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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

A Visit to Historic Jerome, Arizona







Founded in 1876 by
three prospectors











Jerome is perched on
 Cleopatra Hill, overlooking
the Verde Valley.









The copper mine was a
major producer through
the 1920s & into the 1930s.







Jerome reached its peak population of 15,000 in the 1920s.








In the 1953, the copper mine closed
& Jerome's population declined.





The remaining 50 to 100 remaining residents promoted Jerome as a historic ghost town in the 1960s.  Being designated a National Historic District in 1966 helped Jerome redefine itself as a tourist destination.  The population has risen to 450 as Jerome promotes itself as an artistic community set in a historic Arizona town.








The Flatiron Building (1917)
is now home to the Flatiron
Espresso Shop.













The Central Hotel (1906)
now houses The Wary
Buffalo  & apartments.





The Connor Hotel (1898) houses 
Caduceus Cellars, the current








House of Joy is in the former
 DeFillippe Building, (1920),
a former bordello.







The Jerome Historic Society
Mine Museum is housed in the
former Fashion Saloon (1898).







The former Bartlett Hotel (1901)
was gutted as potions of it were
  sold off for scrap in the 1950s.






The Jerome Grand Hotel (1927)
is the former United Verde Hospital.




This is a small sample of the historic buildings in Jerome.  Despite fires in the late 1800s, destroying sections of the town, much of the business area survived, providing eclectic spaces for thriving art related businesses.

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