Mile High Grill and Inn – Clinkscale Building

The Clinkscale Building, historically known as the Mile High Grill and Inn, represents a significant structural monument to Jerome, Arizona's complex and sometimes turbulent history as a frontier mining town that rose to prominence and later faced economic challenges. The building itself, originally constructed in 1899 during the height of Arizona's territorial period, embodies the architectural styles and construction techniques characteristic of late nineteenth-century commercial establishments in remote mining regions. This three-story brick structure was designed to serve practical functions within Jerome's bustling commercial district, positioned to serve the wealthy miners and merchants who inhabited the area during its economic golden age. The building's solid construction and prominent location made it ideal for commercial use, though its purposes would dramatically transform across the subsequent decades.

The property's transition to Madam Jennie Banter's renowned bordello establishment marked a significant shift in the building's operational identity and cultural significance within Jerome's community. Madam Jennie, a notable figure in Arizona territorial history, established her operation within the Clinkscale Building during a period when such establishments operated with relative legal tolerance in remote mining towns. The bordello became a substantial operation, attracting considerable foot traffic and generating significant revenue during Jerome's most prosperous years when mining operations supplied steady employment and income to the region's population. Madam Jennie's reputation extended beyond Jerome, making her establishment one of the more famous such operations in the Arizona Territory.

The building subsequently experienced decades of abandonment and deterioration following the economic collapse of Jerome's mining operations in the early twentieth century. As ore reserves depleted and mining companies relocated operations, Jerome transformed from a booming frontier town into a slowly depopulating settlement. The Clinkscale Building, like many structures in Jerome, fell into disrepair as resources and residents fled the region. For decades, the structure stood largely unused, its windows darkened, its interior spaces subject to the destructive forces of weather, time, and neglect. This extended period of abandonment and decay has been theorized by paranormal researchers to intensify spiritual phenomena, as if the emotional weight of the building's history becomes concentrated within increasingly deteriorated physical spaces.

The paranormal activity documented at the Clinkscale Building centers primarily on Madam Jennie Banter, whose spirit appears to maintain a strong presence within the property she once operated. Staff members and guests have reported witnessing Madam Jennie engaged in her characteristic activity of rearranging furniture throughout the building's guest rooms, moving objects with apparent intention and purpose. In the kitchen areas, items have been thrown or displaced by unseen forces, a phenomenon interpreted by investigators as Madam Jennie continuing her domestic management activities across the boundary between life and death. Alongside Madam Jennie's relatively benign manifestations, the building is also home to her companion spirit—a cat—whose apparition has been sighted in various rooms. Additionally, unknown dark spirits have been encountered in the building, presenting a more menacing presence that contrasts sharply with Madam Jennie's apparently playful interactions with the physical environment.

The 2020 full restoration of the Clinkscale Building marked a dramatic architectural and structural transformation, converting the historic structure into the modern Mile High Grill and Inn. The restoration involved comprehensive reconstruction of interior spaces, modern amenities installation, and careful historical preservation work designed to maintain the building's nineteenth-century character while providing contemporary guest accommodations. This restoration process, rather than diminishing paranormal activity as some theorists might predict, appears instead to have intensified the spiritual manifestations within the property. Paranormal investigation teams have documented increased activity levels following the restoration, suggesting that renovation and restoration work may stimulate or awaken spiritual presences within historic structures.

The paranormal experiences documented at the Clinkscale Building include the full range of phenomena associated with residual and intelligent haunting: apparitions of Madam Jennie and her cat, shadow figures appearing in hallways and guest rooms, disembodied voices, the movement of objects, and sudden temperature variations. Guests have reported encountering furniture rearrangement during nights when no staff members were present, and multiple witnesses have documented the same phenomena independently, lending credibility to the reports. The contrast between Madam Jennie's playful furniture manipulation and the darker presence of unknown spirits suggests a complex paranormal environment where multiple entities with different intentions coexist within the same structure.

The Mile High Grill and Inn currently operates as a functioning hospitality business while simultaneously embracing its reputation as a actively haunted location. The property's owners have adopted a pragmatic stance toward the paranormal phenomena, acknowledging the hauntings openly in marketing materials and inviting paranormal investigators to conduct overnight investigations within guest areas. This combination of active commercial hospitality and paranormal investigation venue has positioned the Clinkscale Building as a unique destination in Arizona paranormal culture, attracting visitors interested in both historical preservation and supernatural investigation. The building stands as evidence that paranormal activity need not diminish the commercial viability or appeal of a historic property, but may instead enhance its cultural significance and tourist interest.