Another vestige of the Comstock’s proud history will come to a close when the Mark Twain Bookstore closes its doors later this year.
The bookstore, has been in operation for the last 20 years and is owned by Joe and Ellie Curtis of Virginia City. As its name implies, the book store specializes in the works of Mark Twain, but also contains numerous volumes on Western Americana, focusing largely on Nevada, the history of Virginia City and the famed Comstock Lode.
The building where the bookstore is located at 111 South “C” St. is being sold, and the new owner will convert it into a museum. Ironically, it was Joe’s family, Grahame and Paula Hardy who purchased the property in 1958 and operated it as the Mark Twain Museum of Memories.
The building located on the southeast corner of “C” St. and Taylor has a long and varied history. First built in 1862, it survived the great fire in 1875 when three different business were operating under its roof. The north end of the building facing Taylor St. once housed the offices of the Nevada Bank of San Francisco, owned by the Bonanza Kings during the boom years in Virginia City. The Comstock Corner Cafe sits at this location today.
The bookstore is located in the south end of the building where Frederick’s Paints, Oils and Hardware operated out of for many years, that later became a Ford & Fordson Tractor dealership. The building was later sold to Clarence Elkin, who operated a garage and gas station on the property in the 1940’s and 50’s. It was Elkin who sold the building to the Hardy’s in 1958.
The Curtis’ have had mixed emotions about selling the building that has been in the family for 55 years. Now in their retirement years, they’ve decided it’s time to move on, and pursue other interests that have been on the back burner for some time.
Currently there is a 10 percent discount on the remaining inventory and probably will be reduced over the next couple of weeks. The book store is slated to close by the end of September or possibly sooner.
The Mark Twain Bookstore is located at 111 South “C” St. in Virginia City, phone: (775) 847-0454.
— Chic DiFrancia is a long-time Virginia City resident, freelance writer, historian and letterpress printer. In his youth he once was a typesetter at the Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City.