Unique Homes of Silver City, Nevada

Silver City, Nevada- Silver City is a showcase for unique and diverse architecture, from historic to modern. Beginning in the mid-1960s, a new wave of residents settled in the community, rehabilitating, restoring, and adding to the town’s historic homes. Other newcomers invested in the town by building architecturally unique, visually-striking residences. Today the town is a checkerboard of irreplaceable historic buildings and homes perched on hillsides in order to take advantage of the views of the snow-capped Sierras and the historic Comstock region. Within a space of a few miles, you can see octagon, Swiss Chalet and earth-sheltered designs; a whimsical abode reminiscent of a pagoda; a traincar that Western artist Buckeye Blake re-purposed as housing; strawbale and A-frame homes; geodesic domes; and restored historic houses of the 19th and early 20th century, as well as recently built homes. This year, watch for features in a number of publications on some of the town's unusual houses. Following are some examples.

SILVER CITY HOME AN EXAMPLE OF TOWN'S UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE - Mason Valley News, Nov. 15th 2017

Joe and Ann McCarthy’s two bedroom home, perched high on a 20 acre property, is one example of the town’s modern, energy-efficient structures. The passive solar house is designed to take advantage of the incredible views of the Comstock and the Sierras, with a wrap around deck and large windows throughout the south-facing living room and dining room.

Lots of sky lights, concrete and glass, coupled with soaring ceilings, give the home the feeling of a wide open New York loft, but many exterior design elements, such as a courtyard gate made from a wagon wheel and the use of silver corrugated metal siding, reference the region’s rich history and nearby remnants of the Comstock’s historic mills.
In the early 2000s, Joe and Ann worked with their friend Art Hannafin, an acclaimed architect who was responsible for some remarkable residential and commercial developments throughout the Tahoe, Comstock, and Carson City regions, to create a uniquely beautiful and comfortable home. Hannafin designed the home keeping in mind that the couple wanted to “bring the outside in, because it’s so beautiful here.”

Explaining why he and his wife Ann decided to build their dream home in Silver City, which is located within a National Historic Landmark, Joe describes the town as “one of the most unusual and friendly communities in the West. It's a mixture of artists and entrepreneurs, families, home owners and renters, but a community that works together. It is the epitome of the definition of a good community with really fine folks in it. It's got a lovely, progressive artistic bent to it.”

A hand painted sign above one of the French doors that open onto the deck proclaims, “This is Where We Want to Be.”

CULTIVATING INSPIRATION AT THE MCCORMICK DOMES - The Record Courier, October 2017, by Lisa Gavon Excerpts below. Read the entire article here: https://www.recordcourier.com/news/local/cultivating-inspiration-at-the-mccormick-domes/#

Jim McCormick's "quatrefoil design was his own unique invention, perhaps based on the ancient design popular in Gothic architecture...The home consists of four domes meeting into one common area. The interior is nothing like a regular house: the organic nature of the large spheres reverberate the shape of our planet. Being inside is like walking in a giant sculpture: unexpected and aesthetically compelling. The light reverberates with a lyrical elegance across the triangular components, making the space continually magical. No corners to hide in, the domes arch above your head just like the sky."

Visiting places along the lines of Drop City in Colorado for inspiration, and rejecting traditional American materialism, the family used their own resourcefulness to return to a straightforward existence more connected to the natural world. Although eventually switching to power, they started out building with only hand tools. Jim had studied the writings and ideas of R. Buckminster Fuller, an American architect, engineer, poet, inventor, and philosopher who advocated and popularized the geodesic dome as an inexpensive way for conscious people to construct their own dwellings

The large separate dome on the east end of the house was originally built by UNR students and used at Reno events. There are many other sections of the complex that are also made of recycled materials, integrating yet another aspect of intentional living.

It was on Thanksgiving Day 1971 that Jim, Sandy, daughter, Kristin, and son, Theo, packed all their belongings and headed back-to-the-land. Jim wanted to separate himself from what he called "the glittering rudeness" of life in the city, and protect his family from prevailing political and social stresses.They had purchased 5 acres in Silver City. It was and is a unique town filled with rugged individuals. They may come from any walk of life... the one thing they share in common is a love of this particular mountainous section of Nevada. Although self-contained, they are people oriented, help their neighbors, and have a deep and abiding sense of community.

Looking out over the sage and pinion covered peaks from a perfect vantage point at the crest of the ridge, the town sprawls out below. The wide open spaces of Nevada offer an opportunity to look at the world with new eyes: to study, create, and innovate. No place can rival this one for being encouraged to march to the beat of your own drummer.

A Few Other Unusual Homes of Silver City, Nevada

This pagoda style home and adjacent guest house and art studio reflect decades of work by local artisan Doug Beverly Brown.

A rare round house, with an antique boxcar nearby that's been converted to a guest house. The boxcar was home to well known Western artist Buckeye Blake in the 1970s.

The Strawbale Houses - this home and guest house are energy efficient strawbale designs that also incorporate intricate stonework. A large, kinetic wolf sculpture nearby is forever trying to blow them down.

Swiss Chalet - This Swiss Chalet style home sits on one of the highest points in Silver City, taking advantages of the mountain views.

Many of the more recently built homes, such as this one, give a nod to the National Historic Landmark's legacy of underground mining in the 1800s with architectural features that are remiscent of the tin-roofed assay shacks of the 1800s. Today Silver City is a residential community with a largely "creative class" population of artists, musicians, writers, historians, archaeologists, etc.