On the last day of our visit to Flagstaff, we had several hours before our midday flight. Wanting to make the most of our time, my mom and I decided to visit the Riordan Mansion State Historical Park located just across the street from the NAU campus.
 |
| Riordan Mansion |
We were in luck! Since it was mid-morning on a weekday, we were the only visitors, and got a private tour of the historic mansion. Riordan Mansion was the home to the Riordan family, entrepreneurial settlers who were responsible for establishing Flagstaff and for helping Arizona gain its statehood. The mansion itself is a fascinating piece of history dating back to the turn of the century, and is one of the best examples of the American Arts and Crafts Movement in Southwestern architecture.
 |
| inside the mansion |
The mansion was super cool, especially if you are interested in architecture. The designer of the house studied under the same school of architecture as Frank Lloyd Wright, and the Riordans added lots of their own elements to the design as well.
 |
| photographs printed directly on the glass window panes |
The result is a beautiful, fascinating, and one-of-a-kind mansion which was very much ahead of its time with electricity and central heating in the early 20th century.
 |
| the Riordan family shrine |
The mansion is large and elegant, but not overly ostentatious. It's a beautiful home, but mostly unique due to its historical and architectural elements. It would be a very comfortable and cozy place to live.
All in all, it was a great way to spend a day before flying out of Arizona and heading back home to Texas!
 |
| a swing by the fire |
Learn more about the mansion here:
https://azstateparks.com/riordan-mansion/
 |
| the mansion's guardian |
No comments:
Post a Comment