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The Murphy-Dolan Store

This section of my page contains photos of the old Murphy-Dolan store, also called the House or the Big Store. During the Lincoln County War, it was the only two-story building in town, aside from the torreon. After the war's end, in which Jimmy Dolan and the Company lost everything they had, the building fell into the ownership of Tom Catron, who sold it to the county in 1880 for use as a courthouse. After Billy the Kid was convicted of murder and sentenced to hang, he was held here on the second floor until his sentence was to be carried out. That day never came though, as Billy escaped only days prior, killing his two guards in the process. Today, the House is a museum, with many artifacts related to the war contained within.

The House

This is an exterior shot, showing how huge the House was. Although the second-story balconing existed during Billy the Kid's lifetime, the two connecting staircases were not built until years after his famous escape in 1881. The window to the second-story room in which Billy was held in, and from which he shot Bob Olinger, is concealed by the tree on the left.

Inside the House

This image shows the interior of one of the rooms in the House and some of the assorted artifacts that are on display. During the Lincoln County War, this was a billiard room.

The Courtroom

This image shows the courtroom, located on the second-story. At the time Billy the Kid was held here, the courtroom was actually divided into several smaller rooms, one of which was the one where Billy was confind. In fact, the corner that is the center of this photo was the corner of Billy's room and the window the right is the one from which Billy shot and killed Bob Olinger.