Filed Under Virginia City

S.L. Simpson Building (Barber Shop)

Virginia City National Historic Landmark District

This narrow frame building may be one of Virginia City’s earliest structures, dating to the summer of 1863, when buildings like this were rented for up to $175 during the initial gold rush. Its odd-sized door appears to have been locally handmade. First owner D. H. Weston also owned a “hotel” across the street, and S. L. Simpson and J. G. Vetters, owners in the 1870s, may have rented this building as a tonsorial parlor. An early photo shows a barber pole out front. The building served as a residence from the 1880s until 1946, when the Boveys acquired it.

Images

S. L. Simpson Barber Shop, Virginia City
S. L. Simpson Barber Shop, Virginia City View looking southwest at building facade Source: Courtesy of Montana Heritage Commission Creator: Kate Steeley, Montana Heritage Commission Date: Oct 2019

Location

324 West Wallace Street, Virginia City, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “S.L. Simpson Building (Barber Shop),” Historic Montana, accessed March 28, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/896.