The Sweeney Building sits at the southwest corner of King and Curry Streets. This is one of Carson City’s oldest buildings, dating back to the 1860s when it was built by E.D. Sweeney. It has been a variety of shops and offices over the last century and a half. Most recently it was home to Morley’s Books.
The following history of the building comes from the Historic American Buildings Survey.
E. D. Sweeney, who is said to have built this commercial structure, was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1825. At an early age he came to Boston, and at age twenty-two went to South America, where he mined for two years. In l849, he came to California, and in 1857 went on to Eagle Valley, the future site of Carson City. Sweeney remained in what was to become Carson City until his death at age eighty-seven. He was married to Ellen Cavanaugh in in 1866. She was the daughter of Peter Cavanaugh, who later built the Nevada State Capitol. Sweeney apparently gave up his earlier interest in mining and concentrated his efforts in commercial ventures.
While the majority of historical accounts concerned with the early days of Carson City give Abe Curry (see HABS No. NEV-13-13) full credit for the establishment of the town, Davis’ History of Nevada gives equal allegiance to Sweeney:
“Realizing the great beauty of Eagle Valley as the Ideal site for the Capitol of the State, he bent his efforts toward staking out and establishing the City of Carson.”
One of Sweeney’s tangible efforts at promoting the growth of the city is the commercial building herein described. The structure has served a variety of purposes over the years. It was apparently erected to have shops in the first floor and offices or apartments in the second. One of the earliest photographs of the building (dated circa 1868) shows it with three signs attached: U.S. Land Office, Edwards’ Law Office, and one advertising “Groceries and Provisions.”
The 1868-69 Directory gives the office address of “Edwards, T. D., Lawyer and agent C.P. Railroad” as Sweeney’s Building. The 1871-72 Directory lists the following as occupants of the building:
Clayton and Davies, Attorneys at law, SW Corner King and Ormsby.
T.D. Edwards, Attorney and Councellor at law, has offices at SW corner King and Ormsby.
Foster, B. F., groceries and provisions, corner King and Ormsby. (The Carson City “Daily Appeal” of June 1, 1870 carried the following notice: “B. F. Foster (late with George T. Davis), groceries stand will open this morn in the brick store corner of King and Ormsby”).
The building also served for a time as the Post Office. A notice in the Carson City “Daily Appeal” of February 28, 1875 states that “again the Post Office has been removed, this time to Sweeney’s Building corner of King and Ormsby.”
From 1919 to 1944, the building was the property of first Mr. W.T. King and later his widow, Mrs. Emma King. Mr. King was born in Genoa, Nevada in i860 and died in Carson City in 1936. He was a printer and Justice of the Peace. Mrs. King had a millinery shop in the eastern portion of the first floor, resided in the western side, and rented rooms on the second floor.
