Wigwam Motel in Rialto named to National Register

The Wigwam Motel on Route 66 in Rialto, Calif., was placed on the National Register of Historic Places effective Jan. 3, according to an email Thursday afternoon from the National Park Service.

The Wigwam, which features individual motel cabins in the shape of tepees, was nominated in late 2011; its inclusion on the National Register was a near-certainty.

According to the Wigwam’s website:

The California Wigwam Motel was built within the city limits of San Bernardino in 1949, a period when citrus groves flourished. The motel would later acquire a Rialto postal address, creating confusions as the property actually sits in San Bernardino. […] This location would mark the final of 7 Wigwam Motels that were constructed. The motel’s village-style arrangement of nineteen 30-foot-tall tepees made from wood framing, concrete and stuco draws much admiration from all generations. Each individual wigwam is carefully equipped with all the traveler’s essentials with grounds that includes of grass area, an outdoor barbecue grill, and kidney-shaped swimming pool.

The mastermind behind this retro motel was a clever man by the name of Frank Redford, who was heavily influenced by the native Indian culture. He would bring his imagination to a reality in the early 1930s explained in the following section.

A total of only seven Wigwam Motels were built throughout the nation, of which three managed to remain preserved. Two of the last three remaining rest along historic Route 66 in the states of Arizona and California, while the other rests in Redford’s home state of Kentucky.

The other Wigwam Motel on Route 66 mentioned is located in Holbrook, Ariz., and it also is marvelously preserved.

The Kumar Patel family doesn’t give itself nearly enough credit for their role in the Wigwam’s preservation. It purchased the motel nearly 10 years ago, when it had declined into a by-the-hour establishment (with an infamous “Do It in a Tepee” sign). The Patels chased out the bad element, cleaned up the interiors, and welcomed Route 66 travelers with open arms.

In the fall of 2011, the Wigwam’s Facebook page posted photos of workers blasting off years of old paint on the cabins’ exterior so they could repaint them in the original hues. The oft-updated page also contains plenty of other roadie delights, including Kumar showing off the premium cigars he favors.

(Vintage photo of the Wigwam Motel courtesy of 66postcards.com)