Jerome Grand Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Jerome Grand Hotel
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jerome, Jerome, Arizona |
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| Part of | Jerome Historic District (ID66000196) |
| Added to NRHP | November 13, 1966 |
The Jerome Grand Hotel is a historic hotel located in Jerome, Arizona. It's famous for its motto: "Arizona's mile high historic landmark." This means it's a very old and important building located high up in the mountains.
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History of the Jerome Grand Hotel
From Hospital to Hotel
The building we now know as the Jerome Grand Hotel wasn't always a hotel. It was first built in 1926 as the United Verde Hospital. This hospital was owned by a big mining company called the United Verde Copper Company. Some people also called it the Phelps Dodge Hospital.
It was the fourth and final hospital built in Jerome. When it opened in January 1927, it was a very modern hospital. In fact, by 1930, it was considered one of the best-equipped hospitals in Arizona, and maybe even in all the western states!
However, the hospital closed its doors in 1950. This happened because the mining operations in the area were slowing down. Also, new medical services became available in a nearby town called Cottonwood. Many of the hospital staff moved there. The building then sat empty for 44 years.
A New Beginning as a Hotel
In 1994, a person named Larry Altherr bought the old hospital building from the mining company. He decided to give it a new life. He renamed it the Jerome Grand Hotel, and it opened for business as a hotel in 1996. Larry Altherr still owns the hotel today.
Building Design and Structure
The Jerome Grand Hotel is known for being the highest commercial building in the Verde Valley. It stands at an amazing height of 5,240 feet above sea level!
The hotel was built in a style called Mission Revival architecture. It was the last big building constructed in Jerome. Many people thought it was a masterpiece of architecture. This is because it was built using a special method called "poured-in-place concrete."
What makes it even more amazing is that it was built on a 50-degree slope. This means it leans quite a bit against the side of Mingus Mountain. The building is 30,000 square feet in size. It was designed to be completely fireproof, meaning there's no wood in its main frame. It was also built to be earthquake-proof. This was important because it needed to withstand natural rumblings and the blasts from 260,000 pounds of dynamite used in the nearby mines!
Special Features: The Otis Elevator and Kewanee Boiler
Arizona's First Self-Service Elevator
The Jerome Grand Hotel has a very old and special elevator. It's an Otis Elevator, and it was installed way back in 1926 when the building was still a hospital. This elevator was Arizona's very first self-service elevator! It goes to all five floors of the building.
Even though it's old, the elevator is regularly checked and kept safe for everyone to use. This Otis elevator is different from modern ones. Because it was made for a hospital, it moves much slower. It travels only 50 feet per minute. Modern elevators in tall buildings usually go much faster, around 800 feet per minute!
The Powerful Kewanee Boiler
Another important piece of old equipment in the hotel is the caste iron Kewanee Boiler. This boiler was also installed in 1926. It provides low-pressure steam that heats the entire building.
The Kewanee boiler was designed to be portable and could use wood, coal, or oil as fuel. When it was used in the hospital days, it ran on oil. Now, it has been changed to use natural gas. It can produce a lot of heat, between 800,000 and 2,500,000 BTUs (a measure of heat energy).
The boiler also has a special "dual pump" feature. This means it doesn't need to be turned off for maintenance or repairs. This helps make sure the building always stays warm and has consistent heat pressure.
