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Brothels

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3rd and Douglas sts.
  • Brothels (Bret Morgan)

Unlike Winnemucca's brothels, which are some distance from the town center, Elko's are near the downtown in a modest neighborhood of houses and mobile homes. Although none of the brothels displays a particular architectural style, they have some common features. All are one-story buildings and have long, rectangular footprints. The only exceptions are Mona's Ranch (1915, many alterations), 103 South 3rd Street, and Sue's (1970), 171 South 3rd Street, each of which has a two-story main section with a long one-story ell. The first floor of the main section contains a large room with a bar, where clients are served drinks and look over the women. The ells contain small bedrooms indicated on the exterior by the closely spaced windows in the upper half of the wall. One of Elko's oldest brothels, Mona's Ranch, has been extensively remodeled inside and out over the years. Though the buildings are undistinguished, their neon signs, lit up at night, bathe the street in a warm glow intended to attract customers.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Julie Nicoletta
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Data

What's Nearby

Star Hotel
Elko Downtown Post Office
Silver Dollar Club
U.S. Bank (Henderson Bank)
Commercial Hotel

Citation

Julie Nicoletta, "Brothels", [Elko, Nevada], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/NV-01-NO58.

Print Source

Buildings of Nevada, Julie Nicoletta. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000, 157-157.

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