Ott's Assay Office, Nevada City

Ott's Assay Office is a historic assay office located at 130 Main Street in Nevada City, California. The building was constructed in 1851 as a drug store; James J. Ott opened his assay office in the back of the store in 1857. In 1859, Ott assayed a sample of silver ore discovered in the Washoe Country; this ore marked the discovery of the Comstock Lode, and the resulting silver rush eventually led to Nevada's statehood and several advancements in mining technology. The silver rush also gave Ott a reputation as a quality assayer; he ran his office until his death in 1907, and his son continued the business until 1955. ()