[Source: Lynh Bui, The Arizona Republic] — What was once one of the most important rest stops for miners and travelers in the Southwest sits empty today, with scraps of faded floral wallpaper and crumbling mortar as a few reminders of life at the Silver King Hotel. Since the late 1800s, the social and economic heart of Florence has pulsed through this brick, Victorian building. The bar was a prominent stagecoach stop and operated “the finest dining room in town,” according to state archives. When the once-bustling hotel closed in 1977, the two-story building fell into disrepair, sitting abandoned on the corner of Main Street and Ruggles Avenue for three decades and damaged by a fire in the mid-1990s.
Over the years, there have been several rumors of overhauling the structure but nothing came to life until now. The historic building will get a complete makeover by the end of the year, say officials with the town of Florence, which owns the building and is paying for most of the renovations with more than $500,000 in grants. The building won’t turn into another hotel but will instead be revamped into retail and office space, Florence Public Information Officer Jess Knudson said during a recent tour of the structure. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]