The 100-year-old trusses predate the Copeland Building, having been salvaged from a structure in Reno and brought down when the building was constructed in the 1950s. Carson Valley Arts Council photo
Sitting on a prominent lot in downtown Minden, the Copeland Lumber Building’s unique arched metal roof, historic wood bowstring trusses and long-time association with the region’s lumber industry has earned it a spot on the Nevada State Register of Historic Places.
The award was presented to the now occupants of the building, The Carson Valley Arts Council, on Wednesday by The Nevada Historical Register and the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center.
Carson Valley Arts Council Executive Director Sharon Schlegel prepared the State Register nomination and received approval in March.
“It was a long process and took about a year to get it through, but we are proud to be listed as a historical building,” said Schlegel.
During the Comstock era, logs were harvested from the Tahoe Basin and nearby Sierra canyons, then processed and used to shore up the underground tunnels for miners, to build railroads, as firewood for steam engines and to build structures and towns.
Thanks to the demand for lumber and agriculture goods, the V&T Railway was extended to Minden in 1906, propelling the town’s growth.
The lumber business has operated under different names and owners since 1908 and extended across what is now County Road to where the current Frontier Building sits.
The first sections of the building were built in the 1930s and the large metal warehouse and salvaged 100-year-old wooden trusses were added in the late 1950s. It is known today as the Copeland Building after Joseph William Copeland purchased the property in 1953.
The building’s lumber period came to an end in 1992, when local Minden resident Michael Gilbert purchased the building to convert it into a retail and office space. It operated as a craft and art supply store until 2008 when the Carson Valley Arts Council purchased the building.
Carson Valley Arts Council President Brian Fitzgerald said the council’s vision moving forward is to convert the warehouse into a theatre housing more than 600 seats and create a place for the arts and cultural events.
Fitzgerald and Schlegel said the landmark facility is a gateway to historic downtown Minden and at the border of the Towns of Minden and Gardnerville, it will continue to attract attention and visitors for decades to come.
“Not only will the development of the property be welcomed by art enthusiast, but the future of art activities at this location will provide a boost to Minden’s downtown revitalization efforts,” said Schlegel.
