See Hill Top Motel, Kingman, Arizona

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In 1953, John Mescheid, a general contractor from Santa Monica, California, purchased land on a prominent hill top in Kingman, Arizona. This included 350-feet of property frontage along bustling Route 66. Seeing commercial opportunity, Mescheid constructed a sprawling, 20-room motel using volcanic ash block to help decrease noise from the highway. The crowning touch to the new business was the addition of a large, flashing neon sign and a swimming pool that showcased a sweeping view of the nearby mountain ranges. Since opening in 1954, the motel had been in continuous operation until its recent closure in 2017. Fortunately, new owners have since purchased the motel with the intent of restoring it to its mid-century appearance. Extensive work is currently underway to update the electrical systems, plumbing systems, and room interiors. 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.

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