Gold Hill Hotel - Gold Hill, Nevada - Antique Hotels on Waymarking.com

In the Beginning...

Apparently the hotel began as “The Riesen House” and was constructed sometime before January 1862. Current popular notion is that it dates from 1859 but the exact date is uncertain. In the winter of 1861/1862 there were big floods all over northern California and Nevada. Melting snow and unprecedented rains filled all the ravines and canyons with torrents of water.
On 27 Jan. 1862 the Alta California quoted an article from the Territorial Enterprise of 13 Jan. 1862 “.. the southwest and southeast corners of the Risen (sic) House, a fine structure, have fallen, but the main part of the building remained firm .
Maitland Stanley, Gold Hill Historian 7/5/97


H. M. Vesey acquired the hotel early in the 1860’s and added the wooden structure to the original stone building. The hotel became an important part of the now thriving metropolis of Gold Hill which was adjacent to the even larger industrial and business center known as Virginia. The combined population of the two towns was approaching 40,000 people and was one of the largest cities in the West, with schools, opera houses, newspapers, trains, factories, churches and all the trappings, fire departments, police forces, etc. all of this in addition to the major mining operations which were producing large amounts of silver and gold. The mining boom continued through the 70’s but after that it was boom and bust and the population dwindled to only a few hundred by the 1930’s.

The population that had built a major town with considerable infrastructure of houses, commercial buildings roads, factories and a network of existence were faced with complete ruin….no means for income, and given the normal expenses associated with supporting family and possessions, they abandoned property, or dismantled it and sold the materials, and they drifted away for other areas to seek a means to survive. The population that was left scrounged the ruins and further devastated the area. What had been the pride of the west became an eyesore or just dust and ruins. Sic transit Gloria.

Fortunately for us enough remains so that one can envision the glory of the better times and current day Virginia City and Gold Hill are fascinating to the tourists who come to absorb the history of the Comstock Lode.


(source: hotel's official website)

Name of the Hotel: Gold Hill Hotel Address: Gold Hill Hotel 1540 Main Street P.O. Box 710 Virginia City, NV 89440 Number of Rooms: 19 Height in floors: 2 Hotel since: 01/01/1859 Date Building was built: 01/01/1859 Historic Hotel (Historic Building, National Monument or similar): yes Urban Hotel (located in a village or town): no Mountains Nearby (less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil): yes Beachs Nearby (less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil): no Historic Place nearby (Unesco or National monument/site less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil): yes Major Pilgrimage Place Nearby (less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil. Consider any religion).: no Hotel website (if available): [Web Link] Hotel Rating: Not listed First use of building: Not listed

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