Tom Kelley Bottle House Restoration
Restoration of Historic Site
Rhyolite, Nevada

Constructed in 1905 on the outskirts of the Gold Rush boomtown of Rhyolite, Nevada, this three-room Victorian cottage is one of the few surviving structures of what was once a thriving metropolis of 7,000 people. Tom Kelley, a stonemason and part-time prospector, constructed this home using adobe mortar and approximately 50,000 beer bottles, which he collected from some of the 50 bars that once dotted this dessert town at the north end of Death Valley.

Years of harsh weather, seismic events, and nearby mining operations have put this historic resource in jeopardy. The Bottle House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the only surviving example of a building type that was common to this area in the early twentieth century. The scope of work included a comprehensive conditions assessment and treatment recommendations for the deteriorated exterior walls. The Bottle House was analyzed using a 3-D modeling, and stabilization of the structure was achieved using creative conservation techniques that were developed specifically for the unusual wall system. A unique seismic system was also implemented.