Stone Jail Building and Row House, The Stone Jail Building and Row House are two adjacent stone buildings located on Water Street in Tonopah, Nevada
The Stone Jail Building and Row House are two stone structures on Water Street in Tonopah, Nevada, constructed in 1903 and 1908 respectively. The jail is a small, one-story building with irregular stones and original steel barred windows, while the row house contains three separate rooms each with its own entrance and window.
The jail was built in 1903 as a more permanent replacement for an earlier timber structure following Tonopah's rapid growth after silver ore was discovered in 1900. The row house was constructed in 1908, and both buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The jail and row house reflected the informal social order of an early mining town, where law enforcement and less reputable activities coexisted on the same street. The row house's separate rooms reveal how the town managed different aspects of its economy during the silver boom.
The structures are located in central Tonopah on Water Street and are easily accessible on foot. Visitors can view the exteriors freely and appreciate the simple, sturdy stonework up close.
The jail was temporarily converted into a garage and both buildings later served as a brothel, revealing how Tonopah's early structures adapted to the town's changing economic needs. This practical reuse shows how frontier communities repurposed buildings as circumstances shifted.
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