Hassayampa Inn, AZ
HASSAYAMPA INN HISTORY
Mountain men and trappers first came to the area in 1830, followed by miners, lumberjacks and cowboys. As the Civil War began, Mountain Man Joe Walker found gold along the banks of the Hassayampa River, and Easterners came to settle what became the Arizona territory in 1863. In 1864 Prescott became the first territorial capital.
The advent of the railroad in the 1880’s connected a growing Prescott to the rest of the nation. By the 1920’s the advent of the automobile and the growth of a national highway system, turned Prescott into a tourist destination. Famous names in the culture of the Southwest visited the beauty of the area, names such as Georgia O’Keefe, Alfred Stieglitz, Mabel Dodge, John Collier, and D.H. Lawrence helped to make Prescott well known. With this growth, the need for first class accommodations became apparent. In 1919, Grace Sparkes, the secretary of Yavapai County’s Chamber of Commerce, first noted the need for a landmark hotel. In June 1925, the Prescott Kiwanis club selected a committee to raise funds for the new project, with Mayor Morris Goldwater urging citizens to invest in the project. Listed in a place of honor outside the hotel’s Arizona room is a list of the 400 different stockholders who purchased thousands of shares for a $1 a piece, making the Hassayampa Inn from its start a Prescott institution.
The Inn is named after the Hassayampa River north of Prescott, derived from an Apache word for a “river that loses itself”; fitting for a mysterious stream that often sinks beneath earth’s surface and reappears along the way. From the beginning of its time, the river’s namesake Inn has had the same effect on its guests who often come for a chance to lose the tensions of hectic urban life, and to emerge with their balance and bearings restored.
The Hassayampa Inn was built as a four story, 78 room hotel and was completed in only 10 months for a cost of $200,000 and $75,000 for furnishings. Designed by the distinguished Southwestern architect Henry Trost, the initial Pueblo design did not suit many of the investors who hailed from the Midwest and preferred brick over adobe. The final result was a mix of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and Italianate exterior red brick, trimmed in white and topped by a bell tower.
From November 1927 until this day the Hassayampa has had a future of colorful guests and memorable occasions. From the era of its youth where the Hassayampa hosted guests such as Tom Mix and Will Rogers, Greta Garbo and Clark Gable, as well as General John “Blackjack” Pershing, the Hassayampa has hosted a variety of noted guests. And the tradition continues on until today, with a list including Tom Selleck, Steve McQueen, Sam Elliott, Joan Rivers, Kim Basinger, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Downs, The Beach Boys, Tom and Dick Smothers, as well as politicians such as John McCain, Barry Goldwater, and George W. Bush.
As a guest enters through the elegant Porte cochere, the Hassayampa Inn offers a rare opportunity to step into the past. The hand painted wood beamed ceiling is unforgettable, as is the 1927 vintage elevator. The hotel’s 1985 renovation installed modern amenities, but left intact the property’s Talavera tile fireplace, Castilian walnut furniture, embossed copper panels, chandeliers and etched glass.
“Through the heavy double doors into a small vestibule, up a few tile steps, does one enter the lobby, there to be greeted by an almost overpowering color combination, at once rich, soft, and luxurious? The mass impression is one of subdued brightness..with cream brocade, dignified wrought iron chandeliers, and a rafter ceiling effect. Infinite planning and real artistry have been employed to making the color effect in the lobby blend perfectly. To achieve this end nothing has been overlooked, from the tile coloring in the spacious fireplace and the wall borders to the tiffanied, golden hued walls themselves.”
CLAIMS OF ACTIVITY
The Story:
The ghost in the Hassayampa Inn is named Faith. Faith and her husband checked into the inn in 1927 on their honeymoon. They were to stay in the balcony suite. The husband went out to buy a pack of cigarettes and never came back. Faith waited for three days, then, distraught, hung herself in the room.
The Haunting:
Since that tragic event, there have been numerous sightings of Faith throughout the inn. She has been seen crying at the end of a bed, holding flowers, dressed in a pink gown in the hallway, and disappearing into rooms.
In the Kitchen:
The inn’s kitchen staff report that when they feel Faith’s presence, all the gas burners on the stove go out. Once, a staff member was mentioning she’d like to go to the library to research Faith’s story. The cup of coffee she was holding in her hand jumped and spilled coffee all over her.
Reference Website: http://hotels.about.com/od/hauntedhotelsatoz/p/hau_hassayampa.htm
The four-story Hassayampa Inn in Prescott, AZ was named after a nearby river. It has an exterior of red brick trimmed in white, and its own bell tower. The bell tower seems to be the source of a well known haunting at the Hassayampa.
Shortly after the Hassayampa Inn opened on November 20, 1927, they say a newlywed couple checked into the hotel to spend their honeymoon. The husband stepped out to buy ‘a pack of cigarettes’ and never returned to his bride. ‘Faith’ as they call her, waited restlessly for three days. Depressed and all alone, the deserted woman hung her self in ill-fated bell tower.
Now guests and employees see her wandering in the halls wearing an off-white wedding gown. They report feeling her presence in Room 426—which has been named ‘Faith’s Room’. Lights turn on and off –objects seem to move or fly by—and sometimes her apparition has appeared sobbing near the doorway to the balcony.
I had my own encounter with Faith a few years ago when I was up in Prescott on business. The hotel staff knew I was a paranormal investigator and was eager to see what would happen when I stayed in ‘Faith’s Room’. I noted that every time I put my key in the door (they since have gone keyless) a spark of static electricity would shock me. EMF readings maintained a steady 2.9 in the room throughout the evening. At midnight, I turned off the lights and TV. I crawled into bed and settled in for a good night’s sleep.
Suddenly, about 1:00am I woke from a sound sleep to the TV blaring. All the lights in the room were turned back on. I hopped out of bed, turned everything back off and laid back under the covers. Then I felt someone—presumably Faith—sit down on left side of the bed. I slid my foot under the covers and pushed her off the bed. She sat back down in the same spot. Again, I pushed her off with my foot.
I felt a supernatural battle about to unfold. To my right, I could hear ‘someone’ in the bathroom filling a glass with water. Then, there was a presence hovering over me with the glass. I covered my face expecting to be drenched—yet peeking thru the cracks of my fingers—as I didn’t want to miss what was about to happen. I saw the glass tip, but nothing poured out! As soon as it tipped over, it faded away and disappeared. There was no sign water or the glass. Faith had her revenge and all was quiet in the room once more.
Other staff members speak of a tall man dressed in a long brown coat they call the ‘Night Watchman’. He has been seen sitting in the hotel lounge reading a newspaper. A staff member spoke to him, but he did not respond. When she turned to speak to him again, he was gone. The lonely looking man has also been seen in the lobby, and witnesses say they have watched him walk through the lounge to shake and secure the entrance doors.
So, next time you are headed up to Prescott, reserve a room at the Hassayampa Inn. Check into ‘Faith’s Room’—if you’re lucky, you might have a ghostly encounter of your own. And don’t worry, the night watchman will make sure you are locked in safely for the night.
Reference Website: http://www.examiner.com/x-2345-Arizona-Haunted-Sites-Examiner~y2009m2d8-Haunted-Hassayampa-Inn
The Hassayampa inn is said to be haunted by the ghost of Faith, a woman who killed herself in the hotel. Apparantly, Faith and her newlywed husband checked in to the hotel. Her husband left to go buy cigarettes and never returned. After three days of waiting for her husband to return, a distraught Faith hanged herself in her room. According to Jeffrey, an employee of the Hotel Vendome who had worked at the Hassayampa previously, a maid emplyed at the Hassayampa saw Faith and then quit. She had worked there for three years before the sighting. Dean, who was working in the lounge of the Hassayampa, told us that he will not sleep in room 426. That is faiths room. She supposedly will give foot massages to women, but gives men nightmares. Dean also told us that there is a six year old asian boy who haunts the laundry room and will tug on women’s shirts. Another ghost of the Hassayampa is the “Nightwatchman,” a man dressed in old western attire. He was spotted by Allison, the manager of the Peacock Room. He was described as having broad shoulders and wearing and old style brown overcoat.
Reference Website: http://www.hauntedhoneymoon.com/hauntedplaces/hassayampainn.html
Weather Conditions:
Sunday, October 4
6 pm
62°F
Isolated T-Storms / Wind
62°F
30%
29%
From SW
21 mph
Sunset 6:09 pm
7 pm
59°F
Clear
56°F
0%
31%
From SW
18 mph
8 pm
56°F
Clear
52°F
0%
34%
From SSW
16 mph
9 pm
54°F
Clear
50°F
0%
37%
From SSW
14 mph
10 pm
52°F
Clear
48°F
0%
40%
From SSW
13 mph
11 pm
51°F
Clear
47°F
0%
41%
From SSW
11 mph
Monday, October 5
12 am
50°F
Clear
46°F
0%
43%
From SSW
11 mph
1 am
48°F
Clear
44°F
0%
46%
From SSW
10 mph
2 am
47°F
Clear
42°F
0%
48%
From SSW
10 mph
3 am
46°F
Clear
41°F
0%
49%
From SSW
9 mph
4 am
45°F
Clear
40°F
0%
51%
From SSW
9 mph
5 am
45°F
Clear
40°F
0%
51%
From SSW
9 mph
PROPERTY RESEARCH
Investigation Date: 10/04/2009
Location: Hassayampa Inn
Address: 122 E. Gurley Street
Prescott, Arizona 86301
County: Yavapai County
Square Feet: 38’652
Wall Type: No common walls built in different years. Brick outer layer
Roof Type: Wood Beams, Clay Spanish tile roofing
Heating and air conditioning: Both
Longitude: -112.46688 Latitude: 34.54530
Elevation: 5’386
References:
Yavapai County Assessor’s office www.co.yavapai.az.us/Assessor.aspx
Yavapai County, AZ-Parcel summary Printed: 10/2/2009
Map Scale = 1:1734 Parcel ID
113-16-060A
Owner
HASSAYAMPA HOTEL LLC &
Mailing Address
122 E GURLEY ST
City State Zip
PRESCOTT AZ 86301
Secondary owner
HASSAYAMPA INN LLC
Recorded Date Last Transfer Doc Docket Last Transfer Doc Page
N/A
Physical Address Incorporated Area
122 E GURLEY ST . CITY OF PRESCOTT
DOR Acres Calculated Acres Subdivsion Subdivision Type
0.75 0.749 PRESCOTT ORG TOWNS REP BK9 LOTS 15,17,19,21,23 MAP & PLAT
School District Fire District
PRESCOTT SD #1 N/A
Improvements (5)
Model Type Total Floor Area Effective\Construction Yr
38652 1965
3573 1927
5068 1973
4843 2004
COMM’L MISC YARD IMPROVEMENTS 1 1983
2010 Full Cash Value 2009 Full Cash Value
$3,813,481 $3,750,789
2010 Limited Value 2009 Limited Value
$3,813,481 $3,750,789
2010 Assessment Ratio 2009 Assessment Ratio
21 No prior year data
2010 Legal Class 2009 Legal Class
Commercial / Real & Improvements Not In Other Classes No prior year data
2010 Net Assessed Full Cash Value 2009 Net Assessed Full Cash Value
$800,831 No prior year data
2010 Net Assessed Limited Value 2009 Net Assessed Limited Value
$800,830 No prior year data
Tax Area Code 2008 Taxes Billed
120 $51,731
Recent Sale Date Sale Amount
N/A N/A
Deed Type Sale Docket Sale Page
N/A N/A N/A
Disclaimer: Map and parcel information is believed to be accurate but accuracy is not guaranteed. No portion of the information should be considered to be, or used as, a legal document. The information is provided subject to the express condition that the user knowingly waives any and all claims for damages against Yavapai County that may arise from the use of this data.
TOPOGRAPHY RESEARCH
MINERALS:
Clay, Copper and Construction Sand/Gravel Deposits
BEDROCK:
Bedrock is volcanic, granite or crystalline sedimentary water may occur in weathered or fractured zones, joint systems or thin veneers of alluvial or fluvial sediment overlying consolidated rocks.
WATER FLOW:
The Western Canal runs east/west less than 1/2 mile away from the museum, the Consolidated Canal runs north/south also less than 1/2 mile from the museum.
NATURAL SOURCES:
Clay and Copper
UTILITIES:
Underground electrical lines (per Yavapai County Records)
NATURAL EMF:
Unknown at this time
MAGNETIC:
From Tucson Observatory – 946 Meters
24,355 H (Activity High)
- 203 E (Activity Average)
40,836 Z (Activity High)
48,060 F (Activity High)
ELEVATION:
5379 Ft
TERRAIN:
Prescott sits in the midst of the largest stand of Ponderosa Pines in the world. Prescott has gently rolling hills throughout downtown. It is surrounded by Arizona’s Central Mountains.
SEISMIC ACTIVITY:
No earthquakes in last 7 days.
ARRIVAL TIME: 1:00 P.M.
INVESTIGATION START TIME: 10:00 P.M.
EQUIPMENT TEAR DOWN: 3:00 A.M.
DEPARTURE TIME: 11:00 A.M.
WALK THRU AND EMPLOYEE INTERVIEWS:
During the walk-thru we were informed by the manager that there is a night watchman seen in the public areas of the hotel walking and checking doors. Sometimes the doors will open and close. Also, voices and apparitions of a woman have been seen and heard in and around room 426. He also confirmed that Faith hung herself from the balcony on the side facing the street outside of room 426. In the
laundry room, employees have seen the apparition of a little boy playing and heard the sound of a bouncing ball.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES:
Several Investigators experienced what sounded like a sigh or exhale of breath in room 425, at the top of the stairs on the 3rd floor, and in the parlor room on the 3rd floor. A shadow figure and a growl was heard in room 425 by one investigator. In the basement and laundry room, an apparition of a boy was seen by two investigators, sounds of footsteps running, several sounds of something moving in different locations, pant legs being pulled on, and a heavy set of linen cloth waving on three different occasions with no wind present. On the 3rd floor, the door to room 426 opened on its own as well as the door to the parlor room and the bathroom in 425. We attempted to debunk all the doors opening, but a suction effect caused the doors to be closed from even an inch away. The parlor room door was also locked even after the door opened which was seen first hand by an investigator during tear down.
DEBUNKING:
The basement area gave readings of high EMF in the boiler room with a small reading of around 2.0 mg in the laundry room. EMF can cause the feeling of being watched, nausea, and headaches. If the windows are open in the rooms on the 3rd floor, the wind will make the doors shake, but not open. Light reflections in room 426 can give the appearance of a shadow figure and play tricks on the eyes.
EQUIPMENT USED AND AREAS COVERED:
8 Channel DVR System
3 Long Range IR Cameras
1 Mid Range IR Camera
4 Wide Angle IR Cameras
4 Roaming H2 Audio Recorders (Used in each EVP session)
HD Sony Camcorder
Hi8 Sony Camcorder
4-Channel Soundboard
REVIEW FINDINGS:
Video:
The door of room 426 cracks open and is seen from camera angles on the inside and outside of the door.
Audio:
EVP captured of what sounds like a growl that was heard and acknowledged by an investigator.
EVP captured of voice with what sounds like, “Don’t you mean Shane”.
EMF:
EMF spike of 192.0 mg in the laundry room with a normal baseline reading of 2.0 mg
CONCLUSION:
After reviewing the evidence, West Coast GAPS has determined the location to paranormal activity. We were unable to debunk most of the claims and captured evidence that supports the claims presented. We have concluded that the Hassayampa Inn in Prescott, AZ to have paranormal activity and requires further investigation.
