Riordan Mansion

Tim, Mike and Matt, the brothers Riordan, came to Flagstaff from Chicago in the late 1800s.  Smart, industrious guys they were and it didn't take them long to become wealthy timber maggots.*  Tim and Mike married sisters (no, not their own sisters) and had a duplex designed and built to house their 2 families in 1904.  The architect was Charles Whittlesley, same guy that designed the El Tovar Hotel on the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

Above and below views show the back of the mansion.  The floor plans of the two sides were virtually identical, initially.  A second story sleeping porch was later added to the left side home, as seen below.

This was not yo mama's duplex.  Uh, uh.  This little puppy had 13,000 SF: 6K SF for each family, plus 1K SF in a central, 1-story common area/game room.

It appears the place was built of logs but it wasn't, except for the framework.  Slab cuts of logs, flat on one side, curved on the other, were used as siding, with planks underneath.  Slabs were typically burned as waste products at their lumber mill.

Above and below are frontal views.

Above: close up view of the entry to the front yard and common area.

Below: main entrance to the eastern half of the duplex.

The structure is truly a modern marvel, had electricity, several bathrooms, central heating, 3-story laundry chutes, skylights that opened for ventilation, numerous other clever, innovative features. This is 1904, remember.  We didn't get indoor plumbing in my childhood home until the early 50s, electricity in the late 40s.

We thoroughly enjoyed our Mansion tour.  Check it out next time you're in Flagstaff.

* Not a typo, it's a nod to the Smothers Brothers.