The Tucson Inn is a motel located in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

, in an area now known as the Miracle Mile Historic District. The motel was built in 1953 in the

Googie architecture Googie architecture ( ) is a type of futurist architecture influenced by car culture, jets, the Atomic Age and the Space Age. It originated in Southern California from the Streamline Moderne architecture of the 1930s, and was popular in th ...

and

Modernist Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...

style, and is an example of historic 1950s Mid-century modern highway

motel A motel, also known as a motor hotel, motor inn or motor lodge, is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central lobby. Entering dictionaries ...

architecture. Intended to attract tourists and overnight motorists crossing the country on U.S. Route 80 and

U.S. Route 89 U.S. Route 89 (US 89) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The northern section ...

, the building was one of Tucson's largest motor hotels when it was constructed. The luxury inn was designed by Anne Jackson Rysdale, the only registered female architect in Arizona at the time. The architecture typifies classic, clean modernism paired with the boisterous exuberance of midcentury industrial design as exemplified by the monumental neon sign. Amenities enhanced the attractiveness of its sixty-five guest rooms, included a heated swimming pool, formal restaurant, and a diner/coffee shop. The construction of

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...

and the subsequent additional off-ramp exits reduced the relevance and robust economic power of Miracle Mile. Nevertheless, the Tucson Inn and its iconic neon sign survived the corridor's decline.

History

Architect Anne Jackson Rysdale conceived the Tucson Inn as a two-story, U-shaped motor hotel typical of national motel design trends developing across the country following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. American prosperity led to increased mobility and national optimism during the 1950s. Artists and industrial creators expressed this new confidence in the design of American cars and architecture. Americans were on the road, traveling paved highways to romantic parts of the country; the proliferation of motels was a natural extension of this highway experience. Before the appearance of now ubiquitous "motel chains," The Tucson Inn was developed as part of a growing movement of improved amenities competing for motor tourist. The opening of the Tucson Inn was a city milestone. Multiple newspaper articles detailed the property and its opening. According to Micheline Keating of the

Tucson Daily Citizen The ''Tucson Citizen'' was a daily newspaper in Tucson, Arizona. It was founded by Richard C. McCormick with John Wasson as publisher and editor on October 15, 1870, as the ''Arizona Citizen''. When it ceased printing on May 16, 2009, the daily ...

, three months before the property opened on November 8, 1952:

The latest of these luxury motor hotels, Tucson Inn, is expected to be ready for business by the end of November. A 65- unit job, owners Lyndon Miner and Phil Baker say the inn will be a "real showplace when finished." Combining a color combination of brown, white, green, and pink, Tucson Inn will be the only two story motel in Tucson. The U-shape building will feature a covered balcony around the second floor. It will be operated with a 24-hour lobby service and complete hotel facilities. As Newhall puts it: "Our aim is to make Tucson motor hotels the best in the county and help Tucson’s reputation grow as an outstanding spot to stop, to stay, to live." (Keating)

In the days leading to the opening of the Tucson Inn, numerous articles detailed the various amenities available to guests in the January 30, 1953 Tucson Daily Citizen:

Bathing beauties, telecasting, and tours of the premises are among the fanfare and trumpeting heralding Sunday’s formal opening of the new Tucson Inn.
The half-million dollar motor hotel, located on Drachman street just west of Stone Avenue has been receiving guests for the past month. The 63-unit hotel is owned by Lyndon Miner, formerly of Phoenix and Phil Baker of Salt Lake City. The U-shaped structure is two-storied with continuous covered verandas on both floors. There is a large sundeck overlooking Mabel Street. The rooms are so arranged that large families may be conveniently accommodated.
The rooms are furnished with single, twin or double beds and each has a dressing alcove and closet. Some have full bath and shower equipment, and others contain a stall shower only. There is a 24-hour switchboard service to all rooms. And each room is equipped with a radio selector for all Tucson stations as well as one for the reception of record music controlled in the central office. A dining room and coffee shop located in a separate building fronting Drachman Street was opened last Sunday. The coffee shop has 24-hour service. Picture windows in the dining rooms overlook the heated swimming pool and a flagstone lounging terrace. Later on, tables for dining service will be added to the terrace area. The dining rooms are open to the general public as well as hotel guests. The new inn employs a staff of 30 and is managed by Mike Muchmore, who has had four years experience in motor hotel management in Phoenix.

By 1954 the owners began planning for the expansion of the property with the Tucson Inn Annex. By 1956, the 65-unit motor hotel substantially expanded with a second outer "U", encircling the original, increasing the number of rooms to 205. The Manger Hotel Corporation purchased the Inn in 1960 for two million dollars. By 1960, the motel contained four dining rooms, two kitchens, a coffee shop and cocktail lounge, but within a few decades, however, the corridor was in severe economic decline. The large expansion was demolished, leaving only the original buildings. The motel was home to the Bagdad Room, a bar and restaurant that featured celebrity performers of the mid-century era. The motel's guests included

Western film The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

stars shooting movies at

Old Tucson Studios Old Tucson (formerly Old Tucson Studios) is an American movie studio and theme park just west of Tucson, Arizona, adjacent to the Tucson Mountains and close to the western portion of Saguaro National Park. Built in 1939 for the movie ''Arizona'' ...

, and thought leaders including author

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...

and painter

Waldo Peirce Waldo Peirce (December 17, 1884 – March 8, 1970) was an American painter, who for many years reveled in living the life of a bohemian expatriate. Peirce was both a prominent painter and a well-known colorful figure in the world of the arts ...

Preservation

The motel is a contributing property within the Miracle Mile Historic District. and saved from demolition in 2018, when it was purchased by

Pima Community College Pima Community College (PCC) is a public community college in Pima County, Arizona. It serves the Tucson metropolitan area with a community college district consisting of five campuses, four education centers, and several adult education learnin ...

who made public commitments at the time of purchase their plan preserve and restore the building.

References

{{reflist Hotel buildings completed in 1953 Motels in the United States Hotels established in 1953 Tucson, Arizona Googie architecture Buildings and structures in Pima County, Arizona National Register of Historic Places in Pima County, Arizona 1953 establishments in Arizona Defunct companies based in Arizona Companies based in Tucson, Arizona Tucson Inn Tucson Inn 1950s architecture in the United States Modernist architecture in Arizona Tourist attractions in Tucson, Arizona Historic district contributing properties in Arizona U.S. Route 80 Manger hotels

History

Preservation

See also

References