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SIERRA VISTA — The kitchen inside and a peach tree outside at the Sierra Vista Realty office hint at its homey past.
And now a plaque at the front door commemorates the former Carmichael House built in 1927.
Local officials, residents and Sierra Vista “old-timers” watched as the Sierra Vista Historical Society unveiled the historic place plaque, the second of 50, at Sierra Vista Realty, 301 N. Garden Ave.
In 1911, Margaret Ziegan Carmichael purchased the 131.05 acres of land where the Carmichael House would be built for $8,000, said Tom Shupert, president of the historical society.
 Bob Watkins of Sierra Vista Realty, a 40-year owner of the historic Carmichael House, talks Wednesday during the Sierra Vista Historical Society dedication of the house. (Ed Honda-Herald/Review) |
She and William Carmichael married in 1916 and built the adobe home in 1927. A shallow well nearby provided their water for many years. Over time they added a windmill, water tower, outhouse, riding stable and garage to the homestead.
The stone-and-concrete lower wall on the outer walls was once the base of their screen porch.
Watching the monsoon storms from the screen porch is one of the memories Rick Whittemore, a nephew of the Carmichaels’, has of the home. While the rest of the family gathered into the center room, he stayed on the porch to watch lightning in the Huachuca Mountains and the rain pouring down.
“Rain would be pouring in through the screen,” he said.
“Of course, being a tin roof it was even better because when it hits that roof, you can hear the splatter.”
The Carmichaels continued to purchase land over the years, Shupert said. They were generous with it and donated land for St. Andrew Catholic Church, Carmichael School, a city hall and library, among others.
They also sold property on Fry Boulevard to the U.S. Army for a service club for $1, because the Army could not accept it as a gift. In 1942 a USO Club was built on that site where the Landmark Plaza now stands.
William Carmichael died in 1948, and Margaret lived until 1961. They never had children, but they had many nieces and nephews. Virginia Sherbundy Rogers, a grandniece, provided the historical society with photos of the Carmichaels and their home.
Their nephew, Frank Freihage, became executor of the Carmichael estate, and he must have had a “green thumb,” said Bob Watkins, who bought the Carmichael house in 1968.
Planted around the home were peaches and asparagus.
Watkins had been searching for a restaurant property for a client when he approached Freihage about the property. Their offer of $30,000 was accepted.
“And then those guys backed out, and we said ‘Boy that’s too good a buy to pass up,’ and so we went ahead and picked it up in 1968,” Watkins said. He has maintained the property since.
Before presenting the historic plaques, members of the Sierra Vista Historical Society research the places with oral histories, books, newspaper articles and public records.
“The real work is going into Bisbee and digging up the old records,” said Ed Francis, a historical society member. And the county archives are vast but one of the most interesting aspects of their research, said Betty Howard, the principal researcher for the Carmichael House historic site dedication.
Francis, Howard, David Santor and other volunteers were a part of the team that researched the home, reviewed the research to separate fact from fiction for the Carmichael home and other historical places on their list.
All but one of the 50 historic sites, Buena High School, are located in the West End, Shupert said.
Sometimes their sources conflict, so research can take time, Shupert said. Situated across North Garden Avenue from the Carmichael home is Daisy Mae’s, the oldest building still standing in the city.
Some accounts say the building was erected before the 20th century, but records show it was built in 1905, he said.
The first historic place plaque was dedicated at Landmark Plaza in April. Near the end of the month, the historical society will dedicate its third historic plaque at Carmichael Elementary School.
They are working to bring together past and present students, teachers and principals for the event, Shupert said.
Herald/Review reporter Laura Ory can be reached at 515-4683 or by e-mail at laura.ory@svherald.com.
citizen wrote on Aug 8, 2008 9:53 PM: