Virginia City's Fourth Ward School director retires with positive leadership contributions

Barbara Mackey leaves the Fourth Ward School in Virginia City standing tall as its executive director having re-energized the community'sm commitment to remaining a living history of Virginia City’s heyday. From 2001 to 2015, Mackey raised more than $2 million from donors and through grants to implement programs to maintain the school’s historical significance.

In addition, donor and contribution methods were enhanced including an expanded donor program, increased school tour hours, a new gift shop, increased rental use income, expanded catering kitchen and developing the Parties of the Year as one of the largest fundraising events over the last 10 years

Over the 14 years, the interior and exterior of the building received major improvements that contributed to telling the story of the school during the late 1800s, through its closure and as a resource today.

“When I started as executive director at the school, you could say I had a blank slate,” Mackey said. “We didn’t even have a website and marketing programs were basically non-existent. We needed to grow financially in order to just keep the doors open let alone making any improvements.

"The mission has always been to tie this school closely to its history and serve as an educational resource. None of the accomplishments over the last decade plus would have been possible without a dedicated board that believed in me and the vision we needed to create for the school. Beyond that, enhancing the visitor experience allowed us to keep reinventing and developing programs that allowed us to grow. It’s been an incredible journey and I wouldn’t change it for anything.

"I wish Lara all the best as she takes over the reins and continues the momentum.”

Exterior improvements included a repaired and restored front staircase, parking lot interpretive signs and reconstruction of the rear balconies. Interior improvements included new restrooms, winterization, wall and ceiling reconstruction and repairs, archives developed and expanded along with hiring of an archivist, school desk signs, new alumni room, interpretive signage and renovation of the mining room.

Over the years, programs developed included rotating exhibits, self-guided tour handouts and fundraising events. Awards included a National Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Places Museum Assessment Program through the American Association of Museums.

In January Lara Mather, transitions from the museum’s archivist to executive director. Mather brings with her extensive experience with a Master of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology with a graduate certificate in gender, race and identity and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology with a minor in museum studies from the University of Nevada, Reno.

“I had the pleasure of meeting Barbara in the fall of 2005 during a museum studies class tour at the Fourth Ward School Museum,” Mather said. “This began a wonderful friendship and working relationship. The following year I completed an internship with Barbara and I’ve continued to learn and grow until I came on board as the archivist about two years ago. Her knowledge and mentorship has allowed me to grow in my dream job. I feel fortunate to have worked with Barbara and look forward to continuing the school on the path she established.”

About the Fourth Ward School Museum and Archives
Opened on Nov. 28, 1876, the Fourth Ward School was built to honor the nation’s centennial. With the ability to accommodate more than 1,000 students, it boasted state-of-the-art heating, ventilation and sanitation systems, as well as water piped to all floors. From the turn of the century through the 1920s, Fourth Ward teachers educated hundreds of students, but the declining fortunes of the mining district and diminishing population caused the student body to shrink.

By the mid-1930s, less than 200 students attended the Fourth Ward School and the building was in dire need of repairs and was viewed as obsolete. The Fourth Ward School closed its doors after its last seniors graduated in 1936. Rescued by state grants in 1964 and 1984, it reopened in 1986, 50 years after closing. Today, thousands of visitors tour the historic school, view the rotating exhibits, search the archives and learn about the rich history of Virginia City and the Comstock Lode.