Common name: Kitzmeyer building
Historic name: Kitzmeyer Furniture Factory / Kitzmeyer Mortuary
General Location: Southeast corner of Carson and Telegraph Streets, downtown Carson City, Nevada
Address: 319 North Carson Street
Assessor's PN: 004-215-03
Current use: Multi-tenant commercial building
Original use: Furniture factory / mortuary
Year of construction: 1873
Pictures above: 1980 and 1988
This large, rectangular-in-plan, two story, brick laid in common bond building retains the characteristics of the commercial Italianate Style which once lined Carson City's business district. A one story porch with square posts supporting the roof and a second story, turned post balustrade originally fronted the two street facades. The Carson Street storefront level has been altered. The Telegraph Street storefront level has its original brick wall, presently with five semi-circular arched window and door openings. Three of the windows and the door along this wall appear to be late 20th century replacements; the remaining window is one-over-one light, double hung, and wood framed. Some of the original openings have been bricked-in.
The second story level and cornice retains its original configuration. Four, tall and slender, two-over-two light, double hung, wood framed windows with brick lugsills and deep hooded drip caps are evenly spaced on the Carson Street facade. The historic photograph shows these original openings filled with six-over-six light windows. Five, newer windows (two-over-two) are spaced asymetrically on the Telegraph Street second story facade. The building is crowned by a wooden boxed cornice and paneled frieze board, ornately decorated with dentils and double brackets. A built-up, flat roof hidden by parapet walls slopes slightly and drains to the middle and rear of the building.
This corner structure provides an important visual anchor to the block and its size serves to assist the transition between the scale and height of Carson Street's commercial buildings and the adjacent [Paul Laxalt State Building].
The Kitzmeyer Furniture Factory is significant: as one of the few extant 19th century commercial buildings in downtown Carson City; for its Italianate architectural styling; and for its association in the 19th and early 20th century with the Kitzmeyer family, a prominent and pioneer Carson City family. This large, rectangular, two story, brick building is one of the best examples remaining of the Commercial Italianate Style which once lined Carson City's business district streets. The ornate, paneled, and bracketed cornice, the tall slender windows with deep hooded drip caps, and the semi-circular arched openings with radiating bricks are stylistic details of the Italianate and are parts of the Kitzmeyer which remain in excellent condition.
Built in 1873 for George W. Kitzmeyer (1836-1898), the building served as a furniture factory from 1874 until 1900. George W. Kitzmeyer, a native of Germany, came to Carson City via Baltimore during Nevada's boom days. He continued his trade as a harness maker with his brothers, Daniel G. and Christian. Later, branching out on his own, he opened a furniture repository and a furniture factory. With success, he built his substantial and physically prominent furniture factory and store. Upon George W.'s death in 1898, his son, George E. (1875-?) carried on with the furniture business. As was common in those days, a furniture maker who made coffins in a line of "furniture" usually became an undertaker as well. George E. appears to have been better suited to the latter profession. Two years after his father's death, he disposed of the furniture business and began his undertaking business in this same building. His mortuary prospered: by 1903, George E. had joined in a partnership and the firm Kitzmeyer-Kenney expanded to include a mortuary in Virginia City, Nevada.
Source: National Historic Register nomination.
Listed in the National Historic Register: 1987 June 22.
City Landmark: Kit Carson Trail, Plaque No. 18.
Year of construction: 1873 (factual: NHR), on the original site
Architect: Unknown
Text: Carson City Historic Resources Inventory, 1980 & 1988.