Yerington Monday: Lyon County and the Lyon County Court House

Yerington Monday:  Lyon County and the Lyon County Court House

Lyon county is located in the Western/Central portion of Nevada and includes the towns of: Dayton, Fernley, Mark Twain, Mound House, Silver City, Silver Springs, Stagecoach, Smith Valley, Yerington (County Seat).  The Lyon County Courthouse sits very stately right on Main street.  It is perhaps the most beautiful building in Yerington. When I was a kid the library was located in the basement of the courthouse.  The jail was also located in the courthouse.  What I loved most was the courthouse lawns.  It was a great place to walk, play and picnic. It had a public water fountain which quenched many a thirst on hot summer days. Most of the lawns are now occupied by Lyon County administrative buildings.

Lyon County was named after Nathaniel Lyon (July 14, 1818 – August 10, 1861) who was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War and is noted for his actions in the state of Missouri at the beginning of the conflict. Some credit his quick action and hard line Unionism for stopping the Missouri secession movement.

There were stories that it was named for Captain Robert Lyon, a survivor of the Pyramid Lake War in 1860, but Nevada State Archives staff discovered a county seal with the picture of the Civil War general, settling the conflict

.

Lyon County’s first County Seat was established at Dayton on November 29, 1861, which had just changed its name from Nevada City, and which had been called Chinatown before that. The economic success of nearby Virginia City prompted officials to invest early in public architecture. Dayton's courthouse was one of the first built in the state. After the Dayton Court House burned down in 1909, the seat was moved to Yerington in 1911.

The county hired Henry Sweetapple as building supervisor. Records indicate that the spending limit for construction was $30,000, but the actual cost is unknown. Completed in 1864, the two-story brick building exhibited an elaborate molded cornice, and brick corner pilasters. Fire destroyed the courthouse in 1909. Daytonites suspected arsonists from Yerington in the south.

Regardless, county commissioners moved the seat of government to Yerington, stopping an effort in Dayton to rebuild their courthouse.

In 1911, the county accepted plans from Frederick DeLongchamps for a structure in Yerington, to be located on Main and Grove Streets on land donated by Mary Burton.

The project budget included $35,000 for construction, $3,000 for a jail, and $4,000 for furnishings. It was built by the Ward Brothers and Calder of Reno, and supervised by George W. Hollsworth. During construction, the southern section of the building collapsed and blame was initially directed at DeLongchamps. A formal investigation later exonerated him.

Completed in 1912, the brick structure exhibits a Beaux-Arts design mixed with Neoclassical elements. The exterior includes a highly sculpted cornice with dentils, and granite entrance steps flanked by iron lampposts. Two pairs of terra cotta columns support a large pediment over the front porch. The interior contains a central hall of large white and green tiles, with six-foot-high wainscoting.

Including a recent addition, two structures were added to the rear of the courthouse that match the style of the original building. DeLongchamps designed the first addition in 1935.

The Lyon County Courthouse is home to the Third Judicial District Court of Nevada. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 24, 1983.

Lyon County Courthouse Courtroom (Yerington, Nevada)

Lyon County Ten Commandments Monument donated by the Fraternal Order of Eagles located in front of the Lyon County Courthouse in Yerington, Nevada

1938 Postcard of Lyon County Courthouse, Yerington Nevada