The Williams Historic Business District is significant for its long time close association with the American development of tourism, which in turn became a principal local industry. The reasons for this were that the District straddled the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (now the Southwest Chief) and U.S. Highway 66, two significant national transportation arteries, as well as being at the southern terminus of both rail and highway links to the Grand Canyon. The District is also historically significant because of the role it played in the cycles of opening of the frontier west, from ranching to railroading and lumbering.
Williams Historic Business District | |
 Looking west from 1st Street, down Route 66, Williams, AZ | |
   | |
| Location | Roughly bounded by Grant and Railroad Aves., and 1st and 4th Sts., Williams, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°15′02″N 112°11′18″W / 35.2505°N 112.18839°W |
| Area | 25 acres (10 ha) |
| Built | 1890 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Romanesque, Victorian Commercial |
| NRHP reference No. | 84000436[1] |
| Added to NRHP | December 20, 1984 |
The Urban Route 66, Williams was listed on the National Register of Historic places May 19, 1989.
The Williams Historic Business District is architecturally significant because it contains within its boundaries an important selection of late 19th and early 20th Century vernacular architecture.
All of the buildings are two-story or less; most are single-story. Several of the buildings constitute examples of a particular architectural style: the Fray Marcos Hotel with its Renaissance Revival characteristics; the Cabinet Saloon and the Pollock Building made of native dacite as examples of Romanesque Revival, and the Tetzlaff Building, a yellow brick interpretation of Victorian Romanesque.
The boundaries of the District form an irregular area generally bounded by 4th St. on the west, 1st street on east, Grant Ave. on the south, and the Fray Marcos Hotel on the north. It lies in the center of the City of Williams and also includes the businesses associated with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway; U.S. Route 66 runs down the center of the District as Bill Williams Avenue.[1]
Notable buildings
edit| Name | Year Built | Architectural Style | Comments |
Fray Marcos Hotel
 |
1908 | Renaissance Revival | The Fray Marcos Hotel is one of the most historically significant
buildings in the District because of its long term status as a "Harvey House" and its association with the Santa Fe Railway Co. on its main east-west line to California. It also served the passenger railway business during its heyday when the Grand Canyon was a prime attraction and travel was by rail. Its initial construction began in 1901 when a small curio shop was erected. It was added to for the next 20 years producing one of the few good examples of Renaissance Revival buildings in Arizona[1] |
Babbitt-Polson Warehouse
 |
Late 1890s | Grain, coal and hardware delivered by Santa Fe Railroad stored here[2] | |
Rock Building
 |
1936[2] | ||
Babbitt-Polson Building
 |
1907 | Only Art Deco style building in Historic District[1] | Originally five smaller buildings combined and covered with stucco; housed grocery, hardware, department stores and bakery[2] |
Bennett's Auto
 |
1930's | Modern Style | Gas station during heyday of Route 66 when gas sold for $0.16/gallon[2] |
The Postal Telegraph Co.
 |
1910[2] | Operated until 1940's | |
Unknown named original building
 |
ca. 1910[2] | ||
Rittenhouse Haberdashery
 |
ca. 1910 | Was a men's clothing store for 60+ years[2] | |
Grand Canyon Drug Company
 |
ca. 1912 | Pharmacy and soda fountain in front, doctor's office in rear[2] | |
Old Parlor Pool Hall
 |
ca. 1910[2] | ||
Lebsch Confectiionery
 |
ca. 1914[2] | ||
Dime Store
 |
ca. 1912[2] | ||
Duffy Brother's Grocery
 |
1912 | Originally a bank, mostly grocery store, also a dime store. Original tin ceiling[2] | |
Citizens Bank
 |
1918 | Neoclassical revival | Financial center of lumber, ranching, and railroad operations; closed in 1958[2] |
Sultana Theatre
 |
1912 | Saloon, billiard hall, silent movie theatre; liquor and gambling during prohibition; first "talkie" in Northern Arizona shown in 1930[2] | |
Pollock Building
 |
First floor constructed after 1901 fire; 2nd floor 1927 | "Rusticated" Romanesque Revival | Originally bank, has been newspaper, telephone/telegraph office. Constructed of locally quarried dacite; 2nd story brick[2] |
Grand Canyon Hotel
 |
1912 | Victorian Commercial style | Has survived several fires; the ground floor has served as a drug store, grocery store, dance hall, curio shop, and a meeting hall for Knights of Pythias Lodge[2] |
Unknown originally named building
 |
1907[2] | ||
Old Post Office
 |
ca 1907[2] | ||
General Store
 |
1907[2] | ||
Adams Grocery
 |
ca. 1907[2] | ||
Bowden Building
 |
1947 | Flagstones quarried from "Flagstone Capital of the World", 18 miles west of Williams; built during the post-WWII migration to California[2] | |
Whiskey Alley Saloon
 |
ca. 1910 | Victorian Commercial style | One of the oldest buildings along Railroad Ave.; originally two stories, with top floor a hotel; In the 1920s was known as the "Maggie Torrez Mexican Food Restaurant."[1][2] |
Tetzlaff Building
 |
ca, 1897 | Victorian Romanesque | Originally a saloon and bordello; 8 rooms for prostitutes, had an elegant parlor, and a 2-story outhouse. Had whisky, pool, and poker tables on ground floor. Chinese restaurant, opium den at the back of the building. Its brick construction credited with stopping fires in 1901 and 1903 that burned down "Saloon Row", or this stretch of Railroad Ave[2] |
The Cabinet Saloon
 |
ca. 1893 | Romanesque Revival style | One of the oldest buildings in Williams; advertised as "Leading Sporting Resort in Williams"; survived several fires due to stone construction; was used as a bar scene in the 1988 movie Midnight Run[2] |
Red Cross Garage
 |
ca. 1913 | Served travelers—both wagons and cars; the opposite end of the building was a bowling alley[2] |
References
edit