Lyon County Commissioners Vote Unanimously to Proceed with Dayton Depot Reconstruction

Dayton’s residents were happy to hear that during the Aug. 21 Lyon County Board
of Commissioners meeting in Yerington, the commissioners voted 5-0 in favor of allowing the rebuilding of the historic 1881 Carson and Colorado Railroad Dayton Depot and to allow the signing of the contract with the builder who has won the bidding process.

The Depot was moved from Mound House to Dayton on Railroad Street in 1881. It was later moved from Railroad Street to the empty lot at the corner of U.S. 50 and
Main Street and was remodeled to become a residence around 1955. But as
the years passed, building owners Chester and Helen Barton, along with the members of HSDV, decided the Depot was too historic for Nevada’s railroading history to lose. Tennant Construction and Marty Banta Construction moved the Depot with house moving equipment and slowly and surely, volunteers worked, worked and worked to preserve it and it was in beautiful condition and nearly finished when the arson torched it in 2020.

Speaking for the HSDV at the Commissioners meeting, Stony Tennant, longtime local contractor and historian – who has spent unbelievable time with the Depot reconstruction itself – told the Commission that the fire insurance only pays for the rebuilding itself and once it is constructed, the HSDV will qualify for grants to get the extras. He also noted that the building will not be in use daily until it has restrooms, electricity and fire suppression. Tennant also noted that rebuilding the Depot back to its original look of its era was of utmost importance when it comes to this project.

Many thanks to John Crowley and Dr. Linda Clements who worked and worked
too with Stony Tennant on the committee to get the Depot rebuilt.

Dayton County Commissioner John Cassinelli said:

"I am looking forward to the reconstruction of the Dayton Depot and getting it listed on the National Register of Historic places. The Carson & Colorado Railroad Depot is an integral part of Dayton’s and the region's history. As we continue developing this area into a historical tourism destination with sites such as the Sutro Tunnel, the Donavan Mill, and others, the Depot has much potential as a starting point for self-guided tours, and future site development including potential parking and restrooms. Many have expressed concerns that the reconstruction does not include fire sprinklers, and I understand those concerns, but folks need to understand the building really is not that large. It is 20 ft. by 60 ft. (1,200 sq.ft.) and commercial fire sprinklers are normally in structures over 5,000 sq.ft. It will be a basic square-set timber built warehouse-like structure, and
will be used to store other historic artifacts, and serve as a satellite museum of sorts.’’