was the largest city in Nevada. The ranch was owned by Peter Dalton from to and Joseph Ferretto and family from to the present.

Dalton cultivated hay and grain, raised cattle, and conducted a dairy. The Ferretto family, an important Italian family in the area, purchased the property in and Joseph Ferretto ran the ranch. The ranch produced mostly alfalfa and wheat and fed beef cattle during the winter. The stone portion of this building, called the dairy, is the oldest building on the ranch having been constructed in the It was used to store the milk and to make and store cheese. The pump house portion of the building is wood framed and was constructed in when the Ferretto family purchased the property. # PETER DALTON RANCH (.Joseph-Ferretto-Raneh), DAIRY/PUMP HOUSE HABS No. (page 2) PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History 1.

Date(s) of erection: The stone portion of the building, known as the dairy, was constructed in the and is the oldest building on the ranch. A pump house was attached to the north end of the building in when the Ferretto family purchased the property. 2. Architect: Not known. 3. Original and subsequent owners: References to the chain of title to the land upon which the structures stand are in the Office of the Recorder, Washoe County Courthouse, Reno, Nevada. Patent, December recorded in Book A, p. 66 of Patents. U. S. Government to John S. Bowker. Water rights, July 2, recorded in Book 3, p. 19. John M. Hunter to John S. Bowker Deed. May recorded in Book 3, p. John S. Bowker to Peter Dalton acres) Water rights, February 16, recorded in Book 21, p. 38.

Jane Lake and the Washoe County Bank to Peter Dalton. (50 inches) Water rights, April 3, recorded in Book 21, p. Jane Lake and the Washoe County Bank to Peter Dalton. (10 inches) Deed, March recorded in Book 37, p. Peter Dalton and wife to Robert T. Wilkerson and wife Deed, December recorded in Book 41, p. Robert Wilkerson to Angelo Ferretto (Faretto), Joe Ferretto, and John Ferretto. 4. Builder, contractor, suppliers: Not known. 5. Original plans and construction: None found. 6. Alterations and additions: The pump house portion of the building was added to the north end of the dairy. B. Historical Context: See the overall ranch report, HABS No. PETER DALTON RANCH (Jes*^Fe*re*te4^ h), DAIRY/PUMP HOUSE HABS No. (page 3) PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement 1.

Architectural character: The dairy/pump house is really two buildings which are attached. The dairy is a one story, vernacular stone building with a steeply pitched gable roof. Trie pump house is a wood framed and sided, vernacular building with a steeply pitched gable roof. Together these two pieces form an L. 2. Condition of fabric: The building is in a maintained condition, currently being used primarily for storage. The mortar joints are being washed away in several places. B. Description of Exterior 1. Overall dimensions: The dairy is one story and approximately 16 feet by 26 feet. The pump house is one-and-one-half story and approximately 22 feet by 28 feet. 2. Foundations: There is a stone foundation under the dairy and a poured concrete foundation under the pump house. 3.

Walls: The dairy has a random ashlar front facade and random rubble side and rear walls with lime based mortar joints. The pump house has horizontally laid V-grooved wood walls with a wide sill board. The pump house has thick insulated walls, apparently insulated with saw dust. 4. Structural system, framing: The dairy has masonry load bearing walls and the pump house is wood framed with 2x4 walls. The roof framing is not visible. 5. Porches: None. 6. Chimneys: One red brick chimney protrudes through the ridge of the gable roof near the center of the dairy portion of the building. Three metal stove pipes protrude through the roof, two in the dairy portion and one in the pump house portion. 7. Openings a. Doorways and doors: There are two doors into the dairy on the east elevation.

They are both five panel wooden doors. There are three doors into the pump house; one on each of the north, south, and east elevations. They are all solid wood with five horizontal panels. The upper door into the pump house attic is vertical boards. b. Windows and shutters: The dairy has two windows on the east elevation and one on the west elevation. They are identical and are six- light-over-six-light, double hung, wood framed, sash windows with narrow profiles. The pump house has four identical windows; they are two-light- PETER DALTON RANCH goseph-fesfette^tone-h), DAIRY/PUMP HOUSE HABS No. (page 4) over-two-light, double hung, wood framed sash windows within simple wooden surrounds. 8. Roof a.

Shape, covering: The dairy has a side facing, medium pitched, gabled roof covered with wooden shingles. The pump house has a front facing, medium pitched, gabled roof covered with wooden shingles. Together they form a cross gable. b. Cornice, eaves: The dairy's roof is finished with a boxed cornice. The pump house has a boxed cornice and a frieze board. C. Description of Interior 1. Floor plans: See the accompanying sketch floor plan. The dairy is divided into two approximately equal sized rooms. The pump house is one open room with a large water tank along the north wall. 2. Stairways: None exists. There is no apparent way to reach the second floor of the pump house other than the exterior door and window. 3. Flooring: The pump house has a poured concrete floor with a drain.

The dairy has a dirt floor. 4. Wall and ceiling finish: The stone walls are finished with a rough plaster on the inside. The interior walls and the ceiling within the dairy are finished with horizontal boards. The pump house has beaded board walls and ceiling. All wood surfaces are painted. 5. Openings a. Doorways and doors: All interior doors are five panel wooden doors to match the exterior. b. Windows: The windows are trimmed with wood surrounds in the pump house. 6. Decorative features and trim: None exist. 7. Hardware: All hardware is simple. 8. Mechanical equipment: The original knob-and-tube wiring has been modernized and much of the current electrical wiring runs on the exterior of the pump house.

The pump house has a large water tank to store water being pumped out of the well and underground water lines to the two houses on the property. D. Site 1. General setting and orientation: The dairy/pump house faces east and sits immediately behind the main house (Ferretto House) and slightly

Peter Dalton Ranch

Qosepfe-^ewette-ftanch), DAIRY/PUMP HOUSE HABS No. (page 5) to the north. Smaller outbuildings sit behind the dairy to the west. Mature cottonwood trees are to the south. See the site plan for more information. PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION A. Original Architectural Drawings: None Found B. Early Views: None Found C. Interviews: Louise Ghiggeri Ferretto, wife of John Ferretto who was the brother of Joseph Ferretto. Interview conducted September 1 PM. at her home 150 West Huffaker Circle, Reno, Nevada. Genevieve Ferretto Golick, daughter of Joseph and Rose Ferretto. Golick grew up on this ranch. Interview conducted September 12, PM at her home at 510 Toiyabe, Reno, Nevada. D. Bibliography Census of State of Nevada. Volume 2, part 2, p. Davis, Sam P. The History of Nevada.

Reno and Los Angeles: The Elms Publishing Company, p. "Early Resident of Nevada Dead" Nevada State Tournal. April 17, "John P. Ferretto Family" Early Day Families Washoe County Bicentennial Commission. "Local Teamster, Rancher, Joseph Ferretto, 91, Dies" Nevada State Tournal. May p. Nevada "The Silver State" Volume II. Carson City: Nevada. Western States Historical Publishers, Inc. p. Peckham, George E. "Reminiscences of an Active Life" Nevada Historical Society Papers. Reno, NV: A. Carlisle & Company. p. Reno Evening Gazette, Aug. 29, p. Wren, Thomas. A History of the State of Nevada. New York, New York: The Lewis Publishing Company. p. PETER DALTON RANCH (JesephFerretttr Ranch), DAIRY/PUMP HOUSE HABS No. (page 6) PART IV.

PROJECT INFORMATION The Nevada Department of Transportation is widening US 395 from Foothill Road, Reno, Nevada to the Patriot-Virginia Street Interchange, miles to the north. The current five-land stretch of highway will be expanded to accommodate an additional two lanes. Curbs and gutters will be added to control the flow of water. Two complexes of potentially historic buildings within the project area were inventoried: four buildings on the Huffaker site and five buildings on the Ferretto site. Upon completion of the inventory, it was determined that the Ferretto Ranch site was eligible to the National Register of Historic Places as a district. It was determined that the project adversely effected the potential historic district as the expansion of the U. S.

Highway 395 along the east or front of the Ferretto Ranch came to within 43 feet of the brick Bungalow residence. The project alters relevant characteristics of the potential district and specifically alters characteristics of the residence that qualifies it to the National Register of Historic Places. A Memorandum of Agreement was entered into by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the Federal Highway Administration with concurrence by the Nevada State Historic Preservation Officer and the Nevada Department of Transportation in May to mitigate the adverse effect by recording the property and planting landscape elements. Prepared by: Ana B. Koval, Principal and Architectural Historian Katharine Boyne, Historian Affiliation: Rainshadow Associates, P. O.

Box Carson City, NV Date: September PETER DALTON RANCH (Jesepk-Ferrette-Rwwk) , DAIRY/PUMP HOUSE HABS No. (page 7) N U Sparks Zr T ^okee P, River interstate Ferretto Ranch Vicinity Map 1" = approx. drawn by Katharine Boyne * kh '** ^ jfr / Huffaker Lane Ferretto Ranch Stte Holcomb Lane # PETER DALTON RANCH (Jesepfe-Ferrettt^ftftRch), DAIRY/PUMP HOUSE HABS No. (page 8) Ferretto Ranch Site Plan T a appro*. dO' drawn by Katharine 3oyne PETER DALTON RANCH (^ s^h-Ferrett^^Rai^i), DAIRY/PUMP HOUSE HABS No. (page 9) Dairy/Pump House - First Floor Dairy approx. by Pump House approx. x drawn N