Bisbee...A Registered National Historic Landmark

Queen Mine RV Park

Bisbee, AZ

October 6, 2024

After the discovery of copper in the 1880s a prospector's camp was quickly established and by 1910, the town Bisbee was established.  

In those early years, Bisbee was the largest city between Houston and Los Angeles with a population of over 25,000 people.  When the mine closed in 1975, the real estate market in Bisbee collapsed and hundreds of homes went up for sale. The availability of cheap real estate drew retirees, hippies, and a new group of speculators who purchased the properties and slowly began to contribute to the renovation of the city.  

Main Street

The Bisbee of today is a well-known artist's community whose architectural and historic heritage has been and continues to be preserved.  Located in the center of the natural and historic beauty of Cochise County,  the city has become an ideal spot for tourism.  We enjoyed walking the streets, visiting with shop owners and as the sign boasts...Bisbee has the most perfect year-round climate making it a great place to visit or call home.  

In recognition of its architectural heritage, its role in Arizona's mining economy, and its notorious place in history, the 250-acre Bisbee Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and the 616-acre Bisbee Residential Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.   

There are 80 contributing buildings with various architectural styles listed in the National Register.  Most of them were built between 1895 to 1915.  

  

The Covenant Presbyterian Church, held its first service on April 5, 1903, had beautiful stained glass windows and a working pipe organ with pipes 16 feet tall that still adorn the church today.  

Main Street is lined with so many galleries. We saw artists at work,  gorgeous bricks, beautiful pottery and blown glass,  antiques, books, jewelry, and shops selling cheese, honey oils, and on and on. 

Rich Creek...Glass Blowing and Metal Works. 

Hats are sized and made to order on sight...

Local artists....

Built in 1895, this was the Phelps Dodge General Office...the company's headquarters for its local mining and smelting operations.

Joe and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Cafe Roka in the heart of the historic district.  Thank you Janna for the recommendation.  When I googled it, the restaurant was described as upscale and cozy.  It is dinner only, reservations only and open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

Cafe Roka is located on Main Street. Pressure-fired bricks were relatively new in 1907 when the 35 Main Street building was constructed. Thanks to those bricks, it was spared from a fire that leveled much of the mining town in 1908.    

 

The building was first used as a Tavern. Today, over 100 years later, it is Bisbee's only 5 Star restaurant. 35 Main Street has two stories with dining (and a third story for dining and live jazz music on Saturday) and when the young lady took our reservation she asked did we mind climbing stairs...a quick "no" and Thursday night, found us on the second floor with a view...and a cozy setting.    

Chef Rod Kass came to Bisbee in 1990 for a visit and stayed.  He and his partner Sally Holcomb opened Cafe Roka in 1992.  

From Kass' passion for quality, locally sourced ingredients to the historic buildings art deco ambiance, a dinner at this upscale and cozy Bisbee original is an experience to remember. 

Our dinner date of culinary delights began with Smoked Salmon Flatbread served warm with blue cheese, citrus and herbs.  

Followed by a house salad with yummy honey, mustard vinegarette and followed by a pallet cleansing...citrus sorbet...before the main entry.  

We chose a seafood dish...shrimp, lobster ravioli, crab cake with seasonal roasted veggies, fresh basil, and saffron cream sauce for the entire.  And then there was dessert.  A chocolate caramel cheesecake and a cream brûlée.  

Joe was very patient with me as I took photos of our very memorable dinner. 

Back on the hill top, life is good!

A quick trip to ACE and Joe made a board that covers the stairs for Sally.  She doesn't see well and almost fell in the other morning.  It is reinforced and will not slide and its light enough to put it on and take it off when we go in and out the door.  

Until next time, 

HAPPY TRAILS!