Sunday, February 20, 2022

Florence, An Old West Town

 

Living in Arizona gives me the opportunity to visit some towns that hold on to their "old west" heritage and style.  One such town is Florence Arizona.  It's located about half way between Phoenix and Tucson and I often stop there when I drive that way.  I posted about Florence a few years ago when I told a more detailed story about the town.  (check the link to see that post) Today I thought I'd share some photos of some of the historic old buildings that can be found there.  I'm starting with a photo of the clock tower atop the Pinal County Courthouse.


Above is one of the many old adobe buildings located in the town.  This one has a stucco covering and a rustic look.

To the left is small church.































This building looks like it's been standing here for a very long time.  The last time I drove through Florence it looked like someone was doing a little restoration work here but it hadn't gotten very far yet.


This one is painted and decorated in a very western way.  I see those old wagon wheels used in a variety of ways.  Here they seem to be framing the entrance.


The covered sidewalks on Main Street help to retain that old west look.  


Here is another "fixer-upper".  On this one you can see the stucco has crumbled away exposing those adobe bricks.

I've lived in Arizona for over 50 years and this town seems to never change.  Yes, you can find a McDonald's and other modern day businesses but the heart of the town has stayed the same.  If you like historic places, you will enjoy a visit here.


4 comments:

Andy said...

Nice to see that Florence is hanging on to it's heritage. It is well worth saving.

Travel said...

I need to go south of Phoenix, the last time was like 1965.

William Kendall said...

Very much a town fitting into its part of the world.

Catalyst said...

I wonder if the presence of the State Prison there has frightened off the developers.