The now-closed Hill Top Motel in Kingman, Arizona, went into foreclosure several months ago, and the future of the historic property appears uncertain.
Pete Hill, chief credit officer at Mohave State Bank in nearby Lake Havasu City, confirmed during a phone interview Tuesday the bank foreclosed the property at 1901 E. Andy Devine Ave. in December from longtime owner Dennis Schroeder.
Citing confidentiality rules, Hill declined to say what the eventual purpose of the motel would be or the fate of its often-photographed neon sign.
“That may be the most-often asked question about the property — the sign,” he acknowledged.
Jim Hinckley, an author and Route 66 enthusiast who lives in Kingman, said Tuesday he’d heard the Hill Top would be converted or rebuilt into an apartment complex, but he couldn’t confirm it.
Hinckley said the motel had been “on a downward spiral” for several years, and online reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor.com reflected that. He also said Schroeder — who had owned the motel since 1981 — had been ill for some time.
According to county property records, Schroeder had owed more than $22,000 in taxes and liens.
John Mescheid built the motel in 1954 and its swimming pool a few years later, according to a history page about the Hill Top Motel.
The motel went through seven sets of owners, including Schroeder, who was the longest-tenured.
An online research of a federal database indicates the Hill Top is not on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Hill Top Motel remains infamous for Room 119, where Timothy McVeigh stayed for four days in 1995 before bombing the federal building in Oklahoma City a few weeks later. The terrorist act killed 168 people and injured hundreds more. The registration card McVeigh filled out at the motel later was entered into evidence during his death-penalty trial.
(Hat tip to Jim Hinckley; image of the Hill Top Motel sign in Kingman, Arizona, by Stu Rapley via Flickr; vintage postcard image of the Hill Top Motel via 66postcards.com)
We stayed at the Hill Top Motel on our way home from California in 1971 when I was separated from the Navy. I remember it well.
Please give me a call 928-520-3764
Correct phone # is 938-530-3764—sorry
Not firing on all cylinders CORRECT PHONE 928-530-3764
Hello Dennis, Is the place sold? If not please send me a WhatsApp on 00264 813220302 Thanks and regards Michael&Martina
Yes, it’s been sold. A local couple is renovating it and will reopen it, probably sometime next year.
One of my favorite places–darnnnn!!!
We were listed, along with Hackberry General Store in AZ Highways magazine a few years ago, as one of the 22 top retro places in AZ.
I have stayed at the Hilltop a few times, too bad.
Is it for sale? How much is it?
The bank owns it, according to the county. You’ll have to make an offer to it.
Dennis and his wife were very friendly when I stayed there a couple times in summer 2010. I was shooting 66 on Kodachrome before the 12/30/10 final processing deadline. They offered to take me up to a butte which was home to the area’s tv and radio antennae. I really liked the motel, the sign, and the owners.
I remember your stay at the motel. Would really like to see the images from the motel & Kingman