Squaw Peak Inn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Squaw Peak Inn
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Front view of the Squaw Peak Inn
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 Location in Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Location | 4425 E. Horseshoe Road, Phoenix, Arizona |
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| Built | 1937 |
| Built by | Malcom D. Seashore |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000760 |
| Added to NRHP | January 12, 1995 |
The Squaw Peak Inn is a special old building found at 4425 E. Horseshoe Road in Phoenix, Arizona. It's located near the east side of Piestewa Peak Mountain, which used to be called Squaw Peak Mountain. This inn has hosted many famous people over the years. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 1, 1995.
Contents
Squaw Peak Ranch: The Early Days
In 1929, a man named William Eugene D'Allemund built the very first house on this land. It was a simple two-bedroom home made of wood and stucco. He lived there himself. The house had a flat roof, a big fireplace made of local stones, and tall ceilings.
In 1937, William A. and Emily Stopford bought a large piece of land, about 800 acres, near the mountain. They paid $25 for each acre. The Stopfords then built their own home in the middle of this land. Mr. Stopford designed the house himself. It had a living room, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms. They used special sun-dried bricks called adobe, and local Native Americans helped build it.
By 1943, the Stopfords turned their home into a place where guests could stay. They called it the Squaw Peak Ranch. Back then, the ranch was very rustic! It didn't have telephones or electricity. Rooms were lit by kerosene lamps, and water came from a well dug deep into the rock. They even had outhouses for their helpers.
A famous architect named Frank Lloyd Wright was a friend of Mr. Stopford. He often brought his students to the ranch. He wanted to show them how the buildings fit perfectly with the desert landscape. In 1944, the Stopfords sold the property to George A. and Patty D. Judson.
Squaw Peak Inn: A New Name and Famous Guests
The Judsons kept the ranch running. They even added some fun games, like slot machines, for their guests. Many celebrities visited the ranch, including actors like Dick Powell and June Allyson. However, in 1946, the Judsons decided to sell the ranch to Davidson and Jane Jenks.
The Jenks family made many changes and improvements. They removed the slot machines and worked on the buildings and the land around them. In 1946, they gave the ranch a new name: the "Squaw Peak Inn." An inn is usually a place where travelers can find a room to sleep, and often food and drinks too. Inns are often found along roads or in the countryside.
The Squaw Peak Inn became very popular. Local newspapers often reported on the famous people who stayed there. Some of the well-known guests included actors like Clark Gable and Robert Taylor, and even Mamie Eisenhower, the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. In 1961, a company called O'Malley Investment and Realty Co. bought the property.
Changes in Ownership and New Plans
The O'Malleys rented the Inn to Willis and Margery Betts. The Betts family ran the Inn for a while, but they eventually stopped.
On July 1, 1976, Dr. Ted Diethrick bought the property. He had a big idea: he wanted to turn the Inn into a place for the Arizona Heart Institute. But this plan didn't work out. The people living in the homes that were growing up around the Inn didn't want a medical center there.
Over the next few years, the property was sold many times. Eventually, the Malouf Brothers bought it. They were developing a new neighborhood nearby called Doubletree Canyon. They sold off most of the land, about 720 acres. Only 80 acres were left, which included the Inn itself.
The Epley Family: Saving a Piece of History
The abandoned Inn started to fall apart. Only two of the original buildings were left; the others had been destroyed. The sun-dried adobe bricks of the main building were damaged by water, especially on the north side. The Malouf Brothers were planning to tear down the remaining buildings.
But that didn't happen! On October 21, 1980, the Malouf Brothers sold a small piece of land, just under 2 acres, with the two remaining buildings to William "Bill" and Ann Epley.
Both historic buildings were in very bad shape. But after talking to experts, the Epleys decided to fix them up. They modernized the kitchen and bathrooms and added a garage. Ann Epley added some of her own handmade tiles. One room even has pieces and a mirror that survived a tornado that destroyed Ann's childhood home in Kansas! The Epleys now live in the main historic building.
The Inn has even been featured in movies and TV shows. In 1987, it was a main location for a TV movie called "Probe: Plan Nine from Outer Space." The movie was about aliens trying to stop humans from making a powerful bomb. On May 27, 1993, the Inn was also used as a background for an interview with the famous basketball player Charles Barkley for ABC's Prime Time Live show.
National Register of Historic Places
The Squaw Peak Inn, which was also known as Squaw Peak Ranch, was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. This means it's recognized as an important historical site that should be protected.
Gallery
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The first building built in 1929 by William Eugene D'Allemund
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A gazebo on the property of Squaw Peak Inn built by William “Bill” Epley.
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Another view of the first adobe building built in 1929 by William Eugene D’Allemund.
