The day started at the Rosson House (#73) in the Heritage District in downtown Phoenix. We were transported back in time to the late 1800's when Dr. Roland T. Rosson, a physician and politician, settled in Phoenix and built a home for his family. The brick house was built in 1895 at a cost of $7525 and exhibits Eastlake, Queen Anne and Victorian architecture. Neighboring homes (read: mansions!) on Monroe Street just to the north were much larger and more lavish, but being built of wood, they didn't last. Kind of reminds you of the three pigs and their houses...
The interior of the house is decorated in period furniture from the turn of the century (1900's, that is!) as well as being decked out for Christmas when we visited. Dr. Rosson liked his gadgets so his house had hot and cold running water, inside bathrooms, an icebox, electric lights, a doorbell, a telephone and even an intercom. I thought it was interesting that while there were electric ceiling lights, there were no electrical outlets- because no small appliances had been invented yet and so they weren't needed. I also appreciated Mrs. Rosson's touch- a closet under the stairway (practical storage space).
The Rossons only lived in the house for a couple of years then rented it out. Eventually it was sold several times and became a boarding house and then a flophouse before being bought by the City of Phoenix in 1974. It was restored to its original condition and is now an Historic House Museum. Restoration took several years and cost ten times the original price of the house. After removing layers of wallpaper in the closet under the staircase, conservationists eventually came to the original wall and found "crayon" pictures drawn on the wall and signed by the Rosson children. It made me wonder what traces of our family people will find in our house 100 years from now.
We left the polite society of the Victorian era and headed mid-town to a very small park in the triangle formed at the juncture of Roosevelt St., 1st Ave. and Central Ave. The Release the Fear Sculpture (#93) is a sobering structure.
From a distance, it appears to be a modern art piece. But upon closer inspection, ...
... it becomes apparent that those are, indeed, REAL weapons fused into the base of the sculpture. In fact, it is composed of 8.5 tons of metal, of which almost half is from "weapons used in violent acts collected throughout Arizona," according to the inscription. There were over 26,000 violent crimes committed in Arizona in 2010 alone. WOW! And then I wondered why someone would create such a sculpture.
Robert John Miley, a Phoenix artist, founded a community awareness program called Release the Fear which uses education and art to combat violence. The idea, very simply, is that changing the way a youth or young adult thinks about himself and others can dramatically reduce violent adult crimes. Local law enforcement and the judicial system think he's on to something. Miley spent almost ten years finding sponsors and sources for the building materials for his sculpture before it was finally erected in this tiny park in 2005. In case you couldn't tell, it's a Phoenix rising from the ashes and well worth a look-see!
Our last stop was another one of Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives- the 11th one we've visited. Guiseppe's on 28th (#91) is a tiny place with big heart in a strip center at 28th St. and Indian School Road in Phoenix.
There was about a 15 minute wait at 5:30 on a weekday with a much longer wait by the time we left. Our server was friendly and attentive as was the owner who introduced himself. They made us feel like family. And the food was delicious- I had the Bolognese sauce over homemade fettuccini, a DDD recommendation. I will definitely be back!
Thumb Up Or Down: UP all the way around!
Miles Round-Trip: 49.9 miles
Miles To Date: 1209.2 miles
Date of This Trip: January 2, 2012
In all fairness, the prices quoted for the Rosson House weren't standardized (meaning I don't think inflation was taken into consideration). $7500 was a LOT of money in 1895.
ReplyDeletea) You should note that I was the one with you, not Dad!
ReplyDeleteb) I made the comment about the 3 pigs...
Janne,
ReplyDeleteRegarding your first comment- it would be interesting to know the standardized prices. And yes, $7500 was a LOT of money in 1895! Regarding your second comment(s)- duly noted =)