Jerome is beautiful in its strange steep angles, abandoned relics and haphazard design, carved out of the ancient red rock of Cleopatra Hill. Clarkdale sits at the bottom of the hill from Jerome. At one time the towns were symbiotic--the copper mines being in Jerome, and the smelter and railroad being in Clarkdale.
A brawny "billion dollar" copper mining town, once called "wickedest town in the west", Jerome was full of bars, brawls and "soiled doves". The copper mines closed in 1953, and the town was largely abandoned, only to be discovered by counter culture types in the 1960s and 70s. The hippies and artists saved this town.
Now a major Arizona tourist attraction with world-class galleries and restaurants, not to mention a glorious 75 mile view, the town of Jerome is registered as a National Historic Landmark.
It's also home to the Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery.
We lived in Jerome from 1997-2001, prior to buying a house in neighboring Clarkdale...
read on..... |
