Mackay Mansion
Storey County, Storey County, Nevada
Marker Inscription
Mackay Mansion. Once the residence of John Mackay, this elegant mansion also served as the office for the Gould & Curry Mining Company. Mackay, an Irish-born immigrant, was the richest man the Comstock ever produced. Built in the 1860s, this building survived the "Great Fire of 1875" and was the headquarters for Mackay, Fair, Flood, and O'Brien - "Silver Kings" of the Comstock.
Erected by Nevada Landmarks Society
The Story
This elegant 1860s mansion was both the home of John Mackay and the office of the Gould & Curry Mining Company on the Comstock Lode. Mackay, an Irish immigrant, rose to become the richest man the Comstock ever produced, and the house served as headquarters for the "Silver Kings"—Mackay, Fair, Flood, and O'Brien—whose fortunes came from the fabulous Big Bonanza. The building famously survived Virginia City's Great Fire of 1875.
Why it matters
The Mackay Mansion embodies the staggering wealth and rags-to-riches immigrant mythology of the Comstock, whose silver helped finance the Union and reshaped American finance.
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Related people
- · John Mackay
- · James Fair
- · James Flood
- · William O'Brien
Related events
- · Great Fire of 1875
Themes & tags
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