The picturesque old Gold Hill School, a towering wooden structure built n 1873, was burned to the ground tonight by a fire which broke out in the upper stories and raged for three hours despite the efforts of hundreds of volunteer firemen.
The blaze apparently started from a defective chimney in the attic and seemed to spread from the south end to the rear of the ancient building. The flames were discovered about 8 p.m.
Virginia City’s fire truck and numerous volunteer firefighters rushed to the scene, although handicapped by almost two feet of snow. The only piece of fire apparatus in Gold Hill is an old-time hand-drawn horse cart, which was not used.
Three streams of water were played on the flames but the entire building was razed. Men were summoned from the Overman mine to help.
Destroyed in the fire were a number of valuable relics, including specimens and pictures of the Bonanza Days when Gold Hill had a population of many thousand miners.
The schoolhouse was an ornamental showpiece of Nevada education.
The building was constructed in ornate style, with many fancy eaves, cupolas and other decorations of the early 1870s.
This continues the Appeal’s review of news stories and headlines during its Sesquicentennial year.
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