Goldfield Hotel facts for kids
The Goldfield Hotel is a famous four-story building in Goldfield, Nevada. It's known for its beautiful old design and interesting history. The hotel was built between 1907 and 1908. It stands where two other hotels with the same name had burned down before.
The hotel was designed by architects Morrill J. Curtis and George E. Holesworth. They made it in a "U" shape. This design made sure that every guest room had a window to the outside. The front of the hotel faces Columbia Street, and its sides face Crook Avenue and an alley.
The bottom part of the hotel was built with strong grey granite stones. The upper floors were made of red brick. The very top floor has a fancy white trim. The Goldfield Hotel is an important historical building. It was added to the Nevada State Register of Historic Places in 1981. It's also part of the Goldfield Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Goldfield Hotel
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Goldfield Hotel main entrance on Columbia Avenue in 2009
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 Location in Nevada
Location in the United States
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| Location | S.E. corner of Crook Ave. U.S. 95 & Columbia St. Goldfield, Nevada |
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| Built | 1907–1908 |
| Architect | Curtis and Holesworth |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Part of | Goldfield Historic District (ID82003213) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 14, 1982 |
Contents
Hotel History and Features
The Goldfield Hotel was very expensive to build. It cost between $300,000 and $400,000. When it opened in 1908, people said it was the most amazing hotel in all of Nevada. Some stories even say that champagne flowed down the front steps during the opening party!
The hotel had 150 rooms. Many rooms had their own private bathrooms. The floors were covered with soft carpets. The main lobby was decorated with fancy wood and black leather furniture. It also had shiny gold columns, an elevator, and beautiful crystal chandeliers.
Later Years and Renovation Attempts
The hotel was used until the end of World War II. The last people to stay there were military officers and their families. After that, the hotel became empty.
Over the years, several people tried to fix up the hotel. In the 1980s, a developer named Lester O'Shea spent $4 million. He wanted to turn the hotel into a fancy tourist spot. But his plans didn't work out, and the project stopped.
In 2003, a man named Edgar S. "Red" Roberts bought the hotel. He paid about $360,000 for it. Roberts told a newspaper in 2004 that he planned to fix up the first two floors. He hoped to open them to the public by 2006. He said it was a "challenge" and that he might "regret it." The work was not finished by 2010.
For 30 years, a Goldfield resident named Virginia Ridgway took care of the hotel. She was known as the "keeper of the keys." She would let visitors in and show them around. In 2016, she passed her role to Malek DaVarpanah, who owns an antique shop in Goldfield. In 2017, news reports said that renovation work on the hotel had started again.
The Goldfield Hotel in Media
The Goldfield Hotel has appeared in several movies and TV shows.
- It was used in the film Vanishing Point (1971).
- It also appeared in the movie Cherry 2000 (1987).
- The film Ghosts of Goldfield (2007) also featured the hotel.
Paranormal Investigations
The hotel is also famous for being a place where people believe ghosts might live.
- In 2004, the TV show Ghost Adventures visited the hotel. The team, including Zak Bagans, explored the building. During their investigation, a brick seemed to move by itself in the basement. This moment became very well-known.
- Four years later, in 2008, the team from the TV show Ghost Hunters also investigated the hotel.
- Ghost Adventures returned to the hotel in 2011 for a third investigation. They reported seeing a lot of unexplained activity.
- In 2013, the Ghost Adventures crew came back for a fourth time. They again reported many strange things happening.
However, a researcher from the Central Nevada Museum has noted that some of the ghost stories might not be completely true. These stories have made the hotel famous, but they have also led to people breaking in and damaging the building.
