Sadly, the one remaining stone house on Mt. Rose has fallen victim to the rampant development affecting Northern Nevada. It is no more and is being replaced by a development of modern homes.
Progress marches forward, kicking Nevada history to the curb! Over the last 3 – 4 years, we’ve noticed that this appears to be a common theme in our area. Without protection, many of our historic landmarks will be destroyed in the name of progress.
Site of where the stone house once stood. Across from the Summit Mall on old 395.
Houses, Mt. Rose and Old 395. Photo taken approximately 1950s – 1960s
In the old days (say the late 1950s through the 1970s), when we went to Reno, we’d take Old 395. At the junction of Old 395 and Mt. Rose, there were five small houses, a couple were built of pink stone, another couple were wood frame and one looked as though it was a combination of both building materials.
At the time, we didn’t question why those houses were there, out in the middle of nowhere. And over time, people, for the most part, forgot about these houses. This was especially true once I580 opened as the houses are/were not easily visible from the freeway.
Today, only one of the houses has survived and it looks as though it’s become party central. We went exploring and believe that the craftsmanship of the lone survivor can be attributed to the Native American stonemasons from the Stewart Indian School. The house is pretty much destroyed, only the walls are standing and it’s full of trash and used drug paraphernalia.
It’s a shame that these houses were neglected, that they were not loved and protected. Hopefully, whoever owns the property will protect the last house and, maybe, even restore it! The house is a vital part of Nevada’s history and deserves to be saved!
This is Carson City’s own Mystery House. Look at this cutie! Imagine it’s a cold, winter day and you’re inside, sitting in front of a fire in the beautiful fireplace, cup of hot cocoa in one hand and a good book in the other. All snug and cozy! Best way to spend a snowy day!
All we know about this house is that it was in Carson City – quite possibly on the West Side. We’re thinking the West Side as it appears that C Hill is in the background of the photograph.
It appears that the photograph may have been taken between the 1930s through the 1950s. We’ve been unable to date the photograph or pinpoint the exact location of the house.
We have a suspicion that the house no longer exists. It was probably torn down to make room for a modern dwelling. We’ve traveled extensively through Carson City and cannot find it. We’ve talked to long-time residents of Carson City and they all agree that they remember the house, they just don’t remember where it is/was.
We’d like more information on the house – when was it built, where was it and is is it still standing. We think it could be the work of the Wungnema Family – it has the family’s trademark dark grout or mud, plus, we think we can see a piece of turquoise in the chimney. If you have any information about this cutie, we’d love to hear from from you.
Today, let’s talk about stone acquisition and the tools a stonemason needs to create his/her masterpieces. Let’s start with “Where did the Native American stonemasons obtain the stones used in their construction projects?”
Some of the stone were found – that is, the stones were picked up and transported to the building site. This was the low-cost means of obtaining building materials and often allowed the land to be cleared before construction began.
Frederick Snyder, superintendent of the Stewart Indian School (SIS) from 1919 – 1934, was a great proponent of found stones collection method. He, his friends and the SIS students would take long drives in the Nevada Desert collecting the stones used in the construction of the buildings on campus. It’s even said that he required anybody making a delivery to the school, to collect stones for him.
And some of the stone came from local quarries. This allowed the stonemason the opportunity to select the stone he/she wanted to use instead of having to use found stone. It is possible the some of the Native American stonemasons used both found and quarried stone in their projects.
Quarry (Dictionary.com): noun, plural quarries.
1. an excavation or pit, usually open to the air, from which building stone, slate, or the like, is obtained by cutting, blasting, etc.
2. an abundant source or supply.
Quarries are a form of open pit mining. The quarried stone is just as important to Nevada’s economy as is the gold and silver produced by underground mining. Nevada has a number of active quarries, still in operation today, where the stone used in foundations, counter tops, shower stalls and fascia is found.
We know that much of the pink stone used by the Native American stonemasons came from the quarries owned by the Wungnema Family. These unspecified locations, along the Carson River, provided the Rhyolite that was used locally.
These quarries are still in limited operation today and are still owned by the Wungnemas. The family shares the exact location of these quarries only with their closest associates. Contrary to public speculation, none of the quarries are – or ever have been – underwater.
Outcropping of Rhyolite
Turquoise
Unfortunately, in Northern Nevada construction projects, Rhyolite is not used as much as it was in the past since the above-ground supply of the stone in this area has been depleted and, due to federal regulations, it is expensive to mine/dynamite the underground supply of the stone.
Note: The Carson Ridge Disc Golf Course is near the Carson River and appears to sits on a seam of Rhyolite. As the property is city-owned, it is unlikely that the seam will be mined.
In today’s modern business environment, a master stonemason needs to know his/her craft, as well as being technologically savvy, computer literate and aware of ever-changing government regulations.
What skills and tools does a stonemason need? It’s not as easy as it looks to lay stones, bricks or cinder block. There’s a skill, an art to it. Many masons apprentice on to a master stonemason in order to learn from the best.
A stonemason needs the following skills:
The ability to follow architectural plans and drawings (if provided)
A careful approach to work and attention to detail
Math skills for accurately measuring areas
Coordination and practical skills for using tools
A good eye and a sense of creativity
Business skills so that the proper fees are calculated and invoiced
Interpersonal communication skills for increased customer satisfaction
A mason tender, or a hoddy, assists the stonemason by setting up the scaffolds, mixing the mud, retrieving the stones or bricks and getting the materials/tools ready for the mason.
According to doityourself.com, “Masonry tools are as important as the skill of a mason. They are widely available in hardware stores and supply outlets. Due to the nature and scope of masonry work, they are built with durable materials to withstand heavy use.”
While the tools themselves have not changed that much in the last 100 years, the advances in material composition and production techniques have rendered today’s versions of those tools more user-friendly. The modern tools are lighter in weight, yet just a durable as their predecessors, which allows for greater productivity.
And, then there’s laser levels – these levels provide a greater degree of accuracy than a traditional mason’s level.
Trowels – The uses of this triangular-shaped tool: to pick up mortar from a board; to place and spread the mortar into a brick, or set of bricks; to secure a brick into the mortar by tapping. Sizes vary and can reach up to 11 inches in length and 8 inches in width. Masons prefer using short and wide trowels since they do not put excessive stress on wrists.
Chisel – A chisel is used to cut bricks into specific sizes. Chisel width ranges from 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 inches.
Hammer – A masonry hammer has a square face on one end for breaking; it has a sharp edge on the other for cutting. They are used to split hard bricks.
Jointer – A jointer is used to make mortar joints. There are three types of jointer shapes: flat, pointed and rounded.
Squares – Squares are used when constructing and measuring right angles and for corner layouts. They are usually made of metal for durability.
Mason’s Level – A mason’s level is used when establishing vertical or plumb lines and horizontal or level lines. They are typically made of wood, metal, or a combination of both. They come equipped with either single or double vials. The latter is preferred by more masons since they can be used for both horizontal and vertical measurements.
Straightedge – Straightedges act as extensors to mason’s levels: they are used when levels are shorter than the area that needs to be measured or assessed. The middle section of the top of the straightedge must be horizontally parallel to the bottom section. Widths of these tools range from 1 1/8 to 1 1/2 inches; they can be as long as 16 feet.
Welcome to Nativestonework.com! This is our second reincarnation. The site was previously up and running, however, due to events over the past couple of years, we took the site down. However, it is now back up and we are ready to resume detailing the works of the area’s Native American stonemasons.
Stewart Community Baptist Church – The Wungnema Family, stonemasons
As before, this site is dedicated to the Native American stonemasons of Nevada and California, their pink stone buildings and other creations! This site intended to identify – and hopefully – preserve the creations of the talented Native American stonemasons in Northern Nevada, California and Hawaii.
In addition to the pink stones, these stonemasons were masters of stone, brick and cinderblock resulting in residential housing, governmental and religious buildings plus ornamental structures. These men and women worked hard in the searing heat of summer and the bitter cold of winter. The only recognition they sought was the satisfaction of a job well done. The Native American stonemasons contributed – and continue to contribute – to the economic and cultural well-being of their communities.
Douglas County Senior Center – Dennis Talas, stonemason (photo by Daza Talas)
Native Stonework is a continuation of the presentation “W is for Wungnema” which was the first step in cataloging the work of Native American Stonemasons in Northern Nevada and California.
“W is or Wungnema” is a photographic history documenting the stone work of Native America stonemasons, the Wungnemas and their extended family members (the Talases, the McQueens and the Crawfords) debuted on October 7th at the Stewart Community Baptist Church in Carson City.
The goal of the presentation was recognize and acknowledge the stonework of the Native American stonemasons in general, and the Wungnema-Talas-McQueen-Crawford families, specifically. To the best of our knowledge, the Native American stonemasons and their projects were not documented prior to “W is for Wungnema”.
It is hoped that Native Stonework Web site will change that. We encourage our visitors to help put names to the people, the buildings, to share examples of this exquisite stonework that has previously been unknown, to share stories of the Native American stonemasons.
Old Stewart Gym – Approximately 1938. Unfortunately, the people in the photo are not known
The Native American stonemasons contributed not only to the economic well-being of both Nevada and California, they also contributed to the design aesthetic by enhancing the natural beauty of the area through the use of materials that complimented the landscape. In architecture, the practice of joining both form and beauty with pleasing results is known is architectonic.
Join us as we explore the works of the Native American stonemasons. Please feel free to submit your photographs and memories so that they can be shared with the world! Our email address is nativestonework@gmail.com. Credit will be given to all submissions.
