Wigwam Motel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Wigwam Village #6
|
|
Wigwam Motel
|
|
 Location in Arizona
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 811 W. Hopi Dr., Holbrook, Arizona 86025 |
|---|---|
| Built | 1950 |
| Architect | Frank Redford, Chester Evert Lewis |
| MPS | Historic US Route 66 in Arizona MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000419 |
| Added to NRHP | May 2, 2002 |
The Wigwam Motels are a unique chain of motels in the United States. They were built between the 1930s and 1940s. What makes them special is that each room looks like a tipi. People often mistakenly call these rooms "wigwams," which is where the motel chain got its name.
Originally, there were seven Wigwam Motel locations across the country. Two were in Kentucky, and one each in Alabama, Florida, Arizona, Louisiana, and California. Today, only three of these cool motels are still standing. Two of them are located along the famous U.S. Route 66. You can find them in Holbrook, Arizona, and near Rialto and San Bernardino, California. The third one is in Cave City, Kentucky. All three of these surviving motels are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical landmarks!
History of the Wigwam Motels
How the Idea Started
The idea for the Wigwam Motels came from a man named Frank A. Redford. He loved collecting Native American artifacts. He built a museum and shop to show off his collection. Then, he decided to add motel rooms shaped like tipis around it. This was a very new and exciting idea for a motel!
Frank Redford wanted to protect his unique building design. So, he applied for a special patent for the look of the buildings in 1935. He received the patent in 1936. Between 1933 and 1949, a total of seven Wigwam Villages were built.
Exploring the Wigwam Villages
Village #1: Horse Cave, Kentucky
The very first Wigwam Village was built by Frank A. Redford in 1933. It was located in Horse Cave, Kentucky. This village had a main building and six guest rooms shaped like wigwams. It closed in 1935 when a newer village opened nearby. The original Village #1 was eventually torn down in 1982.
Village #2: Cave City, Kentucky
Wigwam Village #2 opened in 1937 in Cave City, Kentucky. It's located on U.S. Route 31W, not far from the amazing Mammoth Cave National Park. This village has 15 wigwam-shaped guest rooms. They are arranged in a large semicircle.
In the middle of the semicircle is a larger building. This building used to be a restaurant. There was also a playground and a recreation area for guests. Each wigwam has a paved spot for one car. The restaurant is closed now, but the motel is still open for visitors!
The wigwam rooms are about 14 feet wide at the bottom and 32 feet tall. Inside each room, there's a main area and a small bathroom with a sink, toilet, and shower. Today, the rooms still have their original, restored hickory furniture. They also have air conditioning and cable TV. To keep the old-fashioned feel, there are no telephones in the rooms.
Wigwam Village #2 is a very important historical site. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Village #3: New Orleans, Louisiana
This wigwam village was built in 1940. It was located in Metairie, Louisiana, which is a suburb of New Orleans. Village #3 was quite big. It had a restaurant, a cocktail bar, a souvenir shop, and even a gas station. Sadly, this village closed down in 1954. Not much information or many pictures of it remain today.
Village #4: Orlando, Florida
Wigwam Village #4 was built in 1948 in Orlando, Florida. This was a very large village with 27 guest rooms, each in its own wigwam. It also had four extra wigwams for offices and a restaurant. There was even a swimming pool in the middle of the property!
Village #4 was torn down in 1974 to make way for a new hotel. They tried to save some of the wigwams by lifting them with a helicopter, but they were too heavy!
Village #5: Bessemer, Alabama
Wigwam Village #5 was built in 1940 in Bessemer, Alabama. It had 15 guest cabins arranged in a semicircle. The buildings here were made a bit differently from Redford's original design. This village closed in 1964 and was later demolished.
Village #6: Holbrook, Arizona
An Arizona motel owner named Chester E. Lewis built this Wigwam Village in 1950. It's located right on the historic U.S. Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona. Nearby, you can visit cool places like Petrified Forest National Park and Meteor Crater.
Chester Lewis loved Frank Redford's design. He bought the rights to use the design and the "Wigwam Village" name. He even paid Redford a unique way: by sending him every dime that guests put into the coin-operated radios in the rooms!
This motel is arranged in a square shape. It has 15 concrete and steel wigwams on three sides. The main office is on the fourth side, with two smaller wigwams next to it. There used to be a gas station here too. The rooms are called "wigwams," not just "rooms." They are numbered from 1 to 16, but there is no number 13.
Each wigwam is 14 feet wide at the base and 32 feet tall. They have a main room and a small bathroom. Today, the rooms have their original restored hickory furniture, two double beds, cable TV, and air conditioning. Just like Village #2, there are no phones or internet access to keep the old-time feel. You'll also see cool old cars from the 1960s parked around the motel!
Chester Lewis ran the motel until 1974. After he passed away, his children renovated and reopened it in 1988. The Lewis family still runs and takes care of Wigwam Village #6 today. Near the front desk, there's a small room with many of Chester Lewis's old items, including a collection of petrified wood.
Wigwam Village #6 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
Village #7: Rialto/San Bernardino, California
Frank Redford built this complex for himself between 1947 and 1949. Even though its address is in Rialto, California, the motel is actually located in San Bernardino, California. It sits right on the border between the two cities, on historic Route 66.
Unlike other villages that have one row of wigwams, Village #7 has a double row of guest rooms. There are 20 wigwam rooms in total. A central building serves as the office, and there's a swimming pool, a big grassy front area, and palm trees.
This motel became quite run down over the years. But it underwent a big renovation! The National Historic Route 66 Federation even gave it an award in 2005 for the great work done to restore it. Since 2012, this motel has also been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Other Wigwam-Like Motels
There are other motels that look like tipis, but they are not part of the original Wigwam Motels chain. One example is the Tee Pee Motel in Wharton, Texas. It was built in 1942. The tipis there are all different shapes and are lined up in a straight row.
The Tee Pee Motel was closed for many years. Then, in 2003, a man who won the Texas Lottery bought it! He added modern features, and the Tee Pee Motel reopened in 2006. However, it closed again in 2017 because of flood damage from Hurricane Harvey.
