Wigwam Village #4 [gone] Orlando, FL

Only the first two Wigwam Villages were owned by Redford. The others were independently owned and operated. Wigwam Village #3 was built in 1940 and was located in Metairie, LA. That location closed in 1954 and was demolished in 1955. Wigwam Village #4 was built in the early 1940s and touted as Orlando's largest and finest motel in its day. It was twice as big as the first two Villages with 31 teepees and was, apparently, the largest one built. The rooms may also have been bigger since they advertised that they could accommodate 1-4 people. This Wigwam Village also had the standard gift shop and gas station. It was demolished in 1973.

Wigwam Village #5 [gone] Birmingham, AL

In 1941, Wigwam Village #5 was built on Bessemer Highway in Birmingham, AL. It is now gone and there is no other information available.

Wigwam Village #6 Holbrook, AZ

Wigwam Village #6 was built in 1950. Impressed with the Cave City Wigwam Village, Chester Lewis bought a set of plans and blueprints from Redford to build these 15 concrete teepees. In the early 1950s, the central teepee was replaced with a Texaco station. The motel closed in 1974. It reopened in 1988 and is still operating. The gas pumps have been removed and the building is now used as the motel office. Old cars are permanently parked in front of the teepees for a nostalgic touch. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more about this Wigwam Village, see this website. [map] There was another concrete teepee in Holbrook. Does anyone know what business it housed or anything else about it?

Wigwam Village #7 Rialto, CA

Wigwam Village #7 is located on Route 66. It was the last location built. It was built in 1949 by Frank Redford after he sold his Kentucky motels and moved to California. There were originally 11 teepees. Eight more teepees were added in 1953. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

Wigwam Villages page 1

Wigwam Villages page 2

Teepees Main Page

RoadsideArchitecture.com

Copyright. All photos at this website are copyrighted and may only be used with my consent. This includes posting them at Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, other websites, personal use, etc. Tips & Updates. If you have suggestions about places that I haven't covered, historical info, or updates about places/things that have been remodeled or removed, I'd love to hear from you: roadarch@outlook.com.