Riordan MansionSelf-Guided Walk |
Self-Guided Walk at Riordan Mansion State Historic Park (SHP) in Arizona. Published by Arizona State Parks & Trails.
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9. Here at the front entrance to Michael
and Elizabeth Riordan’s home, the top
of the first step displays a wolf, a bell,
and a coyote. These figures are very
worn but still visible.
10. The fountain was
constructed of native volcanic
rock. Several animals and
nature images are hand
carved into the stone
surface. See if you
can find the pelican
and the owl. The
grandchildren say this was
one of Michael’s favorite places to sit
and read or write.
12. The visitor center is the family’s sixcar garage, also constructed in 1914.
The garage driveway was converted
into the landscaped area you see
today, and the cement walkway was
added. Notice the horizontal steel
pipes mounted to both corners of
the garage. These pipes were
one end of a pair of
clotheslines that ran to
the two standing pipes
located between here
and the garage.
Growing in and around the
low rock wall surrounding
the fountain are the edible, berry
producing Golden current and thorny
New Mexican locust.
11. The overhead sleeping porch was
added to the home in 1914.
Take the Tour
The park is a historic house museum. The Visitor Center, formerly the family automotive
garage, has introductory interpretive exhibits on the history of the Riordan Family.
Personally guided 60-minute interpretive tours of the house, featuring information
on Riordan family history, and Arts and Crafts style architecture and furnishings are
given daily, on the top of the hour.
The West House has exhibits on Arts & Crafts, Native American pottery & baskets,
photographic window panels, Lumber & Logging, and a model of historic Flagstaff.
RIORDAN MANSION
STATE HISTORIC PARK
409 W Riordan Rd., Flagstaff, AZ 86001
(928) 779-4395
AZStateParks.com /riordan-mansion
The park is operated in a partnership with the Arizona Historical Society and Arizona State Parks & Trails.
RIORDAN MANSION
STATE HISTORIC PARK
Timothy and Michael Riordan were prominent pioneer Flagstaff businessmen who
developed a successful logging operation as well as many other business ventures
and community improvements. After marrying sisters, Caroline and Elizabeth Metz,
and living side by side for years, the families upgraded by building this 13,000 square
foot duplex home in 1904.
The home had all the technology we have in our homes today: electric lights, central
heat, hot and cold running water, and telephones. The architect, Charles Whittlesey,
also designed the El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon. The home’s original reddish
color inspired the name Kinlichi Knoll from the Navajo term meaning “red house.”
Self-Guided Walk
1. You are looking at the back of Timothy and Caroline Riordan’s home. To your far
left is the home of Michael and Elizabeth Riordan. In the middle is a large, single story
room shared by both families. The Riordan homes are fine examples of the American
Arts & Crafts style of architecture popular from the early 1900s into the early 1920s. This
architecture strives for simplicity, craftsmanship, and the celebration of nature.
The primary building material for the house is Ponderosa pine. There is an “old growth”
(two hundred year old plus) Ponderosa pine to your right. This type of mature tree
formed the backbone of the Riordans’ lumber business.
2. Behind you is the front entrance to Tim and Caroline Riordan’s home. Note the use of
local, lichen covered, volcanic rock to create the beautiful rustic entrance and covered
porch. Arts & Crafts style architects celebrated nature in their designs through the use
of native building materials. Covered porches, such as this one, were essential because
they blur the line between the inside and outside environments. Stroll down the cinder
pathway through the trees to see what remains of the family tennis court. The net posts
are still visible but several trees have encroached onto the playing court.
Beyond the tennis court are large, horse drawn skid
wheels that were used for hauling logs. The tongue
was tipped skyward in order to lower the rear of the
axle down to the logs for a chain attachment. When
the horses pulled the tongue down, the logs were
hoisted upwards to the undercarriage of the wheels.
3. The stone circle before you was designed and used
by the family for evening gatherings and fireside talks. It
also recalls an Irish tradition that fairies could be deterred
from creating mischief inside the house by providing
them a place to dance through the night.
6. The two evergreen plants are the narrow-leaf yucca
and banana yucca. These plants are usually found
in open sunny areas, and serve as remindersof the
estate’s original, less vegetated condition.
Gardens and landscaping were an important part of the
Arts and Crafts style home. However, in Flagstaff’s dry
climate, it made more sense for the family to allow their
estate to remain largely in its natural
state. Historic photos in the visitor
center show that this little knoll was
mostly bare of trees when the home was
built. The Riordans allowed Ponderosa
pine seedlings to grow and planted
various trees to see what would grow at
this elevation, including spruce, juniper, and elm.
Hidden under the inside right wall of the
stone arch is a ceramic katchina tile.
According to local Hopi people, this
katchina or spirit will help protect the
house.
4. As you look at the single story roof of the room
connecting the two homes, you will see the remnants
of balcony railings. When the homes were first built the
families had a balcony on each side accessible from
the inside stairway landing. Unfortunately, these north
facing balconies had issues with ice dams and leaking.
To solve the problem, the families decided to eliminate
the balconies and extended the roof.
5. This stone path is a historic sidewalk and parallels the
original driveway leading to the house. Follow it to get
a closer look at the gatekeeper’s cottage.
As you walk to the next stop notice the view of the San
Francisco Peaks through the trees. When the home
was first built it had wonderful sweeping views of the
mountain. Today the Ponderosa pine have grown so
tall they obscure the view.
Self-Guided Walk of the Grounds
The Riordans had their only water
hungry indulgence here in the
courtyard; flowers and a Kentucky blue
grass lawn.
7. These hitching posts and mounting stones were
used for tethering and mounting horses — the most
common mode of transportation when the house
was built.
8. If you look carefully at the protruding log ends on the
second floor of the house you will see two carved totem
faces. Michael Riordan was inspired by Native American
cultural traditions of the U.S. Northwest coast.
Visitor
Center
This home is intended to blend into the forest
environment, so the architect used rounded log slab
siding nailed to the exterior of the frame structure to
create the effect of a log cabin.
Instead of the strictly decorative
ornamentation of the Victorian era,
which created fancy “gingerbread”
houses, Arts and Crafts style homes
were intended to be beautiful as a
result of simplicity and “natural”
design.
Exposed
structural
elements, such as the eaves and protruding log
ends, allowed the very structure of the building to
be interesting and beautiful.
Historic tours of the home are available and special
events are listed on our website at
AZStateParks.com/riordan-mansion
For more information, call
877-MYPARKS
AZStateParks
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