Why buy a house when you can buy an entire town?
A 19th century ghost town in California, that includes an abandoned hotel, church and bunkhouse, came on the market earlier this month.
Cerro Gordo, which means “fat hill,” sits south of the Sierra Nevada, on over 300 acres of land. The abandoned mining town had been in family hands for decades, but they felt it was the right time to sell it, said real estate agent Jake Rasmuson.
The asking price for Cerro Gordo is $925,000 and has an aptly named website, ghosttownforsale.com.
There’s been a substantial amount of interest, Rasmuson said. Ideas have ranged from turning Cerro Gordo into a theme park to a marijuana town.
“I would say given the owner’s history with the town and love for the town, it’s not only the price that’s important, but the future use. Quite a few individuals want to buy it to preserve the history,” he said.
Cerro Gordo came into existence as a small mining town after the discovery of silver in 1865. And at one point, it became the largest producer of silver and lead in California, according to its website.
“In its heyday, it averaged a murder a week,” Rasmuson said. “It’s really part of the Wild West.”
After the fall of lead and silver prices, and other setbacks, including a fire, Cerro Gordo’s silver operations slowed and eventually became deserted.
There are nearly 22 structures remaining on the site. The former boom town is available for tours, but it requires visitors to drive through eight miles of a steep and narrow dirt road.