Nevada Capitol Building

The San Francisco architect, Joseph Gosling, was hired to design the Nevada State Capitol Building for $250. He designed it in a Classical Revival architectural style, which was characteristic for government buildings at that time. There are also Italianate and Renaissance Revival elements, such as the rows of arched windows. An octagonal annex was added to the building's east side in 1906-07. Additionally, in 1915, north and south wings were added to accommodate the legislative chambers when in session. (The State Legislature now has its own building).

For the first fifty years, the Nevada Supreme Court also met at the Nevada State Capitol Building, until it outgrew the space. As a result, the Nevada State Capitol is today part of a campus setting with other government buildings. The Legislative Building and the Supreme Court Building are both nearby, along with the State Library and Archives Building.

These buildings are nestled in a park-like campus setting, featuring walkways, benches, and trees. The trees were brought in from several different counties in Nevada. For example, on the grounds of this campus of state buildings, a Sierra Redwood tree contains a historical marker that states: "Sierra Redwood, Sequoia Giganteum, Clark County."

Another historical marker was placed near the entrance to the building on Carson Street. It notes that the sandstone used to construct the Nevada State Capitol was quarried locally on property owned by the town's founder, Abe Curry. In the 1860s, a portion of Curry's land was leased to the Nevada State Prison. Thus, some historical sources note that the sandstone was obtained for free at the quarry of the state prison, which helped to keep building costs low.

Today, the Governor maintains offices in the Nevada State Building, and the second floor is used as a museum. Early exhibits included the collections of the Society of Pacific Coast Pioneers. This society was established in 1972 as a scientific, literary, and historical organization that collected and recorded information about the settlement of the Pacific States and Territories. The Nevada State Capitol Building is listed on the National Register of Historical Places.

Abraham Curry , Online Nevada Encyclopedia. Accessed April 26th 2021. https://www.onlinenevada.org/articles/abraham-curry.

Nevada State Capitol Building, NPS. Accessed April 26th 2021. https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/nevada/nev.htm.

Nevada State Capitol Building, Sierra Nevada Geotourism. Accessed April 26th 2021. https://sierranevadageotourism.org/entries/nevada-state-capitol-building/d1568b70-f284-4ac3-8787-f21691bcc1d4.

Whittle, Syd. Nevada's Capitol Historical Marker, Historical Marker Database. July 13th 2009. Accessed April 26th 2021. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=20812.