The Historic James Doane Roberts House

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Mailing address: 112 North Curry St., Carson City, NV 89703
Address for Foreman-Roberts House Museum: 1207 North Carson St., Carson City, NV

"Dedicated to Preserving Carson City's History"



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Carson City Historical Society



The Carson City Historical Society (EIN 94-2565777) is located at the Foreman-Roberts House Museum, 1207 North Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada. Our mailing address is 112 North Curry St., Carson City, NV 89703. The Carson City Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that operates and maintains the Foreman-Roberts House Museum.

Historic Foreman-Roberts House Museum


 

The Historic James Doane Roberts House
Constructed in Washoe City in 1859

Now located at 1207 North Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada

    This structure is a fine example of Gothic Revival architecture.  In 1873 it was moved to Carson City(*).

  James Doane Roberts was co-owner of the Roberts and Corbett's Saloon (across the street from the V&T depot).

  Hattie was the granddaughter of Calvin Hale, founder of the Hale and Norcross mine in Virginia City.  Hattie, a direct descendent of American patriot Nathan Hale, was a former employee of the State of Nevada.

  Thurman Roberts willed the property to the children of Nevada, and it became the property of Carson City (then Ormsby County). The Public Works Department planned to raze it to form a small park. The outcry of the citizenry brought about the creation of the Nevada Landmark's Society which enlisted the aid of the local citizens to save it. (On August 20, 2002, Nevada Landmarks became the Carson City Historical Society.) The City Council agreed to a year's extension to restore and stabilize the structure.  A stone foundation was installed with the aid of anyone who was interested, including state prison inmates. Others turned out to paint and refurbish the house, with many thousands of hours of volunteer services and dollars expended. The building was damaged by fire in 2016, but was restored in 2018.

  The Nevada Landmarks Society (now the Carson City Historical Society) has raised thousands of dollars for the restoration of this fine historical structure.


Pictured above are Thurman, Annie, James, and Josie Roberts (and faithful dog) in front of their Roberts House Home in Carson City, Nevada. This photo was scanned from a blue print photo from the collection of Noreen Humphries.
Additional information about the Roberts family can be found at the City's website by clicking here.


Additional link to the city government's information about the house and surrounding park.

Take a peek at some of the charming rooms and people associated with this historic building (photos from around 2010, prior to renovations).


The Foreman-Roberts House Museum is open by appointment only and for special events sponsored by the Carson City Historical Society (such on monthly Open Houses on the last Sunday of some months). To tour the Foreman-Roberts House Museum, email carsoncityhistoricalsociety@gmail.com for an appointment. Cost of tour is $5 per person. View Map for the Foreman-Roberts House

The article above, which will be revised, reflects scholarship prior to 2007. The Carson City Historical Society has received grant funds from the City for new and bigger signage on the Roberts House. The historical register has been changed due to new/old information and research done by Guy Rocha. The house was initially built by Solomen Foreman, a surveyor, in 1864, and it was sold to James D. Roberts in 1867. The house was moved to Carson in 1874, remaining in the Roberts family.

(*)Previous postings indicated, "In 1873 it was moved to Carson City on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad and by oxen with logs." Although this makes for a good story, there is no record of how the building was moved. However, it is now generally recognized that the building could not have been moved by train, due to the presence of tunnels along the route.

This page last updated 1/25/2023 (further revisions needed).

This website is funded through the Carson City Historical Society.
To report problems, contact the webmaster
or use this e-mail address: Dcbugli@aol.com. Put "CCHS report" in the subject line.