Painted Desert Inn to Open

Date: May 16, 2006
Contact: Lyn Carranza, [phone] x245

Painted Desert Inn to Open for Memorial Day Weekend

Petrified Forest, AZ – “The beloved Painted Desert Inn will be opening for Memorial Day Weekend after an extensive rehabilitation project,” stated Superintendent Lee Baiza. The National Historic Landmark has been closed for over a year as new wiring, plumbing, and security system were put in. Repaired plaster, new paint, and refinished floors brighten the historic building. The exterior of the old in received a face-lift with repaired vigas, new flagstones in the courtyard, and a re-graded perimeter. Updated restrooms and an accessible entrance for the inn will welcome the public as well.

Painted Desert Inn was originally constructed by Herbert Lore in the early 1920’s as the “Stone Tree House.” Between 1937 and 1939 the building was enlarged to its present size by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) under the direction of Lorimer Skidmore and architect Lyle Bennett. Because it was constructed on shifting bentonite, structural problems at Painted Desert Inn began in the 1930’s with noticeable damage occurring throughout the building by 1950.

Damage included large separation and settlement cracks as well as leaking roofs and downspouts that caused severe water damage to the interior. The roof was replaced in 2003. Painted Desert Inn is considered to be architecturally significant for its design, artisanship, and regional association with the CCC. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and then became a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

For more information call [phone] weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time; or write to the Superintendent, Petrified Forest National Park, P.O. Box 2217, Petrified Forest, AZ 86028; or e-mail the park Superintendent at e-mail us.