Friday, November 03, 2006

The Inn at 410 North Leroux Street, Flagstaff, Arizona











410 North Leroux Street was built in 1894 by contractor J.A. "Slow" Wilson as a single-story one bedroom residence for Elias S. Clark (1862-1955), a prominent Flagstaff attorney who later went on to become the first Territorial Attorney General for Arizona from 1905-1909. Wilson was a member of the Second Boston Party who erected the original "flagstaff" during the centennial celebration in 1876. (With a nick-name of "Slow," one can only imagine that Clark was relieved when Wilson finally finished his house!)

The House is remodeled and enlarged In 1907, the house was sold to Thomas E. Pollock (1868-1938) who brought in artisans from California to modify the house to a two-story Craftsman style bungalow with four bedrooms. Oak trim in the Inn’s living and dining rooms, the tapered pillar at the entryway, mahogany woodwork and buffet found in the Tea Room, once the dining room of the house, along with exterior corbels are some of the Craftsman details still evident today. The triangular architectural detail at the top and front of the house, also added at this time, was the inspiration for The Inn at 410 logo. A two story brick carriage house, which now houses The Carriage House Antique Shop on North San Francisco Street, was added to the property during this time period. The adjacent craftsman cottage to the north of the Inn was built for Pollock’s head rancher and the small barn behind it, still standing, contains a bunkhouse used by his workers.

Thomas E. Pollock Pollock, a wealthy banker, rancher and prominent businessman, had 410 North Leroux prepared for his new bride, Mary Morton, a teacher at the Northern Arizona Normal School. The Normal School is now Northern Arizona University, with an enrollment of 15,000. North Morton Hall still stands at NAU as tribute to her family’s many contributions. The Pollocks were one of Flagstaff’s most influential families in the early 1900’s, along with the Riordans and Babbitts and 410 North Leroux was part of Flagstaff’s social hub. North Leroux Street was the center of Flagstaff’s "Nob Hill" where you can see many restored homes and Flagstaff’s last remaining horse hitching post located diagonally across from the Inn towards Elm St. The family home of five Babbitt brothers including Bruce Babbitt, a former Governor of Arizona and Secretary of the Interior in the Clinton Administration can be seen directly across the street from the Inn. Riordan Mansion, located near NAU is an historic Arizona state park open to tours daily. Upon his death in 1938, a Phoenix newspaper wrote, "Mr. Pollock was lauded as having done more for Northern Arizona during his 43 years of residency than any other man through building up the lumbering and livestock industries and financing the ventures of others. It was because of Tom Pollock’s importance to the development of Flagstaff that 410 North Leroux was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
More additions to the House The Souris family bought the house in 1943 before a fire destroyed much of the second story in 1945. They then restored two upstairs bedrooms and added three apartments in the rear section of the house. The family lived in the original front section of the house and rented out the apartments.

After a series of owners, including the NAU Sigma Nu Fraternity, Carol and Mike Householder purchased the property in 1989 and spent two years restoring it, painstakingly stripping the oak trim throughout of several coats of paint. The Inn’s current kitchen was added at this time, as well as the smaller building to the south of the Inn which houses the Monet’s Garden room, the Inn’s laundry/work space and a second story Innkeeper’s residence. The Householders opened The Inn at 410 Bed & Breakfast in 1991. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Krueger purchased the ongoing business in 1993. They wanted some of the guest rooms at the Inn to reflect regional influences and others to evoke the era of the Pollocks. In 1995 they remodeled existing guest rooms to create The Tea Room, The Southwest and Sunflower Fields. After extensive remodeling in 1996, Sonoran Serenade, Canyon Memories, The Conservatory, Dakota Suite and Suite Nature were born. A fireplace and Jacuzzi tub was added to Monet’s Garden in 1999 when this guest room was redecorated. In September, 2003 Gordon Watkins purchased The Inn at 410 with many important changes made at the Inn, including the addition of a video library and DVD/VHS/CD players in every room and a complimentary cyber cafe for guests who need high speed internet access or need e-mail access. Down blankets and pillows are now in every room, along with spa soaps, bath robes and our partial turn-down service. The Inn’s dining and living room areas have been completely redecorated and artwork and Native American rugs have been hung in the Inn’s grand staircase. The Place with the Personal Touch The Inn at 410 Bed & Breakfast is an oasis of peace and serenity amidst our stressful world. The Inn’s spacious parlor is a relaxing place to sip hot cider and curl up with a book in front of the fireplace. The gazebo and perennial gardens offer summer guests an intimate retreat for afternoon iced tea or morning breakfast. A scrumptious, healthy breakfast and afternoon tea with homemade cookies are just two of the ways our innkeepers accomplish the task of making The Inn at 410 the "Place with the Personal Touch."
Innkeepers: Howard & Sally Krueger
Recipes included in the cookbook: Winter Spiced Fruit, Ginger Carrot Wallace Cake, Eggs de Provence, Cappuccino Brownies.
This BnB (along with delicious recipes and wonderful stories) is featured in Sunrise Sunset Across America, Bed & Breakfast cookbook. Purchase it by clicking on the link in the upper sidebar. Click on the review to read more about it.

No comments: