Weatherford Hotel

Weatherford Hotel. , John Weatherford, who was raised in Weatherford, Texas, came to Flagstaff in 1886. He decided to stay here because he fell in love with the San Francisco Peaks at first sight. He tried his hand in several occupations, everything from saloon keeper to livery stable operator. Finally he found his niche in the men’s clothing business, operating a “gents’ furnishing” store for many years. He was active in political, social and civic affairs., In 1898, he built the first part of this building, at 21 N. Leroux Street. His store was on the ground floor and the Weatherford family lived upstairs. In 1899, he added the second portion, at 23 N. Leroux, on the corner. He tied the two halves of the building together and called the unified structure the Weatherford Hotel. It opened for business on January 1, 1900, bringing the Twentieth Century to Flagstaff., From the time of it’s opening, the Weatherford has been a downtown centerpiece. For many years it was the finest hotel in town, and housed such famous guests as Zane Grey, William Randolph Hearst and Theodore Roosevelt., As it aged, the hotel fell into decline, a situation that became so bad that there was talk of tearing it down in 1974. Henry Taylor bought the grand old building then to prevent its destruction, and since that time he and his wife Sam have been devoted to restoring it.