The World-Famous Clown Motel

This article is about the location of the Clown Motel. For information on the season itself, see Kate's American Horror Story/Motel
For a season-specific timeline which also details the Motel's history, see Kate's American Horror Story/Motel/Timeline.
See also: Motel/Media

NOTE: The Motel is based on (and shares a name with) The World-Famous Clown Motel in Tonopah, Nevada. For roleplay purposes, the Motel's setting has been fictitiously moved to Chloride, Arizona, and its history has been edited somewhat.

## The World-Famous Clown Motel

### Type

Motel / Hellmouth / Cemetery / Brothel (formerly) / Church (formerly)

### Associations

Carnita Glasse (owner, former staff)
J (manager)
Juno Jennings (receptionist)
Olivia Harper (chef)
Unknown Lander (former owner)
Holly Lander (former staff)
Twisty the Clown (former owner)
Alfred Joe Lament (former owner)

### Deaths

J
Miriam Montague
Unknown Worker
Ford Celestine
Lindy Scott
Unknown Patron
Holly Lander
Unknown Lander
Twisty the Clown
Juno Jennings

**The World-Famous Clown Motel** is the central location of *Kate's American Horror Story*'s eleventh installment, Motel. Located in Chloride, Arizona, the Motel is one of the few lodgings between Kingman and the Nevada border. Its haunted reputation, however, draws away all those who are faint-of-heart.

## History

### 1780-1874

With the California Gold Rush beginning in 1848, thousands of prospective miners travelled westwards in hopes of striking gold. The search for gold was not contained to California, however- the mountainous desert regions of Northwestern Arizona were likewise rumoured to yield earthly riches. Mining settlements were created sporadically throughout, one of which eventually becoming Chloride, Arizona, which was officially established in 1862.

Roughly a century prior, missionaries had made their way along a similar path, declaring the land which the Motel now sits atop the "Mission San Ginés de Roma". It became the only Mission in the immediate area, and a place of refuge for the faithful as they ventured into the largely uncharted Cerbat Mountain Range.

### 1875-1899

Nearly four decades after the inception of the Great Plains smallpox epidemic, the disease continued westwards as infected people and supplies travelled towards Nevada and California. The settlement of Chloride was struck by the disease, with many of the sick being taken in and tended to by the Mission San Ginés de Roma. Alongside smallpox, a mysterious "plague" swept through the area soon thereafter. A cemetery was constructed adjacent to the church as a means of disposing of the dead.

Among those who died of illness at the Mission was a man who would come to be known merely as 'J', who passed away in 1882.

As additional Missions and churches were established in the area, the Mission San Ginés de Roma fell into ruin, regarded as a plague den that had been tainted with sickness. In the mid-1880's, the Mission was abandoned altogether, left crumbling and in disrepair. The cemetery remained intact, though most of the graves were unmarked, with the victims of smallpox having been buried en masse as a result of the sheer volume of deaths.

### 1900-1923

By the year 1900, the Mission had long since been abandoned. The lot was purchased and restored by Miriam Montague, an iron-willed madam who converted the space into a two-story brothel out of which she intended to conduct her business. Given the building's history, many of those who settled in the surrounding area were opposed to what they considered the desecration of a once-holy space, though the Madam Montague proceeded with little care.

The brothel remained functional until 1923, wherein Madam Montague was found murdered and beheaded in Room 10. The Madam was intensely disliked by her staff as she was cruel and lacking in empathy, and the prostitutes eventually banded together to kill her and free themselves from her torment. There was no official investigation into the Madam's death, given her reputation, and the brothel closed down shortly thereafter.

### 1930

Seven years after the brothel was shut down, the building was scheduled for partial demolition with the intention of converting it into a roadside diner. Local Christians staunchly opposed the destruction of the historic Mission, and began protesting its conversion. Construction efforts continued, but were considerably delayed and met with interruption on several accounts.

### 1936

During one of the final protests held, a fight broke out between the protestors and construction workers, resulting in injuries to both parties. Due to the fragility of the building, part of the original structure collapsed and landed on a contractor, killing him instantly. The protest was abandoned, and what remained of the building was condemned.

### 1964

More than thirty years after its third closure, the lot was purchased by Alfred Joe Lament, who completed the demolition of the original structure and replaced it with a two-story Motel. Lament was unaware of the numerous deaths that had occurred on the grounds prior to purchasing, and afterwards erected a small memorial for the workers killed years earlier. Construction was completed swiftly, and the Motel opened before the end of 1964. Among the inaugural staff were J, whose spirit had inexplicably remained tethered to the property, and Carnita Glasse.

### 1965

On August 8th, Carnita's child was found dead within the family's shared room. Grief-stricken and angry, Carnita proceeded to murder her husband, magician Ford Celestine, as well as the Motel's head of housekeeping. Framing their deaths as a kidnapping scenario, Carnita fled the Motel and vanished for some time.

### 1980-1981

Lament lost ownership of the Motel after scathing reviews which led to financial hardship, and sold the property to the first buyer- a Vietnam veteran with a love for clowns. The Motel underwent yet another renovation as the new owner, later identified as Twisty the Clown (or a copycat), filled its interior with clown paraphernalia to suit his vision of a themed "Clown Motel". The renovations were completed in 1981.

### 1984

The bodies of prostitute Lindy Scott and her client were discovered, eviscerated, in the bed and ensuite bathtub of Room 4. The condition of the bodies was never released to the public given the incredibly graphic nature, but speculation arose that Scott's eyes were removed, and that her breasts had been mutilated. Little is known about the condition of her client.

### 1987-1989

In late 1987, Juno Jennings joined the Motel's staff as a replacement receptionist, supervised by J.

In 1989, a similar death to that of Lindy Scott and her client occurred, although the victim was instead a staff member by the name of Holly Lander. The Motel's owner was found to have committed suicide later in the year, with a note found next to his body confessing to both his identity and his crimes.

### 1990-1992

Juno Jennings was murdered on the Motel's grounds, and her body was not recovered. The Motel closed once again, only to be reopened in 1992 by Holly Lander's eldest daughter. Her ownership of the Motel was short-lived, however, as she was found hanging in the closet of the owner's apartment later in the year.

### 1993

The Motel was repurchased by an unknown owner, being marketed as a "haunted clown motel". The gimmicky re-theme began to attract a different sort of clientele- those who were intrigued by the horror aspect, and intending to investigate the claims of paranormal activity.

### 2002

Residents of the Motel began to complain of potential demonic possession.

### 2003

Ownership of the Motel was transferred to Carnita Glasse in October of 2003 after she purchased the building. Priests were called in to exorcise the building, per Carnita's request.

## Ghost Sightings

It can be assumed that everyone who has died within the Motel or near its property remains on the grounds. Here is a list of all those confirmed to be trapped in its premises.

* J, the Motel's self-proclaimed manager who succumbed to smallpox in 1882
* Miriam Montague, the strict Madam of the former brothel who was murdered and beheaded by her staff in 1923
* The Lonesome Man, a Spaniard who rides a horse through the Motel's graveyard seemingly in search of something
* Bonnie Celestine, a despairing teenager who overdosed in 1965
* Ford Celestine, a magician killed by his wife, Carnita Glasse, in 1965
* Lindy Scott, a prostitute who was eviscerated and mutilated in 1984
* Twisty the Clown, a ghoulish clown who took his own life in 1989
* Juno Jennings, the Motel's receptionist who was stabbed to death in 1990

### The San Ginés Cemetery

Located adjacent to the Motel, the San Ginés Cemetery houses many graves, both marked and unmarked. Initially having been established in the late 1700s as a way to bury the victims of the smallpox epidemic that emerged within Northern Arizona, the graves that were marked remained intact even with the destruction of the Motel's many iterations.

With the turn of the 20th century, the graves began to be maintained more regularly, and the cemetery is now overseen by both J and the Motel's groundskeeper.

The World-Famous Clown MotelThe Motel's Ground FloorThe Motel's Upper Floor
### The Grounds

The Motel is situated on a rather sizable plot of land, with desert extending in every direction. The Cerbat Mountain range is visible from the cemetery, which is located a short distance away from a series of storage sheds which house extraneous material from the Motel's main building. Further left of the storage sheds is the Motel's pool, which has garnered a reputation of being unsanitary and poorly tended to.

### Common Areas

* **The Motel Lobby -** The entryway of the Motel, which is filled with clown-related paraphernalia and objects. The front reception desk is generally staffed by either J or Juno Jennings, who welcome guests to the Motel and arrange accommodations.
* **The Bar and Performance Stage -** Tended by J, the bar serves as the Motel's main congregational area. Ford Celestine often showcases his talents upon the Motel's stage.

### The Rooms

* **Room 1** **-** The room currently occupied by J, which remains constantly locked.
* **Room 4 -** The room where the bodies of Lindy Scott and her client were discovered. Following their deaths, Lindy's ghost is often spotted in and around the room, most often spotted in mirror reflections.
* **Room 8 -** The room where Bonnie Celestine overdosed.
* **Room 9 -** The room where Ford Celestine was murdered by his wife, Carnita Glasse.
* **Room 10 -** The room where the body of Madam Miriam Montague was discovered, back when the Motel still functioned as a brothel.
* **Room 13 -** The room where Juno Jennings was murdered, which is occasionally occupied from time-to-time.
* **The Owner's Apartment -** A room about which little is known; soon-to-be-occupied by Carnita Glasse.

## Residents

### Owners and Staff

Carnita Glasse
(Current Owner)Twisty the Clown
(Former Owner)J
(Manager)Juno Jennings
(Receptionist)Olivia Harper
(Chef)
### Tenants

Ethan HowardFord CelestineOrson BanksGabriel MonroeBonnie Celestine
## References and Trivia

### References

* The World-Famous Clown Motel at Tonopah, Nevada
* The Old Tonopah Cemetery
* 1837 Great Plains Smallpox Epidemic
* San Ginés de Roma (Saint Genesius of Rome)