Goldfield National Historic District, Goldfield, Nevada

The Goldfield Historic District encompasses an area of roughly thirty-five city blocks of what once comprised the central portion of the original Goldfield townsite. Within its boundaries can be found all of the remaining major architectural resources, as well as the primary historic archeological sites directly associated with the early development of Goldfield. The district contains an array of some 120 permanent buildings constructed almost entirely between 1904 and 1909, the period of Goldfield’s initial boom.

At the peak of its development in 1907 Goldfield boasted a population in excess of 20,000 persons, and a fully developed townsite containing thousands of structures. Contemporary Goldfield presents a completely different urban appearance, primarily as the result of a disasterous fire in 1923 which destroyed 53 blocks of the town including most of the commercial area. However, what remains of the architecture that is most representative of historic Goldfield prior to the fire is located within the historic district.

Aside from containing historic resources which exemplify Goldfield’s architectural heritage, or are significant for their association with important events or persons, the boundaries of the historic district also include the major components of Goldfield’s historic townscape: the commercial district, the upper class residential districts, the red light district, and the primary public facilities.

Although the town as a whole assumes a post-1923 physical appearance, almost all of the remaining historic structures date from the boom period, when the impacts of Goldfield were most strongly felt on the local, regional, and national level. The result is that the Goldfield Historic District embodies the fragments of a particular place in time from which its historic and architectural significance is primarily associated.

The following is a list of properties within the Goldfield Historic District.

Number	Name	Address	Classification Number	Classification
001	Esmeralda County Courthouse	233 Crook Ave		Significant
002	First Methodist Episcopal Church	165 Crook Ave		Significant
003	Goldfield Fire Station #1
004	E. A. Byler House
005	George W. Durgan House	408 Crook Ave
006	G. L. "Tex" Rickard House	410 Crook Ave
007	Milton M. Detch House	407 Crook Ave
008	Goldfield High School	321 Euclid Ave
009	E. E. Blake / Peter Fellis House	107 Crook Ave
010	Enterprise Mercantile Co. Stone Warehouse/Lyric Theater
011	Fellis Brothers Block/Site of Goldfield News Building
012	Goldfield Hotel
013	Florence Goldfield Mining Co. Building
014	Ish-Curtis/Registration Trust Company Building	320 Columbia
015	Goldfield Consolidated Mines/Deep Mines Building
016	Elks Building
017	Montezuma Club Building
018	H. T. Bragdon House
019	Northern Saloon Warehouse
020	D. D. Carney House
021	John S. Cook House
022	Charles S. Sprague House (“The Gables”)	701 Crook Ave
023	H. B. Lind House
024	Milton C. Ish House	211 Sundog Ave
025	Granville H. Hayes
026	Herbert T. Cook House
027	Thomas G. Lockhart House
028	Charles Kline / Frank L. Beard House
029	J. P. Loftus House
030	Major W. A. Stanton House
031	Southern Nevada Consolidated Telephone-Telegraph Company Building
032	Sideboard Saloon Ruin
033	Henry W. Mills and Company Stone Cellar
034	R. W. Norrington House
035	D. W. Morgan House
036	West Side School
037	First National Bank Building Ruin
038	Feutch and Gasser Warehouse
039	Alva D. Myers House
040	First Goldfield Jail
041	Stone Row House
042	H. G. Mayer House
043	Frame House
044	Beets Garage
045	Jennie B. Elder House
046	Labarthe House	313 Euclid Ave
047	Rectory Building of the First Methodist Episcopal Church	325 Crook Ave
048	Parker / Labarthe House
049	Dahlstrom House / Garage
050	Dahlstrom’s Garage
051	Assay Office
052	Brown Parker Garage and Auto Co.
053	Mozart Club
054	Northern Saloon and Restaurant
055	Sacred Heard Catholic Church
056	E. S. Highley Residence
057	Champion House	574 E Crook Ave
058	J. A. Hays House
059	R. B. Wampler House
060
061
062
063
064
065
066
067
068
069
070
080
085	Assay Office
086	Frame House / Columbia Bar
090
093	Stone House
100
110
112	Attorney’s Office / The General Store	777 Crook Ave
114	Northern Café / Dreams Come True Antiques
116	Episcopal Church / Butler Garage Site	323 Crook Ave
120
130
140
150
160
170	Miners Union Hall
171	State Bank and Trust Company
172	Ladies Aid Hall
173	MacKenzie Building
174	Goldfield Consolidated Water Company Well
175	Current Post Office
177	Hippodrome Theater
178	Nixon Block
179	Goldfield Stock & Exchange
180	Cohen Building / Max Myer and Co. Site
181	St. Nicholas Hotel
182	Esmeralda Hotel
183	Goldfield Athletic Club
184	St. Francis Hotel
185	Wood-Sullivan Building
186	Watson House
187	Western Union
188	Texas Saloon
189	Nevada Hotel Site
190	Palm Studio Site
191	Goldfield Cemetery

Statement of Significance

Between the years 1900 and 1920 Nevada experienced a tremendous resurgence of mining activity comparable only to the Great Comstock era of the previous century. The result was the rejuvenation of the State’s political and economic strength, as well as renewed national attention. This period witnessed the birth of dozens of mining camps and towns throughout central Nevada as new mining discoveries or rediscoveries were made. Goldfield was one such camp and by 1906, it had become the regional and national center of attention of Nevada’s twentieth century mining boom.

Goldfield’s pattern of development, from discovery, to boom, to decline, was not unlike the cycles undergone by most other mining camps during the historic period. However, the intensity to which Goldfield was exploited, the magnitude of wealth generated, scale of the town’s development, and its resounding economic and political impacts make it the most noteworthy in the history of mining during the twentieth century.

The Goldfield Historic District contains key resources associated with the architectural, political, economic, governmental and social developments of Goldfield during its boom period. Embodied within the boundaries of the district is the essence of Goldfield’s heritage; a heritage significant for its outstanding
contributions to local, state, and national history.

Historical Overview

The discoveries of rich ore at the turn of the century in the Tonopah district sparked a new era of prospecting and mining development which by 1910 had encompassed nearly all of central Nevada. Hundreds of miners and prospectors converged on the district in the hopes of claiming a portion of the new-found wealth. As Tonopah developed, and its most promising claims already located, prospectors began spreading into the surrounding regions. Two such prospectors were Harry Stimler and William Marsh, who had previously been unsuccessful at Tonopah. Grubstaked by Tonopah notables Tasker Oddie, Jim Butler, George Wingfield and Zeb Kendal 1 they explored a region 30 miles south of Tonopah. On
the western slopes of Columbia Mountain they made the first discoveries of rich ore which eventually were to lead to the sensational boom of Goldfield.

Geographic Features And Boundary Description

Goldfield is located in the Great Basin Region of Central Nevada 26 miles south of Tonopah along what is now U.S. Highway 95. The townsite is situated on a high flat area between a low, rugged range to the east and north, known as the Goldfield Hills, and Malapai Mesa, a prominent geographical formation to the west and south. Directly northeast of Goldfield, in line with the north-south axis of the townsite, is Columbia Mountain. This promontory is the location of the original mining claims of the Goldfield district which provided the initial impetus for the development of the townsite.

The major transportation artery, U.S. Highway 95 5 transects the townsite in a roughly west to east direction. The highway approaches the historic district from the north past Columbia Mountain with its slopes dotted with the remains of several mining operations. The highway curves easterly and passes through the central portion of town along Crook Avenue, At the curve is the district’s western most boundary, demarcated by the Westside School (G-199). Moving east the boundary flanks Crook Avenue on either side to a depth of one-half block. At First Street the district extends south for two blocks to encompass portions of the red light district and early miner’s residences. One block further east, at Main Street, the boundary projects northerly to Miner Avenue. Along Main Street are to be found the major historic archeological features of Goldfield’s original commercial area. Continuing east, the highway passes the Goldfield Hotel (G-123) at Columbia Street, and two blocks further east, the Esmeralda County Courthouse (G-101).

At Franklin Street the district achieves its greatest depth; extending north to Hall Avenue to include the remains of the Catholic Church (G-134), and south to Crystal Avenue to encompass the outermost limits of Goldfield’s primary middle class residential area. From the Courthouse east to where the highway curves south along Sundog Avenue was the location of most of Goldfield’s upper class housing. The large residences of Charles S. Sprague (G-l44) and M. C. Ish (G-146) at the intersection of Crook and Sundog define the eastern edge of the historic district.

The Historic Pattern

The initial settlement of the area occurred on the southern slopes of Columbia Mountain shortly after the discovery of ore at that location in December, 1902. That community, known as Columbia, was composed mostly of tents, dugouts, and crude frame structures inhabited by miners and prospectors. In October 1903, once the value of developing the area was justified, the Townsite of Goldfield was laid out farther to the south of Columbia Mountain on a relatively flat rise. The site of the first well dug in the area became the initial bench mark (intersection of Myers & Main) and a grid pattern of rectangular blocks was surveyed. Road widths ranged from 50 to 75 feet and the blocks were 220 feet wide by 285 feet deep. Between 1904 and 1906 several additions were platted adjacent to the original townsite. They conformed, for the most part, to the grid pattern established by the original survey. By 1909 when the official map of the Federal Townsite of Goldfield was prepared, the community and its suburbs of Columbia and South Goldfield encompassed over 250 city blocks within a one and a quarter square mile area.

Once the townsite had been established the settlement pattern of the area took on the more formal appearance dictated by the grid of lots and blocks. The primary north-south axis was Main Street which evolved as the major commercial thoroughfare. Parallel and one block east was Columbia Street which also was developed with commercial and business blocks. Ramsey Avenue provided the primary east-west access through the central portion of Goldfield, and its intersections with Main and Columbia Streets became the focal points for some of the most important commercial buildings in the community.

By 1908 the central business district extended from roughly Myers Avenue north to Miners Avenue, encompassing about twelve city blocks. The streetscapes were almost completely developed with one and two story false front frame structures, punctuated occasionally with substantial stone and brick buildings. Major structures within the business section included: the Nixon Block, the Ross-Holley Block, the Goldfield News Building, State Bank and Trust Building, Goldfield Stock Exchange Building, the Montezuma Club (G-132) and the First National Bank of Goldfield Building (G-201), all destroyed by the fire of 1923.

Substantial commercial buildings dating from this period which still exist are the Telephone and Telegraph Building (G-185), the Goldfield Consolidated Mines Building (G-130), the Curtis/lsh Building (G-129), and the Goldfield Hotel (G-123).

The residential areas of historic Goldfield were clearly defined according to the social stratification of the community. North of Miner Avenue stretching for several blocks along Main and Broadway Streets were the houses of the working class; miners, laborers, shop clerks, etc. The small wood frame structures of this
area were interspersed with larger lodging and boarding houses. Another small working class neighborhood was located on the blocks between Franklin and Euclid Avenues north of Crook, and a third area existed to the west of Second Street, south of Myers Avenue.

The red light district was situated along three blocks of south Main Street below Myers Avenue. It was composed of mostly frame structures, tightly fitted onto the lots, which functioned as dancehalls, saloons, cribs, and female boarding houses. Today only two of the more substantially constructed of these buildings still exist: the Stone Row House (G-213) and the Brick House (G-214).

The primary middle class residential area extended from Crook south to Crystal Avenue between Fifth Avenue and Sundog. It was composed of modest frame, adobe or stone dwellings large enough to accommodate the families of the community’s businessmen, proprietors, shop owners, mining engineers, etc. Among the most notable of these houses which still remain are the H. G. Mayer house (G-216), Major W. A. Stanton house (G-172), Kline/Beard house (G-164), and the T. G. Lockhart house (G-150).

The most prestigious residential district was developed on East Crook Avenue from Euclid Avenue past Sundog. Along this roadway exist the residences of some of Goldfield’s most noteworthy citizens: The M. C. Ish house (G-146), the Charles S. Sprague house (G-144, John S. Cook house (G-143), Milton M. Detch house (G-110), and the G. L. “Tex” Rickard house (G-107).

During the years 1904-1908 the Goldfield Mining District witnessed its most intense period of development. Correspondingly, the building and construction activity in the community developed with as much intensity. By late 1908, at the height of its development, the architectural appearance of Goldfield presented a diverse display of architectural types and methods of construction which ranged from utilitarianism to sophistication.

Although the palette of local building materials included stone, adobe, and brick, the most dominant method of construction was wood frame sheathed with boards and battens, clapboard, or shiplap siding. This material could be found in all types of architecture, from the most modest of cabins to the largest residences, to the majority of commercial structures. Detailing and level of craftmanship varied, but the basic components remained the same.

Of the more locally accessible materials, adobe and stone were the most widely used. Adobe, either in the form of coursed, sun-dried blocks, or as a mud composition tamped into forms and finished with an exterior plaster, was used primarily for residential construction. The use of stone is seen in a wider range of building types, including warehouses, modest and sophisticated residences, and commercial and public architecture. The method of construction and degree of craftsmanship corresponded with the type and size of the structure. They ranged from simple coursed or uncoursed rough stone and rubble walls for warehouses and small residences, to more refined cut and dressed stonework for the larger houses and the facades of major commercial structures.

Brick was employed as a building material, but to a much lesser extent. Its use was almost exclusively reserved for commercial buildings, either as the primary structural material or as a veneer. Some residences were built of brick but the relative costs and length of manufacture appear to have prohibited its more extensive use. The use of “found” building materials, such as bottles, oil cans and barrels, which are commonly associated with the earliest development period of other contemporary mining camps, was also employed in Goldfield. Two examples of bottle construction remain in the district.

Other early twentieth century building materials which were popularized after Goldfield’s decline make only minor appearances. These include the use of pre- fabricated wall sheathing, in particular corrugated and pressed metals, and rusticated concrete blocks. Examples of the use of these materials can be found on the few buildings in the district built between 1911 and 1935.

The popular styles of the turn of the century dominated the architectural landscape of historic Goldfield. Most were modest interpretations of the academic styles of the Neo-Classical Revival or the Georgian Revival.

Residences which show a conscious design effort were almost exclusively executed in the Neo-Colonial mode of the Georgian Revival. Their format was limited to rectangular plans and symmetrical massing with a minimum of minor projections. Simple roof forms, either hipped or double pitched, were often punctuated by dormers and detailed with enclosed eaves and classical cornice moulding. Entrance porches were usually inset and supported with classical columns. Houses of more modest means still employed the basic elements of the Neo-Colonial style but with little or no attention to detailing. Shapes were rectangular and were capped with a simple gable or hipped roof with enclosed eaves. Porches were independently constructed on the front of the house, supported by routed or turned posts.

The commercial buildings of Goldfield, especially those of wood frame construction, could be classified as facade architecture. The long, narrow configuration of commercial lots dictated that each business building be distinguishable at the facade. Most one and two story frame commercial buildings had false front or gabled facades with symmetrical storefront bays, some degree of detailing at the eave or parapet line, and occasionally a porch over the walkway in front of the building.

The more substantial commercial structures were all derivatives of the Neo-Classical Revival style, and to some extent influenced by the commercial architecture which evolved from the Chicago School. All were two, three or four stories in height, with the upper story facades composed of window openings placed in a symmetrical, rythmic pattern. Storefront bays at ground level also showed an attention to symmetry and proportion. Wall planes were demarcated occasionally with pilaster strips between bays or at the corners, and roofs were parapeted and detailed with some form of stone or pressed metal cornice. Those buildings constructed at the intersections of streets were often articulated with rounded or diagonal corners, or turrets with steep conical roofs.

By 1909, after Goldfield’s boom period ended, virtually all major construction activity in the community ceased. With the exception of the construction of some buildings symbolic of the times, such as garages and automobile repair shops, the essence of the town from 1910 until 1923 remained that which had been generated during the initial years of Goldfield’s development.

The decline of mining production, the depressed economy, and the resultant exodus of most of the town’s population from 1910 until the 1940’s, prompted many Goldfield property owners to move their structures elsewhere or to simply dismantle them. Other vacant buildings eventually succumbed to the elements or were destroyed by a major flood in 1913. But it was the disastrous fire of 1923 which changed the complexion of Goldfield forever. The fire swept through a 53-block area of central Goldfield from just above Myers Avenue and west of Columbia Street north to Aluminum Street and as far west as Third Street. Most of the commercial district was destroyed as well as virtually all of the working class neighborhoods north of Miner Avenue. Post-1923 Goldfield saw very little rebuilding in the commercial and residential areas destroyed by the fire.

Over the years since 1923 the focus of development in the downtown area has shifted away from the historic pattern. The primary north-south business street is now Columbia and not Main Street, and the east-west artery is now Crook Street instead of Ramsey. This change can be attributed to the following factors: 1) the 1923 fire destroyed all of the commercial buildings on Main Street, but only those on the west side of Columbia Street, 2) the only significant construction effort after the fire was the erection of the Elks Building (G-131) on Columbia Street, which also housed the U. S. Post Office, 3) the construction of U. S. Highway 95 through Goldfield down Crook Street, which had previously been primarily a residential artery. Today Goldfield has most of its community-related commercial activity strung along Columbia, while Crook Street caters to traveler and touristoriented functions.

Archeology

Historic archeology within the historic district can be divided into two components those sites associated with the destructive fire of 1923, and potential sites in other areas of the district related to the peak development of the community, the architectural evidence of which has since been destroyed or moved.

Upon visual inspection of the primary historic commercial district of Goldfield, one can readily identify several surface remains of important buildings and other associated sites. These include the Montezuma Club Ruin (G-132), the First National Bank Building Ruin (G-201), the Sideboard Saloon Ruin (G-187), as well as the Hayes-Monette building, the Watson Lodging house, the Nevada Hotel, the RossHolly building, the Whitmore building, the Casey Hotel, two bake oven ruins, and the original Nye and Ormsby County Bank vault. The potential of additional subsurface sites in the commercial area as well as the district as a whole is extremely high.

In December 1902 Marsh and Stimler located three initial claims including the Sandstorm, but interest in the new district was moderate and drew only a few other prospectors from Tonopah. In the spring of 1903 high-grade ore was discovered on the Combination Claim located by A. D. Myers. The potential of this discovery was not fully realized until January 1904 when leasers uncovered ore valued at up to $247 of gold ore per ton. The strike caused the first significant rush to the district and the area around Columbia Mountain was soon filled with mining claims. Other early discoveries such as the Red Top, Jumbo and Florence began producing rich ore by the summer of 1904.

In October 1903, once the value of the district seemed apparent, Al Myers and others formed the Tonopah Townsite Company and laid out a grid of streets and blocks south of Columbia Mountain. The new town was called Goldfield, a name suggested by Myers, and lots were sold to the early residents and businessmen. A post office was established in January 1904, the first public school was opened in May, and a volunteer fire department organized by July of that same year.

The first phase of Goldfield’s development from the discoveries in 1902-03 until mid-1906 was characterized by moderate growth and fluctuating speculation in the mining activities.

The leasing system was employed by the mine owners during this period as a method of exploring and proving the value of the mines before substantial investments were made to more fully exploit the area. The first lease in Goldfield was given in October 1903 and by February of the following year leasing was in common practice and was the means by which almost every mine in the district was developed.

By the end of 1906 the leasing period gave way to corporate mining and the consolidation of most of the producing mines in Goldfield. A partnership was formed by Senator George Nixon and George Wingfield in October 1906 in an effort to consolidate all of the Goldfield mines under a single controlling ownership. In late 1906 they purchased the majority holdings in the Jumbo and Red Top Companies. The rich Mohawk mining properties were also acquired that year and together these mines formed the nucleus of the Goldfield Consolidated Mines Company. In January 1907 both the Combination Mines and the Goldfield Mining Company were merged with the Consolidated thus placing all of the operating mines in Goldfield, except the Florence Company, under the control of Nixon and Wingfleld. The Goldfield Consolidated Mines Company became the most powerful mining company in the district and dominated much of the financial and political activity in Goldfield throughout its producing years.

When the boom began to accelerate in late 1906 the community of Goldfield was transformed in both scale, appearance, and sophistication. Several additions to the original townsite were platted and the boundaries of Goldfield’s developed area began to stretch toward Columbia Mountain to the north. The development of public services also solidified during this period. In May 190*1 the first water had been piped into the business district by the Goldfield Water, Mining and Milling Company. A year later two other companies brought in water from other sources, and by 1906 all water utility companies were merged into the Goldfield Consolidated Water Company, Electric power was first brought to Goldfield in September 1904 by the Goldfield Electric Light and Power Company. At the same time the Nevada Power, Mining and Milling Company was organized and gained control of extensive power rights in the Bishop Creek area. Their power lines reached Goldfield in September 1905. Two years later both companies were absorbed by the Nevada-California Power Company. Telephone and Telegraph service, an integral part of the business activity of booming Goldfield was available in January 1904. By the spring of 1906 the Southern Nevada Consolidated Telephone and Telegraph Company had a well-established control of the communications systems in Goldfield.

Mining production during the same period had climbed dramatically from $1,169,341 in 1905 to $6,690,385 in 1906 and $7,781,038 in 1907.

Goldfield boasted a population of 20,000 persons by late 1907 and was the largest city in Nevada. It was serviced by three railroads, had three major banks, two daily and three weekly newspapers, and two stock exchanges. In response to the growing economic and political strength of the town, the county seat was officially transferred from Hawthorne to Goldfield in May 1907.

Speculation and promotion played an important role in the development of Goldfield especially after the Hayes-Monette strike. The richness of the ore was a stimulus to the speculation and, combined with widespread publicity from both local and national journals and newspapers, hundreds of mining and investment companies were formed to take advantage of the boom excitement.

The most significant and illustrative promotional scheme in Goldfield was the Gans-Nelson Championship Boxing match held on September 3, 1906. The fight was the brainchild of infamous Nevada schemer George Graham Rice and local saloonkeeper and fight promoter G. L. “Tex” Rickard. They used the nation-wide promotion of the fight as a vehicle to publicize the “fabulous opportunities” of the Goldfield district. The success of this well-executed publicity scheme was outstanding and was the single most important event which brought Goldfield to the attention of the nation.

The height of the Goldfield boom from late 1906 until early 1908 was overshadowed by a series of labor union strikes which resulted in a bitter struggle between the miners and mine owners. The labor strife arose as a result of the establishment of local unions of the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in Goldfield between 1904 and 1905. Both espoused the new radical socialist unionism promoted by the I.W.W. during the early decades of the twentieth century. The labor struggles in Goldfield of 1906-1908 are significant to the history of this national movement as the first real test of the strength and philosophy of “revolutionary industrial unionism”.

Beginning in the summer of 1906 and continuing until early 1908 Goldfield was burdened with four general strikes inspired or effected by the I.W.W. resulting in the shutdown of mining operations for more than one-quarter of that period. During 1907 the I.W.W. and Miners Union had controlled the town of Goldfield. The mine owners responded to the situation in March 1907 by forming the Goldfield Businessmen’s and Mine Operator’s Association and resolving not to hire any member of the I.W.W. However, the labor disputes continued through the Panic of 1907 which only further intensified the situation. The failure of the mine operators to continue cash payments resulted in the final strike by the I.W.W. over the owners proposal to use scrip for payment. In return the mine operators shut down the mines and resolved to rid Goldfield of labor unionism forever. Through a series of well-orchestrated moves, coordinated by George Wingfield, the operators successfully broke the strike and eliminated union labor as an effective force in Goldfield.

To do this, the mine operators manipulated Governor Sparks into calling upon President Roosevelt to dispatch federal troops to Goldfield in order to quell the “domestic violence” in the community. No such violence existed but the mine operators needed the presence of federal troops to undertake the rest of their plan. The plan included the reduction of wages for miners, and the reopening of the mines to all workers who would sign a card agreeing not to be affiliated with any union. Additionally, the mine owners resorted to an extensive recruiting campaign in the surrounding states to increase their labor force. The mine owners were able to resume large scale operations by the Spring of 1908 and were finally successful in breaking the strike.

The events surrounding the strike had some important Iocal and statewide impacts. The apparent misuse of federal troops in Goldfield prompted President Roosevelt, in December 1907, to demand that Governor Sparks call a special legislative session to act upon a State Police bill so that the Goldfield situation could be handled by state and not federal authorities. The State Police Law of 1908 was enacted as a direct result of the labor struggles in Goldfield. After 1908, Goldfield was completely dominated by the mine owners. They controlled the miners wages, which in turn affected the wages of other town workers, they refused future bargaining with any union, and proceeded for the next ten years to efficiently exploit the mines in the district.