Historic Fourth Ward School Museum in Virginia City thanks community for successful year
Submitted by editor on Mon, 11/16/2015 - 12:27pm
The historic Fourth Ward School Museum in Virginia City, Nevada, stands tall as a testament to the continued support of its donors, members and visitors each of whom have helped to ensure key milestones were met in the 2015 season that operated from May through October. Plans are underway for 2016 as the school enters its 140th year. The museum opens with a new exhibit in May 2016 and welcomes new Executive Director Lara Mather starting in January 2016.
“We are much more than a historical building in an old mining town. We’re the place to start any visit to Virginia City for the real history of the Comstock,” Barbara Mackey, executive director for the historic Fourth Ward School museum, said. “We say, ‘don’t just ‘Like Us, Love Us,’ and over the last year our visitors have taken that to heart and became members. Over the last year, we were really able to focus our attention to some major improvements on the building and our exhibit. The support we receive is priceless to ensure that this 140 year treasure is preserved for generations.”
During the 2015 season, more than 2,185 students and 13,534 visitors toured the museum to learn about Nevada history and the importance of the Comstock District to the state’s history.
Funds and a grant from the Commission of Cultural Affairs allowed the school to repair the gutter system and update the fire alarm and fire sprinkler system, which are both crucial to the one-of-a-kind, four-storied wooden building, as well as the continued preservation and development of the archival collection. Building rentals for meetings, conferences, private events and high teas have also helped with operating expenses and continued preservation of the building.
For more information on the historic Fourth Ward School Museum, visit online at fourthwardschool.org, call 775-847-0975 or follow them online.
About the Fourth Ward School Museum & 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.
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