13-05-2025
These 2 historic Arizona buildings are among most at risk. Here's what makes them special
Two Arizona Historic places are among the most endangered in America, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The organization placed Phoenix's whimsical Mystery Castle and Flagstaff's charming May Hicks Curtis House on its 2025 list of America's 11 most endangered historic places — a national call to action aimed at saving irreplaceable pieces of U.S. history.
Every year, the nonprofit highlights sites across the country that face urgent threats, from natural disasters to development pressures. This year's list, released May 7, also includes communities still reeling from 2024's Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, a Catskills resort in New York, and the Pamunkey Indian Reservation in Virginia.
'Preservation has such a powerful impact on the communities where it happens through telling the stories of our community,'' Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, told USA TODAY. 'It inspires community pride and creates economic opportunities.''
Here's why these two Arizona sites made the list — and what is being done to save them.
Mystery Castle is a beloved Phoenix landmark that sits near where Seventh Street ends at South Mountain. The castle has been closed to the public for more than a year as it faces an uncertain future that threatens to end in demolition.
Boyce Luther Gulley built this 18-room, three-story "castle" for his daughter Mary Lou from found or inexpensive objects, including old automobiles, telephone poles, street signs, glass bottles, plow discs, railroad tracks and scrap metal. It's reportedly held together by a combination of mortar, cement, calcium and goat milk. Yes — goat milk.
Gulley, who battled tuberculosis, moved to Arizona and left his family behind. Around 1934, he began building the Mystery Castle for his daughter without plans, permits or formal architectural or engineering training — though he was a talented craftsman and artist. It wasn't until Gulley died in 1945, however, that his wife, Frances Bradford Gulley, and Mary Lou found out about the castle. They eventually moved in and called it home.
They later would transform the castle into a nationally known tourist attraction from the 1950s-2000s, but it is now in a state of disrepair.
Since Mary Lou Gulley's passing, the castle has been looked after and managed by the Mystery Castle Foundation. She formed the foundation with the goal of preserving the castle, a Phoenix Point of Pride.
Phoenix officials confirmed that a demolition permit request for the Mystery Castle was denied on Nov. 22, 2023, and the property was given a one-year stay of demolition.
A representative of the Mystery Castle Foundation, Linda Spears, told The Arizona Republic in August 2024 that requesting the demolition permit last year was "the first step in working with the city of Phoenix to preserve it."
Monsoon damage and vandalism have taken a toll on the structure, Spears said. Phoenix officials estimated the castle would need more than $3 million in preservation and rehabilitation work.
This site commemorates May Hicks Curtis, who sewed the first Arizona state flag in 1911. Located just off the original 1920s alignment of Route 66 in Flagstaff, Hicks built the house in 1913 adjacent to two boarding houses operated by her and her mother, which likely served early Route 66 travelers.
With new development moving forward on the lot where the house has stood, the house is under imminent threat of demolition, but the city of Flagstaff is working to relocate and rehabilitate the house for community use while commemorating the important historical significance of the site.
Curtis lived in the house for decades, and as the property most closely associated with her legacy, the house represents her active community involvement and contributions to Arizona's history. Curtis participated in Flagstaff's Women's Club and the Arizona Historical Society, among numerous other organizations, and devoted her life to improving her city and her state. She also carved out her role in Arizona's history by co-creating the largest existing collection of pre-WWII photographs of Flagstaff with her first husband, Frank Curtis.
City officials said relocation is the only way to prevent demolition of the historic house, so the city took ownership of the building and is moving it to a temporary location. More funding would be necessary to move the house to a permanent location and start the rehabilitation process. Additional grant funding for initial stabilization and condition assessment was provided by the Arizona Community Foundation and the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona.
Flagstaff officials said the city hopes to raise public awareness and seek new partnerships for rehabilitating, interpreting, and activating the house. Future uses could include serving as municipal offices or providing publicly accessible community space, along with public interpretation of the importance of May Hicks Curtis' contributions to Flagstaff's history.
'The May Hicks Curtis House stands as a testament to the rich history and heritage that have shaped Flagstaff, and its preservation ensures that future generations will continue to draw inspiration from the stories it holds," said Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett. "Thank you to Secretary Fontes for helping promote the history of May Hicks Curtis and her connection to the Arizona flag, as well as to our partners for helping to make this relocation and rehabilitation a reality.'
The National Trust, chartered by Congress in 1949, spends about a year selecting sites to include on its endangered list, considering factors such as its importance to the community, whether there's a strong partnership to support preservation and what impact the site might have once it's protected.
'They're compelling because of the stories they hold and because of what will happen there after they're preserved," said Quillen.
The listings began in 1988. The recognition doesn't come with funding, but often garners attention and support for the sites.
The organization's website, also has resources for community leaders seeking to engage in preservation projects in their neighborhoods and cities.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 2 historic AZ buildings are among most at risk in US
