Woodworker's Journal 2008-32-6, страница 58

Photography by: Scott Johnson Photography, Inc.

the wait staff owned an original chair. I was elated! I knew that if 1 could make it happen, I could measure the original chair and make an exact duplicate.

My wife and I planned another trip to the Grand Canyon in late 2005, I made arrangements to meet the staff to learn the history of the chair and measure the original. I went armed with my computer, tape measure and protractor. They put the original chair and me in the private dining room and closed the doors. Four hours later, I emerged with the chair completely drawn in 3D on my computer. I was ready to build my chairs, but a series of life events put a pause to that goal. They are done now, and I will show you how I built my El Tovar chairs. But first, here's a little history lesson about them.

History of the El Tovar Hotel and Dining Room Chairs

The hotel was built in 1905 and is described as "a cross between a Swiss Chalet and Norway Villa." It was the first luxury hotel built on the Grand Canyon South Rim and the destination for the newly laid Topeka and Santa Fe Railway line that ran from Williams, Arizona, to Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim, It was named in honor of Spanish explorer Don Pedro de Tobar (translated to Tovar) who reported the existence of the Grand Canyon to fellow explorers in 1540.

The railway company commissioned architect Charles Whittlesey to design the hotel. At the time, designers of national park and other lodges along the railroad lines were attempting to define new styles incorporating natural and local materials to create comfort and luxury. Whittlesey's design followed that idea by using mainly local stone and Douglas fir trees shipped in from Oregon. The hotel cost $250,000 to build and opened January 14,

The Stickley Brothers Company was commissioned to build ail the furniture in the El Tovar Hotel (above), including the original dining chairs shown at right. They were used until the 1950s.

1905. It originally had 95 rooms, but a subsequent renovation shrunk that number to 78 to allow for private bathrooms in all the guest rooms.

The Fred Harvey Company, which had been building and operating facilities along the Santa Fe route for years, was hired to run the new hotel. They met Albert and John George Stickley, Stickley Brothers Co. furniture makers, at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Fred Harvey commissioned the Stickley Brothers to make all the furniture for the El Tovar Hotel. The dining room chairs were built as part of that commission. Those chairs were used until the 1950s, and then they were unfortunately replaced with a set of nondescript chairs.

' 200-1. Xanterra Parks & Resorts'. All Rights Reserved.

Woodworker's Journal December 2008

57