A Stay Steeped in History: The Clarkdale Park Hotel
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Set along Main Street across from Clarkdale’s town park, the Clarkdale Park Hotel feels like it’s always been part of the landscape—and in many ways, it has.
The building dates back to 1915, when Clarkdale itself was still taking shape as Arizona’s first master-planned community, built to support the nearby smelter and mining operations.
But what makes this place special isn’t just its age. It’s the layers of use, the care in its restoration, and the family behind its revival.
If These Walls Could Talk...
Completed in 1915, the building at 921 Main Street was originally labeled the “Bank of Jerome” in early plans—though interestingly, no bank ever actually operated inside.
Instead, the space quickly became something far more practical: a hub for everyday life in a growing company town.
On one side, the W.P. Scott Undertaking Parlor operated with a chapel and embalming room. Next door, residents stopped into Upper Verde Public Utilities to pay their electric and water bills—right where the original vault still exists today.
The north half of the ground floor functioned as a furniture store, complete with a mezzanine level—its structural supports still visible if you know where to look.
Upstairs, the second floor held offices, including two dental practices—one run by Dr. George McMillan, who during the Depression was sometimes paid in produce, broken watches, or even non-working firearms.
It was never just one thing.
It was whatever Clarkdale needed it to be.
From Apartments to Laundromats—and Everything Between
In 1927, the United Verde Copper Company reimagined the building, converting the second floor into six apartments bringing residents directly into the center of town life. Those apartments remained in use for decades, while the ground floor continued to evolve.
Over the years, the building cycled through an almost unbelievable list of uses:
A telephone office that operated into the 1950s
Miner’s Hardware and later a car showroom where walls were reportedly removed just to get vehicles inside
A beauty shop, laundromat, and lock-and-key service
A forest ranger office, law office, and even an early internet service provider
A gallery space showcasing local artists
A short-lived Italian restaurant and a kayak supply shop tied to Clarkdale’s river recreation
And this is just a partial list of all the uses, check out the Park Hotel website for their full history.
Each layer left something behind whether physical or just part of the building’s memory.
The Backus Family Steps In
By the time the Backus family purchased the building in 2018, it had already lived many lives.
Craig and Becky Backus weren’t newcomers to the area as they’ve been part of the Verde Valley since 1970, raising their family in Clarkdale and building a long-standing construction business along the way.
When they took on this project, it wasn’t about starting fresh. It was about bringing something back.
Their approach to the restoration was rooted in respect for what was already there—preserving original materials, exposing the building’s structure, and allowing its character to lead the design.
In 2020, that vision came to life with the opening of both the Park Hotel and the brewery below creating two spaces that feel distinct, yet connected.
Smelter Town Brewery: A Natural Fit
Downstairs, Smelter Town Brewery carries that same sense of history forward—just in a more social, laid-back way.
It’s not hard to imagine the connection. A building that once supported a smelter town now houses a brewery that nods to that same industrial past.
Materials from the original structure were reused throughout the space, grounding it in the building’s history rather than separating it from it.
It also just works on a practical level.
You check in upstairs, head down for a beer, and suddenly you’re part of the local rhythm with conversations at the bar, familiar faces and small-town energy.
Staying Here Feels Different
The rooms upstairs reflect the building’s past without trying to recreate it.
Exposed brick. Thoughtful details. Views out toward the park and Main Street.
But more than anything, it’s the feeling of being in Clarkdale, not just visiting it.
You step outside and you’re already where you need to be.
A Building That Never Stopped Evolving
What’s remarkable about the Park Hotel isn’t just that it’s historic.
It’s that it never became static.
From undertaking parlor to apartments, from laundromat to gallery, from offices to brewery and hotel—it has always adapted to meet the moment.
And now, it’s doing that again.
Plan Your Stay
If you’re looking for a place that feels connected—to history, to community, and to the ongoing story of Clarkdale—the Park Hotel offers something you won’t find just anywhere.
Stay the night.
Head downstairs for a beer.
Take a walk through town.
If you happen to be visiting in May, you might catch one of Clarkdale’s most anticipated events of the year.
The ClarkdALE Beer Fest, hosted by Smelter Town Brewery, brings together breweries from across Arizona along with food trucks, live music, and a lively crowd that fills both the town park and the streets just outside the hotel.
It’s the kind of event that feels right at home here—set against historic buildings, rooted in the town’s industrial past, and carried forward by the same community spirit that’s kept this place evolving for over a century.
Book a room upstairs, wander down into the energy of the festival, and then step back into your own quiet space at the end of the night.
Because in Clarkdale, the story isn’t just something you learn about.
It’s something you can step into—beer in hand, music in the background, and history all around you.
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