Est. 1888 · 1888 Victorian-era commercial building · Downtown Durango historic district · Denver and Rio Grande Railway era construction
The Jarvis building was constructed in 1888 in downtown Durango, part of the construction wave that accompanied the Denver and Rio Grande Railway's expansion through southwestern Colorado. Durango's downtown core along Main Avenue and the adjacent blocks developed rapidly in the late 1880s as the rail connection made the city a regional supply center for mining camps in the San Juan Mountains.
The building has been used as a hotel for much of its operating history and was converted into an all-suite format under its current name, Jarvis Suite Hotel. Its location at 10th Street places it within a block of the historic downtown commercial strip.
DGO Magazine, in its coverage of Durango's paranormal history, noted that the Jarvis building complex as a whole — not just individual rooms — has accumulated paranormal reports from multiple guests and employees over the years. Alpenglowproperties.com corroborated the Jarvis building among Durango's documented haunted locations, citing unexplained experiences throughout the structure.
Sources
- https://dgomag.com/durangos-most-haunted-places/
- https://www.alpenglowproperties.com/the-haunted-side-of-durango/
ApparitionsPhantom soundsChild laughter
The most frequently reported apparition at the Jarvis Suite Hotel is a figure described as a sailor or naval-dressed man, seen leaving the building in the evening before vanishing. The account appears in DGO Magazine's survey of Durango's haunted locations, sourced from staff and guest reports.
The second recurring account involves auditory phenomena in the hallways: a child's laughter and what guests describe as the sound of a small wheeled vehicle — specifically a tricycle — moving along the corridor. Both sounds are reported without any child present and typically occur at night when the hallways are empty.
Alpenglowproperties.com notes that paranormal reports at the Jarvis building come from across the entire complex, not concentrated in specific rooms, suggesting the experiences are distributed throughout the structure. The building's age and continuous use since 1888 are frequently cited in local discussions of why the property carries a haunted reputation.
Notable Entities
Ghostly sailorChild apparition