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Views of homes in Jerome, AZ dotting the slope of Cleopatra Mountain taken from rooftop of the newly constructed Robinson Victorian Home. The Grand Hotel is at the top. |
Annual Jerome Historic Home & Building Tour, off the beaten path
by Carl
Jackson
SEDONA, AZ (May 18, 2008) - If you've ever
looked up at the homes perched precariously on
Cleopatra Mountain in Jerome, Arizona and asked
yourself what the view must be like inside or
from the balconies, the 44th Annual Jerome
Historic Home & Building Tour held May 16-17, 2009
was your chance.
If you missed it, don't worry, you'll get another opportunity to travel along the narrow Jerome dirt roads next year; but don't expect to visit the same homes as new ones are always being added.
This year's homes included the newly constructed Robinson Victorian Home, Heavenly View Bed & Breakfast, Western Heritage Cabinet Shop & Showroom, Story Teller Inn, Honeymoon Cottage, Carberry House, Ewing House, Reber House, Jerome Volunteer Fire Station, and the Lawrence Memorial Hall. [Jump]
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[Continue] Some of the homes have been completely refurbished, launching visitors back in time to the early 1900s when Jerome was a wild and wealthy copper town.
For those with vertigo, looking down the slopes from a balcony could make you queasy, but the expansive and breathtaking views of the Verde Valley are worth the discomfort.
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Views of homes in Jerome below and the Verde Valley beyond, taken from the balcony of the Ewing House built by Charles Renick Ewing in 1904. |
Many of the homes are multi-level with steep stairs to the upper floors, and the lowest floor is typically half the size of the one above to follow the slope.
My favorite home was the Honeymoon Cottage, the Lewis W. Douglas Historical Home. In 1921, Jimmy "Rawhide" Douglas, the owner of the Little Daisy Mine, gave his son, Lewis, a wedding gift - a wonderful house with an incredible view of the Verde Valley. The home of the newly married Lewis and Peggy Zinzer Douglas quickly became known as the Honeymoon Cottage, despite the couple living in it for only one year.
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The famous Jerome "J" in the upper left taken from the backyard of the private residence, Honeymoon Cottage. The Honeymoon Cottage was renovated in 26 months beginning in 2001 by Margaret Graziano. |
For 80 years the house was abandoned and neglected until it was purchased by Margaret Graziano in 2001. The renovation took 26 months according to Ms. Graziano who stood on the luscious lawn behind her home under a shady tree during our tour.
Ms. Graziano has written a new book, "Lady Lost, the Story of the Honeymoon Cottage, Jerome, Arizona." She said the title "Lady Lost" came to her during renovation.
"When the contractor first saw the home in disrepair he referred to it as 'this old girl,' she said. "During the renovation, he would say ''this old girl is going to need this,' and 'this old girl is going to need that.' But as the beautiful home started to emerge, we began to call it 'this old lady.' Finally, near the end, it was just 'lady.'"
| Inside the furniture making facility at the Western Heritage Cabinet Shop & Showroom in Jerome. In earlier times the shop was the Jerome High School Gymnasium. The unique wood ceiling was created by a German architect using his patented honeycomb dome design in 1939. (runtime: 1 minute). |
We also visited the Western Heritage Cabinet Shop & Showroom. The shop was formerly the Jerome High School Gymnasium and the showroom was the band room.
The Jerome High School complex was built in 1923 and the gymnasium in 1930.
The facilities were in continuous use by students until 1972 when the school was replaced with Mingus Union in Cottonwood. In 1994, Western Heritage converted the old gymnasium to a furniture manufacturing facility initially using reclaimed wood from old Jerome homes.
The last stop of the tour was the Lawrence Memorial Hall, also known as Spook Hall. Built in 1917 as a garage, the building became the home of J.C. Penny in 1937, and was one of the company's largest stores until it closed in 1953.
The Jerome Historical Society purchased the building and its moniker was created, as the building became the official community hall for the ghost town of Jerome.
In 1970, the building was named the Lawrence Memorial Hall to honor the memory of Richard E. Lawrence, Jerome Postmaster and Historical Society pioneer.
Today the building is the location for the town Christmas Party, the Polar Express children's party, the famous Firemen's Halloween Ball, and the Copper Town Ball, Jerome's formal dance and casino night.
For those who want to see the other side of Jerome, the Annual Jerome Historic Home & Building Tour is not to be missed.
For more information, contact Coleen Hall at Gisele’s Bakery (928) 649 3847.
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