Randy Johnston's Hard Luck Castle near DVNP is a topic we discussed on the old forum.  It has been listed for sale (at least off and on) for several years.  I know when I first visited the place in 2012, he was already talking about selling it.

Reportedly, a buyer has stepped up.  BUT the sale hasn't closed.  And if I read this article right, it previously sat in escrow for 20 months before that sale fell through.  We'll see how it goes this time!

PV Times article link

Quote:The Hard Luck Mine Castle in Esmeralda County has entered into escrow, Brian Krueger, a senior vice president with Coldwell Banker Premier Realty and the agent selling the property, said.

The Hard Luck Mine Castle is located on 40 acres of land in Esmeralda County and went on the market over two years ago.

“We have marketed it as ‘getaway’ property with the extensive acreage (40 acres) and ideal for outdoor enthusiasts with ATVs. Also as a potential tourist investment opportunity,” Krueger said in an email.

The name of the buyer has not been released.

The property has an 8,000-square-foot home with 16-inch-thick cinderblock, concrete, and steel walls.

Hard Luck Mine Castle runs off several off-grid resources including solar and wind. It has a water hauling trailer, diesel generator, and 3,000-gallon propane tank. It also has a glass solarium, planetarium, and fountain room. The home has 22 rooms with two kitchens, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a wine cellar, theater and game room, and a great room featuring a 1920’s pipe organ. There are numerous outbuildings including a work/automotive shop, miner’s cabin, shower house, power home, and gold mine tunnel.

The owner of the property, Randy Johnston, completed construction of the castle over a decade ago on a project that got its start at the turn of the century.

The Hard Luck Mine Castle has only been listed once. It went on the market for $1.2 million on Oct. 15, 2018, and went into escrow on Sept. 9, 2020, however it was back on the market on Dec. 16, 2020.

Krueger said the unique nature of the property limited the pool of qualified buyers.

“We knew it could take at least a year or two to sell it and we had it in escrow about 20 months after we listed it,” he said.

Krueger said the number of inquiries has increased after the property was initially profiled on several major outlets.

“The home is very eclectic and will be suitable for the right buyer depending on their intended use,” he said.

The sale price was not disclosed in the recent deal and has yet to close.

"old forum" threads:

https://dv.netllama.us/dv/thread-24639.html

https://dv.netllama.us/dv/thread-22153.html

Here is the listing...

1 Bonnie Clair Road, Goldfield, NV 89013

Well that's interesting. Maybe it just took dark times for someone to want to remove themselves so completely. I'm an organist so I've always been curious about his pipe organ setup. I've heard it was done by reputable builders so one of these days I'll have to pop by and check!

(2021-01-25, 12:11 AM)GowerGulch42 Wrote: I'm an organist so I've always been curious about his pipe organ setup. 

Hey Andrew, there is a pipe organ in Scotty's Castle.

https://youtu.be/b5jbNBxLNZs

How cool would that be for you to capture a video of you playing that organ? 

They're refurbishing it now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rjecv8k...e=emb_logo

Yes, I am up to date on all music happenings at Scotty's. No, they do not let people play the organ except for the DVNHA's two silent films each year (typically).

(2021-01-25, 12:11 AM)GowerGulch42 Wrote: Well that's interesting. Maybe it just took dark times for someone to want to remove themselves so completely. I'm an organist so I've always been curious about his pipe organ setup. I've heard it was done by reputable builders so one of these days I'll have to pop by and check!

Here is a short video clip of Randy playing one of the two organs he had in the Hardluck Castle when we stopped to visit in November 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCwI_Le6Cck

Art

(2021-01-25, 08:52 PM)Older Fossil Wrote:

(2021-01-25, 12:11 AM)GowerGulch42 Wrote: Well that's interesting. Maybe it just took dark times for someone to want to remove themselves so completely. I'm an organist so I've always been curious about his pipe organ setup. I've heard it was done by reputable builders so one of these days I'll have to pop by and check!

Here is a short video clip of Randy playing one of the two organs he had in the Hardluck Castle when we stopped to visit in November 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCwI_Le6Cck

Art

Could use a tuning.

(2021-01-25, 08:52 PM)Older Fossil Wrote: Here is a short video clip of Randy playing one of the two organs he had in the Hardluck Castle when we stopped to visit in November 2019.


Art

Wow, I had no idea there was such a unique interior to the old place. I just drove by once and did not go inside Thanks for the video clip.

(2021-01-27, 04:31 PM)DeathValleyDazed Wrote: Wow, I had no idea there was such a unique interior to the old place. I just drove by once and did not go inside Thanks for the video clip.

We first stumbled up the Castle in early 2003 or 2004 when it was about half built.  We stopped by a couple more times over the years, most recently late in 2019.  It certainly is a unique property that was mostly built by Randy Johnston himself with occasional help from a few friends.  I have a blog post from our last visit that gives a few other glimpses of the interior.

Hard Luck Castle

Art