Mackay School of Mines - University of Nevada Historic District - University of Nevada, Reno
N 39° 32.356 W 119° 48.864
11S E 258138 N 4380405
The Mackay School of Mines Building, now known as the DeLaMare Science & Engineering Library, is one of 13 contributing buildings in the University of Nevada Historic District.
Waymark Code: WMJZCV
Location: Nevada, United States
Date Posted: 01/21/2014
Views: 1
The Mackay School of Mines Building is currently home to the
DeLaMare Science and Engineering Library. It is one of only two buildings on campus that have been
listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and was listed in 1982. The following text is taken from the NPS.gov
webpage that describes the history of this building and reads:
William S. Richardson, of the prominent New York architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White, designed the Mackay School of Mines Building in the Georgian Revival architectural style in 1906. Built by Northwestern Construction Company, the original configuration for the building was U-shaped, enclosing an open-ended atrium. The front section of the building was laid with Flemish-bond brick and features a two-story portico with four monumental Tuscan columns of Indiana limestone, and a white mosaic tile ceiling under the portico. In 1926, Frederic DeLongchamps undertook a remodeling project, adding a second story and enclosing the atrium. He also added the present copper-sheathed hipped roof and skylights.
The Mackay family funded construction of this building in honor of Comstock Lode "King" John Mackay, an Irish immigrant, who made a fortune in the Comstock mining boom. At the time of his death, John Mackay's estate was worth at least $30,000,000. Mackay's son, Clarence, provided funding for the building and its later remodeling. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum, of Mount Rushmore fame, designed the cast bronze statue of John Mackay located at the front of the School of Mines. The Mackay School of Mines is one of the major schools of mines in the county and the building also houses the Geology Museum, established in 1906. The collections, which also include Mackay family silver, are extremely valuable to the history of mining in Nevada and the American West. They are in constant use for teaching and research.
There is a statue of John Mackay that stands in front of this building and was sculpted by artist Gutzon Borglum, who is renowned for his work on the famous Mount Rushmore. Clicking this link will take you to the University of Nevada Historic District waymark page to visit other structures that are part of this University Historic District.