Belmont Courthouse

In February of 1867 the Nye County seat was moved from Ione, NV to Belmont. The county offices were scattered around town in different buildings. Due to this inconvenience and a recent jailbreak from the old jail, the county decided to build a new building to house all of the offices and the jail.

In 1875 construction began using locally made bricks and mortar and stone from local quarries. Wood from the nearby Sierras was sent to Belmont by train and wagon. A low pitch hip roof, cupola, tall windows, and rounded arches accented by pronounced molding with fine detail emphasized the building’s Italianate style of architecture. Construction was completed in time for the July 4th, 1875 celebration of the 100th anniversary of the United States of America.

The building housed county seat functions until 1905, when the Nye County seat was moved and the Belmont Courthouse was left empty. In the 1920’s the Courthouse was abandoned. Most of the graffiti is characteristic of this time period until 1976 when the building was acquired by the State Park System. At that time the windows were closed up and the doors locked. Weather and neglect took its toll and much of the structural damage occurred during this time.

Today the courthouse is protected by The Friends of the Belmont Courthouse, a group established in 2012 to raise Courthouse restoration funds. Without this benevolent group and private donations, this symbol of Nevada pride may have fallen to ruin.

Dedicated for the 150th anniversary of Nevada on September 27th, 2014 (6019) by the Nevada Chapters of E Clampus Vitus

Snowshoe Thompson #1827, Julia C Bulette #1864, Lucinda Jane Saunders #1881