Group keeps watch over historic places
RENO -- They fall to fire, earthquake and neglect.
Sometimes they suffer from intentional harm in the form of vandalism.
They are Nevada's historic places, and on Thursday, the group Preserve Nevada highlighted its annual list of those most at risk of being lost to history.
The list of the 11 most endangered places this year includes the ghost town of Rhyolite, the Northern Nevada rock art site Lagomarsino Canyon and the Paradise School in Las Vegas.
"All the list does is give some attention and focus to these places," said Preserve Nevada board member Bob Stoldal. "It doesn't guarantee survival."
The survival issue is made clear with one of the sites on the 2008 list: Commercial Row in Wells, severely damaged in a 6.0 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 21.
Still, Stoldal, who is also vice president of KLAS-TV in Las Vegas, said there is the potential to save some of the buildings in Wells, a town east of Elko that was established in 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad.
An architectural survey and a structural survey are needed, Stoldal said. Otherwise the structures will continue to deteriorate.
Publicity about Nevada's historic places has produced some successes, the group noted in its release. One example is the La Concha Motel lobby in Las Vegas, which was saved by its relocation to the Neon Museum's "boneyard."
But there have been losses, such as the Moulin Rouge, a historically significant casino that was on a previous list of most endangered places.
The casino was damaged in a fire in 2003, but plans remain to preserve what's left of the first racially integrated casino in Las Vegas as part of a larger development.
What has happened in Wells and elsewhere in Nevada demonstrates that these places are nonrenewable resources, said Ron James, state historic preservation officer.
"That makes survivors of fire and neglect and earthquakes all the more sacred because they are survivors," he said.
"We can't treat victims of these kinds of events as automatically lost, or we are as bad as earthquakes. If we rush in to demolish, we may regret it."
Rhyolite made this year's list because the town's structures are deteriorating and in need of stabilization or rehabilitation.
The rock art site in Storey County in northwestern Nevada, which has 2,000 panels, is threatened by the possibility of suburban development and exposure to vandalism.
The Paradise School, built in 1949 and one of the oldest intact elementary schools in Clark County, was listed because of the potential effects from the construction of an elevated monorail nearby.
Also making the list this year are:
• Maude Frazier Hall at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. An example of the midcentury-modern style of architecture, it faces possible demolition.
• The Las Vegas Historic District in the area of the Las Vegas High School, which is losing its historical integrity with the demolition of its original structures.
• Building 100, Date Street Complex, in Boulder City, which faces potential demolition. It was built in 1941 and served as the Bureau of Mines' Metallurgy Research Laboratory.
• The Nye County Courthouse in Tonopah, which needs restoration.
• The Northern Nevada Locomotives 93, 40 and 81 in Ely. All three are sidelined because of mechanical difficulties, with the challenge being the fabrication of new parts.
• Stokes Castle in Austin, which faces threats from general decay and vandalism.
• Southern Nevada's midcentury motor courts. Built from the 1920s to the 1960s, these buildings exhibit Wild West themes and faux adobe. The aging motels are being relegated to long-term use or even abandoned altogether.
Contact Review-Journal Capital Bureau reporter Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775- 687-3900.
