What the log cabin gorgeous hell? The Riordan Mansion is BIG. It’s basically the most fabulous duplex 1904 could have ever produced. What you got is the two Riordan brothers wanting a badass arts and crafts log cabin to fit both of their expanding families, so they hire freakin’ Charles Whittlesey, the architect for the El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon, to build it.
The Riordan Mansion was a big dang deal when it was built. It had indoor plumbing, central heat, and electricity. It’s still a big dang deal. The home still has most of the families’ belongings, including early STICKLEY FURNITURE! OK, so that may not sound like a big deal, but Stickley is pretty much a Craftsman-style furniture GOD. The mansion also has a central room where the two duplex houses join together and the families could hang out. In this room, there are two super lovely and strange windows, even by today’s standards. Each window has seven panes and those seven panes are black and white photographs on frosted glass.
It’s $10 for a guided tour where you’ll get the downlow on how the Riordans helped shape Flagstaff and hella detail on this architecturally gorgeous home. If you dig history or “House Hunters,” think about heading down to Flagstaff. Hit up their website first, though, because the house just switched to limited winter hours.
For more details about the Riordan Mansion State Historic Park visit https://azstateparks.com/riordan-mansion.
Patty Templeton
