Methodist Church of Carson City

The Methodist Church was built to serve a congregation that is the oldest in Nevada. For this reason, it is considered the "Cradle of Nevada Methodism" within the state. The first pastor of the church was Reverend Warren Nims. While overseeing the construction of the edifice, he drove a two-horse lumber wagon in order to haul rock himself from the Nevada State Prison, which was located in Carson City. He also instructed the prisoners in cutting the rock per his exact specifications for building the church.

In addition to selecting the raw materials used in the construction, Reverend Nims also lay the stone himself. Thus, according to historian Sam Broyles, Rev. Nims can rightly be considered the church's "architect, stone mason, and teamster, as well as the pastor of its flock." In 1865, the church was competed and was subsequently dedicated in 1867. One of the earliest members of the congregation was H.G. Blaisdell. He was the first elected governor of the State of Nevada, which officially became part of the United States in 1864. In 1869, Blaisdell paid the remaining balance of $1,500 debt on the church's building and grounds.

The twentieth century saw a few significant changes to the exterior. In 1909, the church tower was altered to its current appearance by removing the tall, pointed Gothic spire. Additionally, a stone entrance porch was installed in 1948. However, the arched windows and the octagonal porch posts, which are characteristic of the Gothic style, appear just as they did in the original 1865 design.

Broyles, Sam. Methodist Church of Carson City, Then and Now. Accessed May 5th 2021.

https://aroundcarson.com/2007/08/05/new_site_update_780/.

Methodist Church of Carson City, Historical Marker Database. Accessed May 5th 2021. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=21240.