Verkamp Building

1899

John G.Verkamp came to Flagstaff in the 1890s. He first worked for the Babbitts (three of
his sisters were married to Babbitt brothers), then succeeded in a number of businesses on his own, including lumber, livestock and merchandising. He is best known today for the Verkamp curio store at the Grand Canyon.

In 1899, Verkamp and T. A. Rickel constructed this brick building. The men rented the floor to the Elks, so it was known as the Elks Hall.

The ground floor was occupied most of its life by drug stores. Among the drug store operators were Kahl, Breen and Moore. The basement became Flagstaff’s first bowling alley. McGaugh’s Newsstand moved here in 1978.

In 1926, when construction of the Monte Vista Hotel began, the newspaper office was on the hotel site. Fred Breen, the newspaper owner, built a new office for the paper next to this building, which he also owned. In 1927, he applied new brick facing to tie the two buildings together. The Elks moved the same year, and the upper floor was converted to apartments.

24 North San Francisco Street in Flagstaff, Arizona