Churchill County cut the ribbon on its “new” building at 270 S. Maine Street in Fallon on September 5, marking the resurgence of this 100-year-old building as the home to the county’s Social Services, Public Works, Planning, and Building departments.
Both departments are now open and operating out of this downtown location, which is a one-stop shop for contractors, indigent services, and the public.
In his remarks, County Manager Jim Barbee said that with the support of the County Commissioners, the new location meets the current and future needs of these two departments while contributing to a vibrant downtown.
“The county is pleased to be part of preserving some of the history by revitalizing the Frazzini Building for use by some of our departments to serve our citizens while driving more people downtown,” Barbee said, adding that about 20 county staff are in the building between the two departments.
The county facilities staff completed the majority of the renovations to the building, including adding and removing doors, windows, and walls, cleaning up the original flooring, and applying new paint throughout.
“They have done an outstanding job, and on behalf of the Board of Commissioners, I’d like to thank Gary Rothery, Sean Hessey, Mike Nolan, Darryl Viera, Rick Eyster, Yolanda Camacho, and Asela Lopez-Vega for all their efforts,” Barbee said.
He also thanked county employees Colin Utterback, Chris Spross, Randy Hines, and Shannon Ernst for their efforts in getting the building ready to occupy along with Jonathan West from the Nevada State Department of Health and Human Services.
Frazzini Family History
The Frazzini Building has significant historical relevance in this area. At age 15, Eliodoro Frazzini (E.D. or Ed to his friends and family) immigrated from Italy to America, arriving at Ellis Island in May 1896. For the next several years, Frazzini worked his way across America as a laborer and trackwalker on the railways, eventually becoming a citizen in 1902.
In 1909, 18-year-old Vienna Clarita Ferretti came from Monte Porozio, Marche, Italy, to marry E.D. They were unknown to each other until she stepped down from the train, and they walked to the Reno Courthouse, where they were married on July 6, 1909.
“E.D. was always looking for an opportunity to be his own boss. He and a fellow Italian, John Getto, my great-grandfather, opened a store in Tonopah where they sold lanterns and other mining gear. Before long, they moved to Blair and opened a grocery store, clothing store, and bar. E.D. and Vienna’s first child, Louisa, was born there,” said Myles Getto, Churchill County Commission Chair, during his remarks at the ribbon cutting.
In 1911 the Fazzini and Getto families moved to Fallon. They first set up a boarding house at the sugar beet factory in Churchill County, the La Industrial Hotel, which E.D. built. Later that year, they bought 150 acres along the Carson River for $10 in gold coin. The purchase included one bay mare named “Babe,” one black sucking colt named “Queen,” one 1911 roan heifer named “May,” about 30 chickens, and 3 Peking ducks.
Fallon remained home and the Frazzini’s had four more children while living here: Carson (named after the river E.D. helped settle), Etna, Ida, and Norma.
“In January 1912, E.D. sold the La Industrial Hotel and his share of the farm to John and Andrew Getto, which remains under my stewardship today,” Myles said.
E.D. rented space in the New River Hall on the east side of Maine Street and opened Frazzini Furniture Co. By May 1920,
He had overseen the construction of his store on the west side of Maine Street – which later became Heck’s Meat, now Momma’s Meat.
But E.D. had been dreaming of constructing a 50 x 100-foot structure with a thirteen-foot balcony running around the entire building. Having purchased two more lots south of his original store, E.D. went to San Francisco in 1921 to copy floor plans of a renowned San Francisco furniture emporium.
He brought the plans back to Fallon and, using Italian stone masons who had been working on tunnels for the railroad at Truckee, quarried stone from Rattlesnake Hill to construct stone walls all the way to the basement of the 15,000-square-foot building at 270 South Maine Street.
E.D. believed in community participation and served as a Fallon City Councilman from 1923-1927.
Following E.D.’s passing in 1956, Vienna continued to work at Frazzini’s alongside her sons-in-law until her passing in 1965. The Frazzini’s continued to run the furniture store until 1982.
E.D.’s granddaughter, Vienna Beeghley, and members of the extended Getto family attended the ribbon cutting and grand opening last week.
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