Two historic buildings join National Register

Stephen Curran

Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2002 | 8:31 a.m.

Two Southern Nevada buildings will join the ranks of historically significant locales after being named to the National Register of Historic Places, state Historic Preservation Officer Ron James said Monday.

The Moapa Stake Office Building of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Overton and the Lincoln County Courthouse in Pioche were added to the register, a list of cultural resources considered to be worth preserving.

The Moapa Stake Building, constructed in 1919, was recognized for its part in the development of Moapa Valley and the important influence of the LDS Church in Southern Nevada.

The building was constructed between 1917 and 1919 and was the first LDS building built in the Moapa Valley. The church occupied the building until 1939, when the offices were moved to Las Vegas. The building then became the Virmoa Maternity Hospital in 1940, where more than 200 babies were born over the next 25 years.

Currently, the building is home to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, who purchased the structure in 1970. The group has plans to develop a museum onsite.

The Lincoln County Courthouse, built in 1938 in Pioche, is the only art deco county courthouse in the state. James said it appears to be the only art deco building designed by A.L. Worswick, one of the most influential and prolific architects in Nevada. Worswick moved to Las Vegas in 1929 after a successful career in San Francisco.

Construction of the previous courthouse was marked by a series of building mishaps and financial mismanagement. It is remembered as "the million-dollar courthouse" as a result. Funding for the "new" Lincoln County Courthouse was made possible by the booming lead and zinc industries and New Deal funds.

Many art deco government offices built in the New Deal era are part of what is considered "federal deco," with Hoover Dam and Nevada Supreme Court being built in the same style, said Mella Harmon, National Register coordinator for the state of Nevada.

Many of the structures are threatened with demolition or replacement because the older buildings are considered "out of style," she said.

"There's always pressure to replace old buildings," Harmon said.

For a building to be put on the National Register, interested parties must submit a proposal and justification for its historical significance to the state Historic Preservation Office. The office looks at many criteria, including the building's age, its architectural significance and its association with historical figures or events.

While the proposal to include the courthouse was submitted by University of Nevada, Las Vegas graduate students, most proposals are compiled by Harmon, Nevada's only National Register coordinator.