Casa del Desierto

 

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We volunteer at the Route 66 Mother Road Museum located in the Historic Harvey House in Barstow named Casa del Deiserto, House of the Desert. I find the old building, which was opened in 1911, incredibly photogenic but this day was the nicest I have seen. In the late 19th century Fred Harvey started a string of hotels and dining establishments along the Santa Fe route offering fine food served fast. His Harvey Girl waitresses were recruited from back east and provided a very respectable way for women to leave home and earn a living.

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Over time the wonderful Harvey Houses across the Santa Fe lines closed and fell into various stages of disrepair. Many were torn down. But, La Posada in Winslow Arizona has been restored and not only operates as a hotel but serves wonderful food again. Casa Del Desierto now has the Western America Railroad Museum (WARM), the Route 66 Mother Road Museum and the chamber of commerce located in the building and recently has restored many rooms upstairs that are being rented out as offices.

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In the 1990s restoration of the building had begun but was set back by the 1992 Landers Earthquake. The earthquake did however allow the city to obtain federal monies for the restoration work.

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