Houses and other structures created predominantly with bottles. For the most part, bottles were used because they were free and easy to work with. Many of the builders speak of a spiritual atmosphere of the buildings' interiors. When the sun hits the bottles, there are said to be kaleidoscopic rays and a stained glass effect. Bottle houses seem to be almost entirely a North American phenomenon.
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| Tonopah, NV |
William F. Peck's Bottle House is believed to be the earliest example of the Bottle House phenomenon. Built in 1902, it was torn down in the early 1980s. It was sturdy and square, and made with 10,000 beer bottles. A few odd, square-shaped bottles appeared near the doorway. These were from Jhostetters’ Stomach Bitters which was 90% alcohol and 10% opium.
Short of building materials, early mining camp settlers made their shelters out of whatever they could get their hands on, including discarded bottles. Saloons were among the first commercial structures in the camps so there were plenty of liquor bottles on hand. There was another house in Tonopah built entirely of coal oil cans and another made from barrels. For more about Nevada's old bottle houses, see this website.
Other bottle house examples from around the country.
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| Kaleva, MI |
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| Wimberly, Texas |
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| Alexandria, LA |
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| Oriental, NC |
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| "Calico" Ghost Town, Yermo, CA |
Read more about these interesting Bottle Houses through Agility Nut.
I remember seeing the bottle house in Tonopah, but it was pretty much in ruins by the time I saw it. It's wonderful to see how it looked in "it's day". Thanks, Sarah.
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