Prescott, Arizona
“The Western Victorian City”
Prescott is located in Arizona’s central mountains; four mild seasons offer just enough variation to make the weather interesting. Prescott is located 96 miles northwest of Phoenix and 90 miles southwest of Flagstaff, Arizona. The city was established in 1864, incorporated in 1881, and is the seat of government for Yavapai County. The city is named in honor of noted historian William Hickling Prescott.
GOLD! – Its discovery in 1861 brought national attention to what later became the Territory of Arizona. These discoveries drew the attention of President Abraham Lincoln who was looking for possible sources of funding for the North during the Civil War. Arizona became a Territory on February 24, 1863. John Goodwin, the first Territorial Governor, established Prescott as the first Territorial capital, and Robert Groom and a partner began the work of laying out the current downtown streets.
Prescott developed rapidly, and in 1865 it was described as being built exclusively of wood and inhabited almost entirely by Americans. Both of these facts made it unique among early communities in Arizona. Prescott lost its title as the Capital of Arizona to Tucson and .nally to Phoenix in 1889. In 1900 a devastating fire burned a large portion of downtown Prescott to the ground. Many of the buildings you see today were rebuilt following the fire. Today many of Prescott’s residential streets are lined with tall trees and pitched-roof frame houses, including turreted Victorians. Prescott has over 700 homes and businesses listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and its granite courthouse set among green lawns and spreading trees reflects the Midwestern and New England background of Prescott’s early pioneers.
Make Prescott the destination for your next trip to Arizona! With an abundance of attractions, shops, restaurants, and lodging options, you’re sure to find whatever it is that you’re looking for in Prescott, Arizona!
Once you’re done exploring Prescott, Arizona, why not check out one of our intriguing neighboring communities? Just up (literally) the historic highway 89A is the copper mining town turned ghost town turned tourist destination of Jerome. Located in central Arizona’s Verde Valley, Cottonwood is ideally situated above the heat of the desert and below the cold of Arizona’s high country. At the base of Cleopatra Hill, is the quaint former company town of Clarkdale. Renowned for its stunning red buttes and monoliths is beautiful Sedona. Located in the geographical center of Arizona, Camp Verde is an interesting and economical stop when planning your next trip. Once known as “Lonesome Valley”, Prescott Valley. If you’re looking to get away from it all, there’s no better choice than Chino Valley.
