Main House and Guest House
The large house to the right, now known as the Main House, was the home of the superintendent who managed Sahuaro Ranch for its owner, William Bartlett. The oldest section, on the right, was built in 1891 as an office. In 1895 it was expanded and converted into a residence.
After Bartlett's son William was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1898, the house on the left was built to accommodate the family during the following winter, which they spent here in hope that Arizona's dry air would aid his recovery. Also in 1898, a second story and rear addition were added to the Main House and a veranda was built to connect the two dwellings.
The Bartletts only lived here one winter. After 1899, their temporary home became known as the Guest House.
When the Smith family bought Sahuaro Ranch in 1927, the Main House became the family's residence, while the Guest House was reserved for visitors and household employees. The Smiths remodeled the interior of the Main House and built a new patio of concrete and brick.
On the Ranch Today
The porch with balcony that you see here today is a reconstruction of the original 1898 veranda. The restoration, which was based on historic photographs, was done in 2004.
[Photograph captions read]
Many of the people in this 1900 photograph stayed in the Guest House. William H. Bartlett, the ranch's first owner, sits at the head of the table next to his wife, Mary Campbell Bartlett. Their sons sit on either side, William on the left and Norman on the right. Their daughter Mary sits on the left side of the photograph. Directly across from her is her husband, Charles W.C. Deering. The couple got married in the Sahuaro Ranch Rose Garden in 1899. (Photo courtesy of the Arizona Historical Foundation, W.N. Campbell Photograph Album, DW-84-91).
Here is the Guest House in 1899, along with part of the veranda. (Photo courtesy of the Arizona Historical Foundation, W.N. Campbell Photograph Album, DW-84-6).
Courtesy hmdb.org
