Weatherford Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Weatherford Hotel
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Weatherford Hotel
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 Location in Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Location | 23 N. Leroux St., Flagstaff, Arizona |
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| Built | 1898 |
| Architect | Herman Deitzman, G.B. Wilson |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000543 |
| Added to NRHP | March 30, 1978 |
The Weatherford Hotel is a famous old hotel in the heart of Flagstaff, Arizona. It was built in 1897 by a man named John W. Weatherford. You can find it at 23 North Leroux Street, just one block north of the historic U.S. Route 66.
Contents
Hotel History
In the early days, Flagstaff had many terrible fires, just like other frontier towns. After a series of bad fires in 1897, the city made a new rule. All buildings in the business area had to be made of strong materials like brick, stone, or iron.
One of the new buildings built in 1898 was the Weatherford Hotel. It was built by John W. Weatherford (1859–1934). He was from Weatherford, Texas. The first part of the building had a general store on the first floor. The Weatherford family lived upstairs.
Grand Opening and Famous Guests
In March 1899, Mr. Weatherford started building a new three-story brick part of the hotel. It had a grand opening on New Year's Day, 1900. For many years, the Weatherford Hotel was the most important hotel in Flagstaff.
Many famous people stayed there. These included the artist Thomas Moran and the writer Zane Grey. Zane Grey wrote his well-known novel "The Call of the Canyon" in the Zane Grey Ballroom. This ballroom is on the third floor of the hotel and has been renovated.
Hotel Features and Changes
A beautiful sunroom was on the top floor. People used it for dances and parties. Many local groups also used the downstairs areas for meetings.
The hotel once had a large balcony that wrapped around three sides. You can see it in an old photo from 1905 that hangs in the Ballroom. This balcony was damaged by a fire in 1929 and was removed. The original dome on top of the hotel was also removed then. Over the years, the hotel also had a restaurant, a theater, a billiard hall, and even a radio station.
Saving the Hotel
Henry Taylor, the current owner, bought the hotel in 1975. He wanted to save it from being torn down. At that time, the downtown area of Flagstaff was in bad shape.
Since then, Henry and his wife Pamela (Sam) have been working hard to fix up the hotel. Their goal is to make it look as grand as it did when it was first built. The Weatherford Hotel is still being improved today. The third-floor Ballroom was fixed up and reopened in 1997. The first part of rebuilding the wrap-around porches was finished in February 1999.
The Telephone Exchange Building
Around 1910, telephone service came to Flagstaff. A small brick building was built next to the hotel for the telephone company. It was made of red Coconino sandstone. This building became part of the "Weatherford Block."
The building was used for telephones until at least the 1930s. Then, it was updated two times. Its sandstone front was covered with stucco in a modified Art Deco style. In the 1950s, aluminum siding was added. For some years, it was known as the "Le Brea Cafe."
In 1995, the cafe's front was renovated. It now looks like the original 1909 Telephone Exchange building. Today, the "Exchange Pub" has a simple and relaxed feel. It reminds people of Flagstaff around the early 1900s.
Future Plans
The renovation of the hotel is still going on. There are plans to develop the basement area. This basement was the hotel's original pub and restaurant in 1900. They also plan to finish the existing balconies. These balconies will wrap around to the west side of the building.
The Weatherford Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. This means it is recognized as an important historic site.
