Category: Points of Interest

The Mizpah Hotel, located at 100 N. Main Street in Tonopah, Nye County, Nevada, is a five-story historic landmark constructed in 1907–1908 during the region’s silver boom. Heralded as “the finest stone hotel in the desert,” it served as a social and economic hub for Tonopah’s mining elite and remains a member of Historic Hotels of America, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978. At its opening, it tied with the nearby Belvada Building as Nevada’s tallest structure until 1927. Renowned for its Victorian elegance and reputed hauntings, particularly the “Lady in Red,” the Mizpah has endured boom-and-bust cycles, closing in 1999 before a 2011 restoration by Fred and Nancy Cline. This report details the hotel’s history, architecture, cultural significance, paranormal lore, and current status, highlighting its role in Nevada’s mining heritage.

Historical Background

Tonopah’s history began in 1900 when prospector Jim Butler discovered silver ore, reportedly after chasing a wayward burro. By 1901, the town’s population surged from a few dozen to 650, peaking at around 3,000 by 1910 as mines produced millions in silver and gold. Tonopah, dubbed the “Queen of the Silver Camps,” became Nye County’s seat, attracting investors, politicians, and adventurers. The Mizpah Hotel emerged from this prosperity, replacing the Mizpah Saloon and Grill, Tonopah’s first permanent structure, opened in 1907.

Financed by prominent Nevada figures—George Wingfield, George S. Nixon, Cal Brougher, and Bob Govan—the hotel was built to host the mining elite and eastern investors. Construction began in 1907 at a cost of $200,000 (approximately $6.5 million in 2025 dollars), with a grand opening on November 17, 1908. Designed by architect Morrill J. Curtis (though some sources credit George E. Holesworth), the hotel symbolized Tonopah’s ambition, boasting luxury rare for a desert mining town.

The Mizpah thrived as Tonopah’s social epicenter, hosting figures like Tasker Oddie (later Nevada governor and U.S. senator) and Key Pittman (U.S. senator, 1913–1940). Legends, though debunked, suggest Wyatt Earp tended bar, Jack Dempsey worked as a bouncer, and Howard Hughes married Jean Peters here. The hotel housed the Tonopah Banking Corporation’s vault, facilitating high-stakes transactions. By the 1920s, silver production waned, and Tonopah’s population dwindled. The Mizpah adapted, introducing gaming in the 1940s with roulette, craps, blackjack, and slot machines.

Economic shifts led to multiple closures, notably in 1999 after years of decline. In 2011, Fred and Nancy Cline, owners of Cline Cellars in Sonoma, California, purchased and restored the hotel, motivated by Nancy’s family ties—her grandmother Emma Bunting was Goldfield’s first postal matron, and her great-uncle Harry Ramsey was a Tonopah pioneer. Reopened in August 2011, the Mizpah regained its status as a cultural and economic anchor, bolstered by Tonopah’s emerging green energy sector, including solar projects creating over 800 jobs by 2011.

Architectural Features

The Mizpah Hotel is a striking example of early 20th-century Victorian architecture adapted to a desert mining town. Its design prioritized luxury and durability, with key features including:

• Exterior: Built with reinforced concrete, the facade is clad in light sandstone, blending with the desert landscape, while brick covers the sides and rear. Cast-iron columns frame windows and fire escapes, and the five-story structure, crowned with a simple cornice, was tied as Nevada’s tallest until 1927. The adjacent three-story Brougher-Govan Block, part of the original complex, connects via a wooden stairway under a skylight.
• Interior: The lobby exudes Victorian opulence with crimson carpets, brass chandeliers, stained-glass windows, and antique furnishings like oak furniture and Victorian settees. The original Tonopah Banking Corporation vault remains in the lobby, viewable in its 1908 state. Mosaic tile floors grace the entrance, and period decor, including antique cash registers, enhances the ambiance.
• Amenities: The hotel featured Nevada’s first electric elevator west of the Mississippi, still operational with vintage permits displayed. Guest rooms, originally 56, included hot and cold running water, steam heat, and electric lights—luxuries for the era. Claw-foot bathtubs adorned select suites, and the bar stocked premium whiskey.
• Modern Updates: The 2011 restoration preserved historic elements while adding modern comforts: 47 rooms with high-thread-count linens, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. The Pittman Café and Jack Dempsey Room restaurants, plus the Mizpah Club casino, blend retro charm with contemporary appeal.

The hotel’s robust construction ensured its survival through economic downturns and natural challenges, unlike many wooden structures lost to fires in early Tonopah.

Cultural and Historical Significance

The Mizpah Hotel encapsulates Tonopah’s silver boom and Nevada’s frontier spirit. As the town’s social and economic hub, it hosted deal-making among mining magnates and politicians, with the bank vault symbolizing Tonopah’s wealth. Its grandeur—leaded-glass windows, electric elevator, and lavish furnishings—set it apart from rudimentary mining camps, reflecting a sophisticated vision for the “Silver State,” second only to Virginia City in silver production.

The hotel’s history intertwines with notable events, like the debunked tale of Senator Key Pittman’s death in 1940. Legend claims supporters hid his body in a bathtub of ice at the Mizpah to secure a Democratic victory, but historians confirm Pittman died post-election, likely from a heart attack. Such stories, amplified by works like The Green Felt Jungle (1963), add to the hotel’s mystique, as do unverified ties to figures like Earp and Dempsey.

Culturally, the Mizpah endures as a time capsule, preserved through efforts like the Clines’ restoration. Its inclusion in Historic Hotels of America since 2013 underscores its national significance. The hotel attracts history buffs and tourists via events like Jim Butler Days, celebrating Tonopah’s founder, and draws adventurers exploring nearby sites like the Tonopah Historic Mining Park, Old Tonopah Cemetery, and the quirky Clown Motel. Its reputed hauntings, voted #1 Haunted Hotel by USA Today in 2018, enhance its allure, blending history with supernatural intrigue.

Paranormal Claims

The Mizpah’s reputation as one of America’s most haunted hotels stems from tales popularized after its 2011 reopening, notably featured on Ghost Adventures (2012) and USA Today’s 2018 and 2022 rankings (#1 and #7, respectively). The most famous spirit is the “Lady in Red,” believed to be a prostitute named Rose, murdered on the fifth floor (rooms 502–504) by a jealous lover or husband in the 1920s. Guests report her apparition in a red gown, whispers, the scent of roses, and pearls left under pillows, supposedly from a broken necklace. Variations of her story—strangled or stabbed—lack historical records, suggesting embellishment for tourism.

Other reported spirits include:

• Spectral Miners: Apparitions in old-fashioned clothing with pickaxes, tied to Tonopah’s mining past, seen in the basement near the bank vault. A tale claims two robbers were killed there by an accomplice, their bodies left undiscovered.
• Playful Children: Giggling and footsteps on the third floor, attributed to ghostly children playing tricks like opening doors.
• Nameless Soldier: A spirit haunting the third and fourth floors, possibly a soldier who died at the hotel, though details are vague.

Skeptics note the absence of contemporary evidence for these stories, and historians like those at the Central Nevada Museum suggest they emerged to boost the hotel’s profile post-restoration. Guests are encouraged to log paranormal experiences in a lobby book, and ghost tours, free with stays, explore the hotel’s eerie lore, enhancing its appeal to thrill-seekers.

Current Status

As of April 2025, the Mizpah Hotel operates as a luxury boutique hotel with 47 rooms, starting at approximately $128 per night for a Queen Economy room. Amenities include the Pittman Café, Jack Dempsey Room (fine dining, though occasionally closed), and the Mizpah Club casino with slots and periodic table games. The bar serves local brews and the Clines’ Lady in Red wine, and the lobby gift shop sells souvenirs. The hotel offers free parking, Wi-Fi, and a fitness center, with a 24-hour front desk and ghost tours available upon request.

Restored to its 1908 grandeur, the Mizpah retains original elements like the elevator, vault, and claw-foot tubs in suites such as the Lady in Red and Jim & Belle Butler, the latter featuring a wagon-frame bed. Located halfway between Reno and Las Vegas on U.S. Route 95, it’s a popular stop for road-trippers, 4 minutes from the Tonopah Historic Mining Park and 25 miles from Goldfield. Tonopah’s population, around 2,000, supports a small but vibrant community, with the hotel as its centerpiece.

The Clines’ ownership ensures ongoing preservation, though challenges include maintaining aging infrastructure and staffing in a remote town. The hotel’s success ties to Tonopah’s tourism, bolstered by attractions like the Central Nevada Museum and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. No major threats to its operation exist, and its haunted reputation continues to draw visitors, especially during Halloween and summer festivals.

Conclusion

The Mizpah Hotel stands as a testament to Tonopah’s silver rush and Nevada’s frontier legacy. Built in 1907, its Victorian elegance—electric elevator, bank vault, and opulent decor—made it a beacon of prosperity, hosting the era’s elite. Despite economic fluctuations and a 1999 closure, its 2011 restoration by Fred and Nancy Cline revived its role as a cultural and economic hub, blending history with modern comforts. While tales of the Lady in Red and other spirits add intrigue, their lack of historical backing highlights the hotel’s savvy use of lore to attract tourists. As a Historic Hotels of America member, the Mizpah remains a vital link to Nevada’s past, offering guests a luxurious step into the Wild West.

Recommendations

• Preservation Support: Encourage donations to Historic Hotels of America or the Tonopah Historic Mining Park to fund maintenance of the Mizpah’s aging features, like the elevator and stained glass.
• Historical Clarity: Partner with local historians to document verified events, separating fact from folklore to enrich educational tours without diminishing the hotel’s mystique.
• Tourism Integration: Promote the Mizpah within a regional itinerary, linking it to Goldfield, Rhyolite, and Death Valley to boost Central Nevada’s heritage tourism.
• Community Events: Expand ghost tours and history talks during Jim Butler Days to engage locals and visitors, fostering pride in Tonopah’s legacy.