Walking through the bustling purlieu of downtown Flagstaff, it鈥檚 difficult to imagine a time when the now crowded streets were deserted by late afternoon.
Such was the case before brothers Henry and Lloyd Taylor purchased the Weatherford Hotel in 1975. The turn-of-the-century structures dominating the streets had long since fallen out of favor, with many disguised beneath contemporary plaster facades. Nightlife and entertainment were nonexistent. The local youth seldom ventured into the antiquated district.
It was time to clear out the old to make way for the new. The hotel, left to deteriorate after original owner John Weatherford died in 1934, was slated for demolition. Its home on North Leroux Street was to become a shiny new parking lot.
鈥淭he building inspector told me that the best thing I could do was tear the building down,鈥� said Henry Taylor, who, alongside his wife, Pamela 鈥淪am鈥� Green, maintains ownership of the hotel to this day. 鈥淲e had to prove him wrong.鈥�
Taylor recognized the importance of the hotel. In college, he read "Call of the Canyon," a novel by western author Zane Grey. Grey spent time at the hotel while writing the novel, and the room he stayed in is now a part of the Zane Grey Ballroom. Taylor was no stranger to historic structures. Growing up in and around what was formerly the Brunswick Hotel in Holbrook made him uniquely suited to the enormous task looming ahead.
In those early days, few could have imagined the success the hotel would see in the future. New motels with luxury features, such as ice, telephones and televisions, had saturated the market. Getting guests in the door was an uphill battle.
鈥淏asically, all we sold was sleep,鈥� Taylor said.
The hotel was kept afloat by serving as an international youth hostel for a decade. Travelers from Europe were taken in by the rich history pervading the building.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 know if it would last,鈥� Green said.
The hotel was the setting of Taylor and Green鈥檚 own love story, beginning when Green applied as a server at Charly鈥檚 Restaurant. Unfortunately for her, Taylor was not looking to bring on any additional staff.
鈥淗e didn鈥檛 want to hire me,鈥� Green said. 鈥淚 had to come back three times.鈥�
Once Green was on board, however, she proved indispensable. With her own roots in the restoration business, she had an edge: at just age 11, her sister and brother-in-law had her wallpapering and painting alongside the professionals. Her skills in the kitchen also contributed to the success of the hotel. Over time, she transformed the kitchen and its menu with her culinary finesse.
鈥淗iring her was probably the best thing I had ever done at that point,鈥� Taylor said.
The pair made waves in the downtown district. Taylor and Green made it their mission to reestablish downtown Flagstaff as the cultural hub it once was. In many ways, opening the hotel鈥檚 pub and welcoming live music to its stage paved the way for the downtown nightlife still existing today.
Not only that, but they also sought to bring Flagstaff鈥檚 history back into view. In the late 1980s, a piqued interest in the yesteryear emerged. Taylor and Green spearheaded a troop of locals who encouraged nearby businesses to remove the plaster facades obscuring the original architecture, likely surprising a few residents.
鈥淔lagstaff鈥檚 prior years and glory began to come back in slow motion,鈥� Taylor said.
He came across a surprise of his own while searching for photos of the hotel in its heyday: a Christmas card from John Weatherford, who built the structure in the late 1800s, featuring a photo from 1906. It was the first time Taylor saw the hotel adorned with its original wraparound balcony. The balcony had been destroyed by a fire in 1927.
鈥淣obody in town, including myself when I bought the hotel, had any idea it had balconies,鈥� Taylor said.
Determined to rebuild the balcony while staying faithful to the architectural integrity of the building, Taylor and Green got to work. Taylor spent the next year and a half disassembling the Babbitt Railroad Warehouse in Holbrook. Built at approximately the same time as the hotel, the warehouse was made up of materials matching the character and atmosphere of the Weatherford.
The architects settled on using only the salvaged floorboards, favoring steel beams for support, but Taylor and Green incorporated the remaining materials into future projects.
Taylor hopes to someday see the balcony extended to three-fourths of the building, an option infeasible for their budget at the time.
鈥淭hat was kind of a crazy thing to do,鈥� Green said. 鈥淲e were crazy back then, and we were young. We had a lot of energy.鈥�
Perhaps what the Weatherford Hotel has become best known for over the years is its annual New Year鈥檚 Eve giant pine cone drop. The tradition began in 1999 as the hotel approached its 100-year anniversary on New Year鈥檚 Day. An employee meeting was held to brainstorm ideas on how to commemorate the occasion.
鈥淪omebody mentioned, 鈥榃ell, why don鈥檛 you drop a pine cone off the roof?鈥� And we laughed,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淭hen we got to thinking about it and said, why not?鈥�
Green got to work constructing a makeshift pine cone out of a garbage can and dressing it in festive embellishments. A pulley system was rigged outside to lower it from the roof.
The event was a massive success. What was planned as a one-time event grew over time into the distinctive celebration it is today, now popular enough for three drops: one at noon, one at 10 p.m., and one at midnight.
As the hotel continues to stand strong, Taylor and Green feel confident John Weatherford would approve of how they honor his legacy. Despite being heavily involved in the pioneer days of Flagstaff, constructing the Orpheum Theater and nearly building a hotel at the top of the San Francisco Peaks, Weatherford鈥檚 name was all but forgotten by the time Taylor purchased the hotel.
On occasion, Taylor will feel the presence of his predecessor, roaming over the halls and looking over his shoulder, perhaps commending his tenacity.
鈥淭here were many times we felt like we were fighting a losing battle,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淵ou gotta be bullheaded and believe in something and stick with it.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e just the caretakers,鈥� Green said, adding that she hopes any future owners will cherish the Weatherford Hotel just as much as she and her husband have over the past 50 years. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long ride.鈥�