One of the classic hotels from the days when Bisbee, Arizona was a nationally known copper mining hotspot, is now on the market with an asking price of $12.5 million.
Located at 11 Howell Avenue in the center of the city, the 5-story Copper Queen Hotel is regarded as an architectural treasure, designed in the Italiante style by the New York architectural firm of Van Vleck and Goldsmith.
According to the Society of Architectural Historians, the structure, built in 1902, is unique for its “central pavilion terminated by hipped-roof towers clad in red tiles.” The building also features a wooden balcony “above a terrace defined by a tripled arched opening.”
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 48-room hotel is nestled within the city’s Historic District, a section of Bisbee known for its Spanish Revival and Italiante buildings.
Designated as a Class B structure, the structure has for decades served as one of the most popular and classic hotels in southern Arizona and has hosted everyone from the actors Julia Roberts and Keifer Sutherland to the Arizona Senator John McCain and former First Lady Nancy Reagan.
The structure is being listed by the Long Realty agency, which has offices in Sierra Vista.
While copper mining in Bisbee was gradually phased out by the 1970s, the city became a tourist mecca largely owing to the preservation of its historic structures. According to a website essay published by the Arizona Commerce Authority, the city found a new life for self-described bohemians attracted to an “environment that continues to inspire creativity and imagination.”
By Garry Boulard
