Fourth Ward School

537 S C Street, Virginia City, NV

The Fourth Ward School was constructed in 1876. It was built in the “Fourth Ward” District of Virginia City, Nevada. During its operation from 1876 to 1936, the school was a monument to the value of education, renowned for its state-of-the-art heating and sanitary amenities and its visionary approach to the full spectrum of educational experiences. The building ceased to function as a school in 1936 and remained vacant until 1986 when it was reopened to the public as a museum.

Heritage Architecture & Planning initially prepared a Historic Structure Report for the museum’s Board of Trustees. The report served as a support document for the eventual restoration of the 125-year-old building. Following the Historic Structure Report, we were retained to provided services for several subsequent projects including:

• A complete exterior restoration.
• Restoration of an interior assembly room.
• Reconstruction of the three-story north tower to include new period-style public restrooms and a complete catering kitchen.
• Structural retrofit of the existing unreinforced stone masonry foundation.
• Installation of a new temperature-controlled archival library and vault located in the basement.

The Fourth Ward School is listed as a contributor to the Comstock National Historic District in Virginia City, Nevada.