Martin Hotel — Winnemucca, NV - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The following information from the National Register files:

The Martin Hotel represents the type of Basque hotel that sprang up following the surge in immigration in 1900, when Winnemucca served as a platform for the second wave of Basque migration in the western United States. These hotels were typically located close to the railroad, both for the convenience of the new arrivals and for the annual shipment of sheep to market.

The Martin Hotel sits on the corner of Railroad and Melarkey Streets in Winnemucca ,Nevada. During its period of significance, the location was ideal, since it was directly opposite the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks, not far from the depot. The hotel represents several construction and reconstruction phases. The original front part of the building was a dwelling that appeared on Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps as early as 1885. In 1908, the dwelling was converted to a business called the Roman Tavern. The 1912 Sanborn Map shows the original footprint with what appears to be a second story and a deep, single-story addition at the rear. The map indicates that the building was functioning at the time as the Lafayette Hotel Annex. Augustine and Elisee Martin took over the building in 1913 and renamed it theMartin Hotel. A fire in 1919 caused some damage to the building. In 1920, the hotel was rebuilt and the number of rooms increased, but the footprint represented on the Sanborn Maps remained basically the same as it had been in 1912.

The Martin Hotel’s plan is a complex one. The front facade consists of a single-story front-gabled section with a bay extending along the southeast half. This section is most likely the originald welling dating to the 1880s. The exterior of the building is sheathed in stucco. It is not known when the stucco coat was put on over what no doubt was originally wood siding, but reports indicate it was many years ago. The cross-gable, two-story hotel section was added between 1908 and 1912, as was a single-story extension at the rear, which once housed the bunkroom. A more recent full-widthporch supported by six square posts extends over the sidewalk along the front elevation. A balustrade creates a balcony above. The foundation is made of stone, and the roof is sheathed in composition shingles.