A Nevada Original: The Gold Hill Hotel

The state of Nevada is chock full of old mercantiles, saloons, blacksmith shops and barns. There must always be a first one, oldest one, or longest lasting one. This is often hotly contested from establishment to establishment. Even whole towns have argued as to which one existed first.  Hotels are no exception.  However, it is a steep argument to conclude there is a hotel/bar that existed before the Gold Hill Hotel, in Gold Hill, NV.

A Nevada Original

Painted above the front entrance in large letters is, “Since 1859.” Age is one factor but throw in the colorful history of this place, coupled with the ground it sits on and you can spend untold hours learning the history that unfolded around these walls.

The town of Gold Hill lies only a mile south of Virginia City and is actually slightly older than her famous neighbor.  The town boomed with gold and silver strikes and a plethora of mines sprang up everywhere.

Although the business began in 1859, it was not a fully operational hotel with its current structure until 1861. The first name was The Reisen House, but by 1863 Horace Vesey took over and it became The Vesey House, and soon after The Vesey Hotel. Locals simply called it “Vesey’s.”

Early on it was an important meeting place for various functions. Political events and rallies were held here. Fancy dining, speeches, ceremonies, and dancing were carried out in “The Great Room.” Mark Twain frequented the hotel when he worked for the territorial Enterprise during his 1862-63 tenure in Virginia City.  Miners, politicians, and businessmen gathered here in 1864 in a first attempt to organize and draft a constitution for the first Miner’s Union. Also, there is little doubt it must have been an assembly point for loved ones of the trapped miners during the underground Yellowjacket Mine fire in 1869. The mine was directly behind the hotel, the remnants of which still remain. At least thirty-five miners died, and many bodies were never recovered.

Over the ensuing century and a half, the structure has gone through a number of owners, names, and functions. Some of the names were The Capitol Hotel, Nevada Hotel, Gold Hill Bar, and The Gold Hill Country Club. There were stretches of time when it was a private residence, a brothel, and even vacant.

However, the spirit and history of Nevada’s oldest hotel never departed. Today, it is called The Gold Hill Hotel and Crown Point Restaurant and is operating with the same amenities and fervor as it did 160 years ago.

Hotel Bar

I entered from the patio, which leads into the great room. This room takes up nearly the whole of the downstairs. The first saloon was in this room as well as the dining and meeting hall. Many of the features are original, such as the old fireplace, where Horace Vesey and Mark Twain warmed their hands.

A portion of “The Great Room.”

I passed through to the current bar at the far north side with a slanted roof. Upon my query, the bartender proceeded to tell me that this was originally the stables, or carriage house, or both. The stone floor is worn and uneven in spots. Two tall brick rimmed archways lead back into the great room. The stonework around them seems to be the original north wall, which lends credence to the bartender’s statement.

Although the building was added onto in the 1980’s, there are still twelve original rooms in the hotel upstairs. Haunted? Of course, the place is haunted! Anything old In Nevada is haunted! But with all skepticism aside, it is fair to note that paranormal investigators are drawn here. Among the historic rooms available for rent are, “William’s Room” and “Rosie’s Room,” so named after the friendly ghosts who inhabit them.

Stairway to historic rooms

There are numerous tales of unexplained happenings here: Books thrown across rooms, apparitions, children’s voices on the stairs, and drifting orbs. For me, the enormity of history itself is much more remarkable than lingering spirits.

But with history there is often tragedy. Behind the hotel the Yellowjacket headframe stands as a mute monument to dreams and death. The ground is littered with rusted workings and weather worn foundations, exposed now for many decades. That there are still bodies entombed in the tunnels below only adds to the silence. Here, there is an old miner’s cabin that has been restored into a guest house, also rented by the hotel, presenting a paradox of sorts.

Yellowjacket Mine

As I stand on this hallowed ground, beauty intercedes about twenty yards to my right. Four wild horses come down off the hill to feast on the greener grasses of town. All the locals I have met, on two legs or four, are friendly.

The Gold Hill Hotel is one of four original structures left in town. The noise and calamity of a boom town has faded. The greenery has grown back, and wildlife beckons once again. This old original will continue to color the coming years, as it has with the past, most likely in a more serene manner.

May the spirit will live on.

For more information on The Crown Point Restaurant or staying at The Gold Hill Hotel, visit https://goldhillhotel.net/

Ever wonder what Nevada’s oldest town and bar is. Visit my post about it at https://outerrealmz.com/the-jewel-of-nevada/