The tinkle of honky-tonk piano keys, the plink of banjo strings, the clink of glasses — and the occasional gunshot. Here are the lower end of Mains Street stood Deadwood’s saloons, brothels, gaming halls and the large Chinatown district.
Since 1990, archaeologists have excavated portions of Deadwood’s Chinatown and notorious brothels such as the Gem Theater and the Green Front. They recovered more than 250,000 artifacts, which are now under the stewardship of the Deadwood Historic Preservation Office.
From the corner you can also experience the range of architectural styles that combine to make Deadwood a historical treasure. Behind you, a streamlined former auto showroom displayed the Art Deco style for he 1930s. In front of you, the Fairmont Hotel preens in its Queen Anne style intricacies. Across the street, the Bullock Hotel and its neighbors formally recall the Italianate style.
As evening falls, the town glows in the light of lamps case from fixtures that originally lit Deadwood’s Main Street on New Year’s Eve 1912.
If you cross Main Street and start walking south, you’ll see interpretive sign No. 14 at the corner of Main and Lee streets.