Entire California ghost town for sale for just under $1 million

The 19th-century mining town of Cerro Gordo and the surrounding 300 acres outside Lone Pine, Calif., is listed for $925,000. The 19th-century mining town of Cerro Gordo and the surrounding 300 acres outside Lone Pine, Calif., is listed for $925,000. Photo: Nolan Nitschke Photo: Nolan Nitschke Image 1 of / 32 Caption Close Entire California ghost town for sale for just under $1 million 1 / 32 Back to Gallery

For the price of a small San Francisco apartment, you can buy 300 acres and a small town.

The 19th-century mining town of Cerro Gordo, tucked in the Inyo Mountains outside Lone Pine, Calif., was listed in June for $925,000.

In the shadow of Mount Whitney, the property includes vast acreage of sage-studded land with mineral rights and a well-preserved authentic ghost town. There are almost two dozen buildings including a church, a saloon, a historic hotel called the Belshaw Bunkhouse, a hoist house and a superintendent's house.

"It's really an opportunity for someone to own a real piece of the Wild West and American history," says listing agent Jake Rasmuson of Bishop Real Estate.

The town was well-protected from diggers over the years, and many artifacts from the area are housed in a museum.

This video is a handout from Bishop Real Estate.

The property has been in the hands of the same family for decades, and though privately owned, it was open to the public for tours.

"The owners hope to find someone who appreciates and desires to preserve the historic nature of it," says Rasmuson, whose phone has been ringing off the hook with interested buyers since the property was listed on June 4 with the URL GhostTownForSale.com.

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Silver was first discovered in the hills of Cerro Gordo in 1865, and in the following years prospectors flocked to its rich veins of silver. It became known as the "silver thread" to Los Angeles and silver was loaded onto mule trains and taken to the city. The town population swelled to some 5,000 at its height and quickly dwindled when silver prices dropped in 1877.

"Even if you're not interested in purchasing it, it's worth the tour," says Rasmuson.