Mint Edition

Mint Edition The Architect of the Carson City Mint IN THIS ISSUE: by Myron Freedman, Museum Director as an agent of the Treasury Department. 1. Architect of the Carson City Mint If you are a student of the Carson City Mint’s Mullett’s round trip encompassed the first 8 2. Message From the Director history, then you may know Howard Hickson’s months of 1865, and it was aboard his return 4. Frances Humphrey Lecture Series 1972 book, Mint Mark: CC. Hickson was the ship that he met the Captain’s daughter, 5. Calendar of Events director of NSM following the death Pearl Myrick, the two became of founder, Judge Clark J. Guild, engaged, then married later that 6. Day of the Dead and his book is arguably the year. A busy time for A.B. 7. Welcome New Members most complete story of how Mullett. None of his 1865 diary 8. Contact the Museum the Mint came to be. In it, entries* mention a mint however, he refers only once building for Carson City, to its architect, Alfred B. though according to Mullett, saying that Mullett Hickson the plans for the reported to the Treasury CC Mint were ready in July Department on the of 1866. So, my question is, completion of construction when did the Carson City on December 13, 1869 (and Mint get planned, and who where Mullett states it was the did the work? One historian most economically constructed thinks the CC Mint was Mullet’s building in the United States.) first design as the chief. If so, he would have prepared the plans in one It is curious. Congress passed legislation to establish the Mint on March 3, month’s time. This leads me to at least Above: Dancers take a bow at the 2018 Día de 1863. The site was not selected until 1865, and speculate the project was already on the boards los Muertos event at NSM. Mullett was not appointed Supervising when he took over, and as Supervising Architect of the Treasury until June 1, 1866. Architect receives the credit. Left: Alfred B. Mullett, Architect of the Carson City Mint. Photo courtesy US General Services And in 1865, according to his diary, Mullett was Alfred Bult Mullett was born in Taunton, Administration. traveling from New York to San Francisco to England in 1834. His family moved to the inspect U.S. Government buildings, presumably United States and settled in Ohio when he was a boy. There, Mullett studied mathematics and in government building construction. The boom Message mechanical drawing, matriculated from Farmers was not just in volume of buildings, but in scale. College, and then trained as an architect in the American architecture began to reflect a new from the Cincinnati office of Isaiah Rogers. He rose to vision of a grand republic, and it was under Director become a partner in the firm, but severed ties Mullett that civic design began to really puff up when Rogers moved the practice to Nashville. and assume greater stature. The building most by Myron Freedman Like many young men of his era, he served in the associated with Mullett and his approach is the Union army at the start of the Civil War, though State, War and Navy Building, known today as Our Fiscal Year closed over the summer and, his Ohio regiment was not called up. After his the Eisenhower Executive Office Building as we head into the new Fall and Winter service, he was appointed by Treasury Secretary located at 1650 Pennsylvania Avenue – one of the seasons with lots of programs for you to Salmon P. Chase to be a enjoy, I would like to take a moment to reflect Photos: clerk in the construction George on all the activities presented last year at the Baumgardn bureau, which meant er Nevada State Museum. working again for Isaiah We held a moving WWI remembrance, kicked Rogers, who had taken off the Mint 150 celebration, opened a new over as the Treasury exhibit on Chinese Woodcutters, presented a Department’s number of fun and enlightening cultural Supervising Architect. events, and were fortunate to have a great slate Mullett was Rogers’ of speakers for the popular Frances assistant, but became Humphrey Lecture Series, as well as many quite critical of him and Nevada authors here to sign books. In July, we resigned. He then joined the nation in remembering the Apollo worked behind his moon landing fifty years ago and exhibited former boss’s back to Nevada’s samples of moon rocks brought complete tasks on back by astronauts. All of this, and so much behalf of Treasury more, resulted in almost 39,000 visitors to the building projects, museum, many of them joining as new lobbied for the top job members. The staff and volunteers put in a himself, and prevailed Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington D.C., 1981. tremendous amount of time and energy to to succeed Rogers in Photo courtesy White House photo office. make the Nevada State Museum a museum for 1866. A stunningly swift all, and it is terrific to see the impact their rise for the politically savvy Mullet. most prominent and iconic buildings in efforts had with so many enjoying what we Washington D.C. The building’s Second Empire have to offer. Mullet not only took over the office of Supervising Architect, but he is also credited with architectural style was often employed by Mullett I look forward to another year packed with transforming it into a modern, well-organized in the design of enormous post office buildings programs for you and all Nevadans and, as design and construction machine that matched constructed in New York, St. Louis, and Boston. always, thank you for supporting the Nevada the tall orders coming from Congress. The post- The Carson City Mint stands in sharp contrast to State Museum. 2 Civil War years in the United States saw a boom these ornate and large structures. Given that Nevada was still a remote territory against the Federal government for a large sum at the time of its approval by in fees he said he was owed. He was a man of Congress, the building was immense talent and ambition, leading the undoubtedly assigned a correlating construction of hundreds of buildings, but budget. Also, the availability of unable to overcome a profound bitterness fed building supplies would have been by a sense of failure. factored into the design and Alfred B. Mullett’s buildings can be found in engineering. Sandstone was readily cities across the United States, including the available from Abe Curry’s prison CC Mint and the second San Francisco Mint; quarry, and conveniently enough beautiful and sound structures that withstood Curry won the contract to build changing fads, and destructive earthquakes. the mint. The final effect is a Above: Old San Francisco Mint Building on Mission and Thank you “Alf.” Renaissance Revival building, 5th St. Photo courtesy HABS/HAER, Library of Congress. something akin to collegiate Below: The earliest known photograph of the Carson *Mullett handed off the task of keeping his architecture, though with a frontier City U.S. Branch Mint, ca. 1869. Photo courtesy NSM. diary to his wife after they were married, and interpretation seen in its simplicity the diary ends shortly after that. and roughhewn texture. To my eye, a perfectly him worked for his ouster. The Grant balanced and beautiful building, and one that administration had developed a reputation for set the stage for the 1871 Capitol building just waste and corruption and when the cleanup Go to Mint150.com down the street, designed by Joseph Gosling. began, increased scrutiny of Mullett’s methods to learn more about It is hard to overestimate the handsome and suppliers were called into question. Mullett elegance these two buildings bring to the was also known to have a fiery temper, along our exciting lineup of Carson City streetscape. with an iron grip on projects. He had been in programs. Just as he had finagled an appointment to his the position long enough to become both a high position, others about symbol of wasteful spending and a target of Join us on February 4, 2020 to resentment. Citing health reasons, he resigned celebrate the 150th anniversary of in 1874. He thought his years as Supervising when the Carson City Mint struck its first Architect would provide a lucrative coin in 1870. We will be minting a springboard into private practice, special sesquicentennial silver but the large commissions medallion that day honoring the rarest eluded him. In October of 1890 he ended his own life minting duo existing on the planet, the with a bullet to his head. CC Mint and Coin Press No. 1. The Washington Post The Carson City Mint Sesquicentennial epitaph cites despondency celebration is supported by the over financial troubles as Nevada Mining Association and Coeur the reason, and he had Rochester, Inc. 3 recently lost a suit waged Raggio was widely admired for his intellect, keen Frances Humphrey Lecture Series wit, eloquence, and unfaltering integrity. In the opinion of former Nevada Governor and U.S. Join us on the fourth Thursday of each month from 6:30 – 7:30 pm Senator Richard Bryan: “No legislator in the Doors open at 6:00 pm; $8 for adults; free for museum members & ages 17 & under annals of Nevada history left a larger footprint on Reserve a seat for each lecture 30 days in advance on our website events page: the political landscape of the state than Bill nvculture.org/nevadastatemuseumcarsoncity/events. For more info: (775) 687-4810 ext.

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