Ellen Ruby Blog's: Would You Roll the Dice on Nevada’s ‘Hard Luck Castle’?

Wednesday 16 December 2020

Would You Roll the Dice on Nevada’s ‘Hard Luck Castle’?

An offer is pending on a remote and distinctive dwelling in Nevada known as the Hard Luck Castle and Mine.

“We got a lot of interesting calls from people in various parts of the country, because it was marketed as kind of a Doomsday ‘Mad Max’ house, out in the middle of nowhere on 40 acres,” explains the listing agent, Brian Krueger.

“It is completely off-grid, self-sustaining. The owner built the home pretty much on his own, and it took him many years to do it.”

Over a decade of hard work created a one-of-a-kind castle on Bonnie Clair Road, which is currently listed for $549,900. The massive, 8,000-square-foot structure sits near the tiny town of Goldfield, NV.

The owner originally decided a couple of years ago that he wanted to sell the castle.

“I think we initially started out at $1.2 million, and slowly, over time, the seller agreed—based on our recommendations—to reduce the price. And we’ve probably had a handful of price reductions,” Krueger says.

Property records show that the castle came on the market in October 2018. Since then, the price was sliced eight times before it landed at its final price in June 2020.

Exterior of Hard Luck Castle near Goldfield, NV
Jake Rasmuson

The structure was a true labor of love by its owner.

“It was constructed from 2000 to 2012, so it took him about 12 years,” Krueger says.

It’s solidly built of steel and concrete cinder blocks, with 16-inch thick walls, and since it was engineered to last 400 to 500 years, it’s not going anywhere.

As for the infrastructure, in this remote corner of Nevada? The property has a 4,000-gallon water tank, solar and wind power, a 3,000-gallon propane tank, and diesel generators.

Inside, the four-story castle has 22 rooms with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a number of unique features.

“There’s a wine cellar, there’s a theater and a game room, there’s a glass solarium planetarium. And there’s a fountain room,” Krueger says.

Oh, and there are also two 1920s pipe organs.

“This was kind of just a personal love of the owner. He loves to play the organ, and it’s quite a spectacle when you go in,” Krueger explains.

“I don’t think he ever thought he was going to sell it when he built it. He was building this to be the place he was going to live in for the rest of his life. One of his loves was the organ.”

There are also two kitchens and decks with views of the surrounding land. Many of the antiques inside the castle will convey with the sale.

For the buyer truly looking to dig in, the property’s 4 acres offer an intriguing element. A dormant gold mine with mining rights is also included.

The listing details state that the mine shaft is in serviceable condition, even though it closed at the start of World War II and was never reopened. The owner also offered tours to any tourists hardy enough to reach this remote locale.

The outbuildings include a wood and metal shop, a miner’s cabin that sleeps four, and a shower house.

Hard Luck is the original name of the mine on the property. From a monumental tower on the property, you can see open desert for miles.

“Gold Point is about 10 miles away. That’s the nearest town,” Krueger says.

At one point, the mining town had 125 homes and various businesses. Now, it’s a historical ghost town.

To give a sense of how far removed the castle is from civilization, the bright lights of Las Vegas are 187 miles away, and the city of Reno is 325 miles from Hard Luck.

The white tower on the property, on a rocky outcrop, serves as a landmark in the area and lists all the names of the U.S. presidents and the years they served.

Like everything else on the property, it’s distinctive. Suffice it to say, the Hard Luck Castle isn’t for every buyer.

“It kind of combines the Wild West with a modern-day castle,” Krueger says. “It’s definitely eclectic, but that’s what made it unique.”