Today the town is wickedly and wildly alive with artistic creations everywhere you look. It sits high atop Cleopatra Hill between Prescott and Sedona. It was founded in 1876 when gold and copper was discovered. Gamblers, miners and old wild West boys flocked there. It produced over a billion dollars or gold, silver, copper and zinc over a 70 year period. Saloons and bordellos popped up on almost every corner. At one time the population reached a rowdy 15,000. Those were the days!
Many of the buildings from the late 1800's still remain and are occupied as eclectic shops, museums and galleries. Jerome was built on the side of a hill and gravity and erosion have taken it's toll on the buildings and 30% grade hillsides. Many homes and buildings show evidence of landslides and erosion, sometimes only the foundations are remaining.
A the gold and copper deposits began to dwindle and the town became a ghost town with a mere 50 residents remaining. They say that the appearance of the town hasn't changed in 100 years and their cracked and broken streets and sidewalks attest to that. Buildings are run down and paint is peeling but that only adds to the charm of the town. The mines closed in 1953.
But the views ..... nothing short of spectacular. From many of the establishments, like restaurants and bars, you can see across the Verde Valley to the San Francisco Peaks of Flagstaff.
During the 60's and 70's it blossomed into a mecca for artists who occupied the old buildings for their shops. Today the population boasts about 450 full time residents.
It's a delightful place to visit if you are in the neighborhood. It's well worth the trip through the winding roads up to Jerome. Parking is always a problem during the weekends so be prepared to circle the town a few times before finding a place to park.
Once you have visited Jerome, the ride down the other side of the mountain into Prescott is equally beautiful with the hair-pin curves and places to pull over and view the scenery. There are also lots of hiking trails along the way.