Jerome Grand Hotel is a Spanish Mission style building,
constructed in 1926, started out as the United Verde Hospital,
opening January, 1927. In 1930, it was written up as the most modern
and well equipped hospital in Arizona and possible the Western
States. The Hospital was closed in 1950 as the mine operation was
being phased out. The building stood unused for the next 44 years
until the rehabilitation plans started in 1994.
The building is one of the highest public structures in the Verde
Valley, (5240 Ft.). As the last major building constructed in
Jerome, the building was not only to boost the pride of the town in
its classic design, but was built fire proof and able to withstand
the blasts of up to 260,000 pounds of dynamite set off by the mine
and sometimes felt as far away as Camp Verde, a distance of 20
miles. How this 30,000 sq. ft., five level building of poured in
place, reinforced concrete, was constructed on a 50 degree slope is
an engineering marvel even by today's standards!
Jerome Grand Hotel Hauntings
In 1994, Phelphs Dodge sold the United Verde Hospital building to
Larry Altherr and his brother, Bob, who began turning it into the
Jerome Grand Hotel. When it opened its doors in 1997, the hauntings
began again. "What makes the Jerome Grand Hotel a worthwhile place
to stay, is the fact that this is probably one of the most active
haunted locations in the world," according to ghostlyfavorites.com.
"Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it is a quite
popular destination for amateur ghost hunters."
There are stories of strange noises coming from empty rooms;
coughing, labored breathing, and even voices. Sometimes these noises
come from a dark corner of a guest's room! Others report lights or
TV's turning on and off. There are unexplained smells of flowers,
dust, cigarettes and whiskey. Ghostly presences and unexplained
activities lure many to this haunted hotel.
Two female apparitions have been seen by numerous visitors. The
first, a nurse carrying a clipboard, seems more to be a memory than
an actual ghost. She roams the halls, pausing at intervals and
leaning down, looking at beds that no longer exist and patients long
since dead. The other, a woman in white, has been identified as a
woman who died in childbirth. Neither she nor her baby left the
hospital halls. According to legend she is distraught over the
treatment of her dead child, who was buried in an unmarked grave.
According to the locals, she stalks the hotel, searching for her
child's final resting place.
Experience the thrill of the ghost hunter night at the Jerome Grand
Hotel. See the elevator shaft where the famous ghost, Claude Harvey,
was found. Although his death was ruled accidental, hear the
suspicious circumstances surrounding it! Go floor to floor in search
of orbs and apparitions using state of the art equipment. Capture
the ghosts on camera if you can.
