Arizona Rancho facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Arizona Rancho
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Arizona Rancho
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 Location in Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jct. of Tovar and Apache Sts., Holbrook, Arizona |
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| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| Built | 1881 |
| Built by | Montano, Pedro; Higgins, James |
| Architectural style | Mixed (more Than 2 Styles From Different Periods) |
| NRHP reference No. | 97001210 |
| Added to NRHP | October 17, 1997 |
The Arizona Rancho is a historic building in Holbrook, Arizona. It has been known by many names, like the Higgins House and Brunswick Hotel. It started as a home in the 1880s. Over time, it grew into a boarding house, then a hotel, and finally a motel. People believe the original part of the building is the oldest one still standing in Holbrook.
Contents
A Home That Grew: The Arizona Rancho's Story
From House to Hotel: Early Days
The first part of the Arizona Rancho was built around 1881 to 1883. It was a single-story house made of plastered adobe. Pedro Montaño built it. The house had a mix of Spanish and American building styles.
Around 1885, the house got bigger. James and Maggie Higgins bought the property in 1884. They added a two-story section made of adobe bricks. The Higgins family then opened a boarding house there.
After a few years, the property changed owners. Around 1889, John and Anna Connor bought it. They turned it into the Brunswick Hotel. The upstairs part of the new section was used for dances. It also served as a meeting place for a group called the Masons.
New Uses and New Names
The hotel changed hands several more times. Later, an oil investor named S. Earle Taylor bought it. He needed a place for his workers to live. The Taylor family has owned the property ever since. Lloyd Taylor, who was a geologist, later bought the hotel from his uncle.
In the 1930s, a part of the Brunswick Hotel became Holbrook's hospital. A kitchen was added because of this change. Lorimore Skidmore designed the kitchen in the mid-1930s. He also designed later additions when the hotel became the Arizona Hotel.
In the 1940s, an adobe wall was built around the property. Covered walkways, called loggias, were also added. The hotel's name changed again to the Arizona Rancho. During World War II, a college used the hotel. They housed students training to be pilots for the U.S. Navy. The Taylor family also added living spaces for themselves at this time.
Life on Route 66 and Beyond
After the war, business was good. The hotel served tourists traveling to California on U.S. Route 66. This famous road went right through Holbrook. However, the main road later moved a few blocks north. A new shopping area grew up along the new Route 66.
Later, the building of Interstate 40 caused more problems. This new highway was even farther away. Fewer travelers came to the Arizona Rancho. Eventually, it closed down after being used as a youth hostel for a while.
What the Arizona Rancho Looks Like
The Arizona Rancho is on a corner lot in Holbrook. It is south of the main business area. The buildings are on the north side of the property. They face an open parking area, which has a partial wall.
The wall has openings with decorative wagon wheels. You can also see round windows with wagon wheels in the main building. The whole complex looks like a mix of different styles. It has a general Southwestern look. The motel part especially shows the Pueblo Revival style.
The original Montaño house has a steeply-pitched roof. A later two-story adobe addition partly hides it. The motel section is a long, low building. It has wooden beams, called vigas, sticking out over the front porch. All the windows in the complex have thick wooden frames. These frames are flat with the adobe plaster walls.
The motel wing uses different materials for its walls. These include stone and wood covered with stucco. Some parts look like log cabins, with old wooden posts and stucco in between.
The Arizona Rancho was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 17, 1997. In 2007, there were plans to sell some nearby properties. There were also plans to fix up and restore the Rancho.
