The Jamestown Hotel was first built in 1858 as a wood-frame boarding house. At various times during its existence, it operated as a bordello and a bus depot. At one time, it was the Motherlode Hospital and we have had a few hotel guests in recent years who were born there. The Hotel burned down twice along with much of Jamestown. During the 1970s, San Francisco brick was used to remodel the hotel exterior. Purchased from the Crocker family in the 1980s, the hotel underwent a major restoration and is now an 8-room bed and breakfast hotel with a fine dining restaurant and old-time bar. The restaurant serves innovative California and Continental Cuisine while our bar offers premium wines, beers and cocktails.

The Ghost Story

     One of the most photographed buildings in Historic Jamestown was built as a wood frame hotel in 1919 by David Martinez. In 1938, the Jamestown Hotel was refurbished in stucco as the Mother Lode Hospital owned by Dr. D.L. Farrell. It was at this time that the Jamestown Hotel obtained its famous ghost in Room 7.
     It was an early spring morning when the Sieraa Railway special pulled into the Jamestown Station (now Railroad 1897) and a young strikingly beautiful woman with bright red hair disembarked and walked the few blocks to the Mother Lode Hospital.
     No one seemed to know who she was. She announced at the hospital that she was Mary Rose Sullivan and wanted to speak with a physician. Dr. Farrell attended the young lady himself. All Dr. Farrell told the head nurse was to check the young lady into Room 7. Mary Rose didn't speak much to anybody and she would spend most of the day looking out the window as if she was in some distant place. It soon became aware to the nurses that Mary Rose was pregnant. No amount of small talk produced any further information.
     It was late at night when Mary Rose went into labor. Dr. Farrell was called and during childbirth, something went wrong and Dr. Farrell was unable to save either the mother or child. Mary Rose and the unnamed baby were put to rest in the Catholic cemetery overlooking Jamestown.
     Several weeks later, a nurse on night duty, Emily Hutchinson, heard a soft moan come from Room 7. She thought this odd as the room was supposed to be empty. She went to investigate and as she opened the door a soft glow could be seen near the bed. At first, she thought it was moonlight. Later, she saw there was no moon this evening. Then another light faded into the room, but this one seemed to be wrapped in chains. Nurse Hutchinson was quite shook up at this sight and she closed the door quickly and retreated to the nurse's station.
     The next morning, she asked to speak with Dr. Farrell, who agreed. After the nurse explained what she had seen, Dr. Farrell nodded his head and sighed. He began relating the story which Mary Rose had told him weeks earlier.
     Mary Rose was the granddaughter of Frank Sullican who had struck it rich in the Jamestown area during the 1850s. He returned to his native Ireland and he always told her of his love for this mining community and he always wanted to return. A little more than a year before her arrival in Jamestown, Mary Rose had met a young British soldier and they fell in love. They wished to marry but their families were adament about their not seeing each other. The young lieutenant's father was a high-ranking officer and arranged for his transfer to India. Mary Rose's lover was captured, chained and tortured during the Hindu and Muslim troubles in India.
     Mary Rose took the word with great pain, especially as she had discovered that she was with child. In shame, Mary Rose left home and bought passage to America with money her granfather had left her. She then travelled to Jamestown because she felt closer to her grandfather here and she knew he would have understood.
     The lieutenant's parents blamed Mary Rose for their son's death. If they had not sent him to India, then he would have lived. Mary Rose's parents were upset that their daughter had left her home and they could never locate her. Neither parents knew of the child as Mary Rose had made Dr. Farrell promise not to notify them. Because of the peace that Mary found in Room 7 of the Mother Lode Hospital, Mary and her liqutenant continue to be the oldest tenants of the Jamestown Hotel.
     In the 1950s, the Mother Lode Hospital was reconverted to a rooming house, Cocker & Associates renovated the building in the 1970s with brick and it again became a hotel and restaurant.

The Innkeepers

     Brian and Dawn Solomon anticipate your arrival and look forward to your stay with us. The Solomon's and their staff are eager to provide the best service to make your visit to the Jamestown Hotel a pleasant and memorable experience.

     Brian and Dawn relocated to Jamestown in 2005 from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where Brian started the now famous Solomon's Landing Restaurant. Brian is a native of Southern California and Dawn lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for nine years before marrying Brian and moving to Cabo San Lucas. They and their 11-year-old daughter wanted to return to the states and the whole family fell in love with the Jamestown area. In 2002, Dawn published a book on wine-tasting in Napa Valley. Be sure to ask her about her favorite wine-tasting spots around Jamestown, Sonora, and Murphys. They welcome you to come up and explore the beautiful area for yourself and will do their best to make your stay enjoyable.

Contact Us

Call:  (209) 984-3902/(800) 205-4901
Write: Jamestown Hotel
18153 Main Street
Jamestown, CA 95327
Email: info@jamestownhotel.com