Douglas County Courthouse
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Genoa Courthouse Museum (Douglas County Courthouse)
1865, T. J. Furbee. 2300 Main St.
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Genoa Courthouse Museum (Douglas County Courthouse) (Bret Morgan)
In 1864 the Nevada territorial legislature authorized Douglas County to raise taxes for a courthouse in Genoa. The local government commissioned T. J. Furbee, a mining superintendent, to design the structure, which was completed in 1865. It is the oldest standing courthouse in Nevada. A sturdy stone foundation supports the rectangular two-story brick building. Transoms and side lights surround a centered doorway, capped with an elaborate denticulated cornice. A later one-story addition to the northeast corner of the building elongates the facade, disrupting its symmetry. The interior includes a second-story courtroom and offices for officials. In the back of the first floor is a tin jail cell that is little more than a metal box with two compartments. The courthouse partially burned down in 1910 but was quickly restored. Nonetheless, the local government soon moved to larger quarters in nearby Minden. The Genoa courthouse now serves as a local museum.
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