Surgeon's House B&B is located at 100 Hill Street in Jerome. Information: 800-639-1452 or www.surgeonshouse.com.

©Nick Berezenko

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Surgeon's House B&B

By Kendall Wright

At the height of Jerome's mining boom in 1916, when the town was swarming with smelter workers, freighters, gamblers, bootleggers, saloon keepers and prostitutes, the United Verde Copper Co. built a mansion — relative to everything else in the area — as a way of luring a much-needed surgeon.

With so many miners and fortune hunters moving in, space was tight, and the mine owners figured a beautiful home would help attract a good doctor, which it did. It was later used as nurses' quarters. Then, in the early 1930s, the white stucco building became the home of Dr. Arthur Carlson and his family, who lived there during a time of labor unrest, depressions, unpredictable copper prices, and a war that eventually ended the city's mining boom.

Located at the top of Hill Street, the Surgeon's House, as it became known, was a popular hangout for Jerome's wealthiest citizens, who were often looking for an escape from the harsh realities of living in a mining town. It's a feeling that's still experienced by visitors who stay there today.

Andrea Prince, who fell in love with the house at "first sight," has owned and operated the Surgeon's House Bed & Breakfast since the mid-1990s, and she's done plenty of work on the place. Looking at the building today, you'd never know that it had fallen into disrepair for many years. It's a respite of beauty in a still-rugged town.

The first thing you'll notice as you climb the steep steps to the entrance is the ultraprivate garden that surrounds the historic home. Inside the house, worn wooden floors are complemented by organic blue, green and purple water-colored walls, all of which create a sense of warmth and cleanliness that blends the home's modern décor with its traditional architecture.

For the "bed" part of the B&B, there's a choice of three unique suites inside the main building, as well as the popular Chauffeur's Quarters — a private enclave separate from the house that includes its own claw-footed tub, private balcony and lifetime supply of National Geographic magazines. No matter which room you choose, you'll get spectacular panoramic views of the Verde Valley and the San Francisco Peaks in the distance. The accommodations are second to none. And so are the luxuriant gardens.

As you'll see, Prince has created an Eden in the middle of a dusty desert — a place where you can lounge on plush pillows near koi ponds and enjoy the surroundings. Flowers bloom almost year-round here, and even in the winter, greenery can be found in the blue spruce trees that are adorned with white lights. When you're in a place like this, you're bound to relax. So, grab a book, breathe it in, and enjoy the grass carpet beneath your feet. Doctor's orders.

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