This is a list of historic properties in Tombstone, Arizona, which includes a photographic gallery of some of the remaining historic structures. The majority of these structures are in the Tombstone Historic District which was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on October 15, 1966. The gallery includes the Sacred Heart Church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the Tombstone City Hall, and the Tombstone Courthouse, among many other historic structures. The historic Boot Bill Graveyard is also included here, with images of the graves of some of the town's notable internees; however, the graveyard was specifically excluded from the NRHP historic district due to its lack of historic integrity.
Brief history
Tombstone was a mining town founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin. Schieffelin was a prospector who laid claim to what became one of the biggest silver mines in Pima County, Arizona Territory. The mine was named the Schieffelin Mine. Schieffelin, together with some partners, owned or had interest in the Contention Mine and the Tombstone Mining and Milling Company, which owned the Tough Nut Mine. Prospectors and business entrepreneurs began to settle the town after news spread of the silver strike.
On October 26, 1881, Tombstone gained national notoriety with the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral involving the brothers Wyatt, Morgan, and Virgil Earp (the town marshal and a deputy U.S. marshal), joined by Doc Holliday, against Ike Clanton, Billy Clanton, Frank McLaury, Tom McLaury, and Billy Claiborne, members of an outlaw group called the Cochise County Cowboys.
One of Tombstones best known structures is the historic Bird Cage Theatre. The theatre provided the citizens of the town with entertainment including live performances, liquor, prostitutes, and poker games. The longest poker game in history was played in the basement of the theater. Players had to pay $1,000 for a seat at the table. Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson, George Hearst, Diamond Jim Brady, and Adolphus Busch were some of the notable players. The poker game was played continuously 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for eight years from 1881 to 1889. Approximately $10 million was exchanged in the game through those eight years, and the Bird Cage retained ten percent of that money.
The structures along Allen Street are included in the Tombstone Historic District, which was declared a National Historic Landmark on July 4, 1961. The district was also added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966, reference #66000171.
Structures and places of historical interest
Tombstone Historic District
The following are the major, registered structures in the Tombstone Historic District:
The O.K. Corral – The adobe offices of the famous corral are on Allen Street between Third and Fourth, with the stable yards extending back to Fremont Street. The O.K. Corral is near the site of the famous gunfight of October 21, 1882 which occurred in an empty lot by Fly's Photography Gallery on Fremont Street. The gunfighters were Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp, and Doc Holliday, against Ike Clanton, Billy Clanton, Frank McLaury, Tom McLaury, and Billy Claiborne, members of the Cochise County Cowboys. The Crystal Palace – The Crystal Palace was built in 1879 at 436 E. Allen Street. Originally known as the Golden Eagle Brewing Company, its second floor housed the offices of U.S. Deputy Marshal Virgil Earp. The Tombstone Epitaph building – The Tombstone Epitaph newspaper was established in this building, constructed in 1880 at 11 S. 5th Street, as a Republican paper under the operation of John P. Clum, Thomas Sorin, and later that year, Charles Reppy. The Bird Cage Theatre – The theater was built in 1881 at 535 E. Allen Street. It was combination theater, saloon, gambling parlor, and brothel that operated from 1881 to 1889. Schieffelin Hall – The theater hall was built in 1881 by Albert Schieffelin at 402 East Fremont Street (N. 4th Street).