Goulding's Trading Post, now called Goulding's Lodge, is a historic general store, motel, and museum in southern
Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, United States, just outside of
Monument Valley
Monument Valley (, , meaning "valley of the rocks") is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of sandstone buttes, with the largest reaching above the valley floor. The most famous butte formations are located in northeas ...
. It was constructed in 1928, seven years after Harry Goulding purchased of land in the area. Shortly after Monument Valley became a popular tourist attraction, it was renamed and remodeled to house Goulding's Lodge. The lodge originally served as a
trading post
A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory in European and colonial contexts, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded.
Typically a trading post allows people from one geogr ...
and home for the Gouldings.
During the Great Depression, while director
John Ford
John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...
was looking for a site to film his 1939 movie ''
Stagecoach
A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...
'', Goulding went to work capturing photos of Monument Valley to send to Ford, who ended up shooting not only ''Stagecoach'' there but several other successful Western films. The films helped to popularize the area, and Goulding, realizing the potential value of tourism, established lodging and other services that could bring additional attention and profit.
The former trading post serves as a motel/museum for tourists and travelers looking to catch a glimpse of the famous valley and has been converted into the Goulding Lodge. Its history, isolation, and proximity to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park have made it a popular roadside attraction for travelers. The trading post was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
on October 20, 1980.
In November 2023, the
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation (), also known as Navajoland, is an Indian reservation of Navajo people in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah. The seat of government is located in ...
purchased Goulding's Lodge for $59.5 million. The purchase is expected to generate $7.4 million in annual revenue for the Navajo Nation, $2.4 million of which would be due to changing the taxing authority from the state of Utah to the Navajo Nation.
Monuments
File:Monument valley Goulding's stage lines (2016).jpg, Plaque of memorial to Harry Goulding
File:Monument valley Goulding's stage lines (4).JPG, Goulding's Lodge
File:Monument valley Goulding's stage lines (3).JPG, Stagecoach Gouldings at Goulding's Lodge
See also
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References
External links
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Buildings and structures in San Juan County, Utah
Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Utah
History museums in Utah
Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Utah
Native American museums in Utah
Museums in San Juan County, Utah
Trading posts in the United States
1923 establishments in Utah
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