Berlin Historic District (Berlin, Nevada) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Berlin Historic District
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 Location in Nevada
Location in the United States
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| Location | Off NV 23, Berlin, Nevada |
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| Built | 1897 |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000490 |
| Added to NRHP | November 5, 1971 |
The Berlin Historic District is a cool ghost town located in Nye County, Nevada. It's a special place because it shows what life was like in a mining town long ago. The town of Berlin was started in 1897. It grew up around the Berlin Mine, which opened a year earlier.
The town got its name from Berlin, Germany. Many of the miners who came here were from Germany. Berlin never became as big as other famous mining towns like Tonopah or Goldfield. After some money problems around 1907, most people left. By 1911, Berlin was mostly empty. Today, it's part of Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park, which means it's protected and you can visit it!
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Exploring Berlin Ghost Town
Berlin is located on the western side of the Shoshone Range. It sits at a high elevation, about 6,676 feet (2,035 meters) above sea level. Higher up the mountains, there were lots of trees. These trees provided wood for building the town's houses and mine structures.
Town Layout and Life
The town of Berlin was shaped like a "U" and opened towards the east. When it was busiest, Berlin had about 75 buildings. Around 300 people lived there. Berlin was a "company town." This means one company, the Nevada Company, owned and ran everything. They kept the town in good shape until the state of Nevada bought it in 1970. Because of this, Berlin is very well-preserved. It looks much like it did over 100 years ago!
The Mines of Berlin
About one mile (1.6 km) to the east of Berlin was another small town called Union. It was like a suburb for Berlin. The main mine, the Berlin Mine, had about three miles (4.8 km) of underground tunnels! Even with all that work, it produced less than $1 million worth of gold and silver.
The Diana Mine is connected to the Berlin Mine. It's now a mining museum. You used to be able to take tours inside the Diana Mine. However, tours stopped in 2007 to make sure it was safe for visitors.
Preserved Buildings to See
Many buildings in Berlin are still standing and well-preserved. These include:
- The mine supervisor's house, which is now the park office.
- The assay office, where they tested the ore to see how much gold and silver it contained.
- A machine shop, where tools and equipment were repaired.
One of the most impressive structures is the 30-stamp mill. This huge machine crushed rocks to get the valuable metals out. It's one of the best examples of its kind in Nevada and has been made stable so it won't fall apart.
Historical Recognition
Because of its importance and how well it's preserved, the town of Berlin was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. This means it's recognized as a special historical site in the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Berlin (Nevada) para niños
