Within a few weeks, the long-awaited vision of Prescott husband and wife team Dennis and Mary Ann Gallagher will come to life on famed Whiskey Row in downtown Prescott.
The Western Heritage Center will showcase exhibits, interactive displays and local artifacts that characterize the farming and ranching, mining, railroad, law enforcement and other segments of history that make the greater Prescott area and Yavapai County distinctive in Arizona and the Southwest.
For more than a dozen years, the Gallaghers have worked to define what they anticipate will be a “central facility for presenting the unique vision of our special history, culture and tradition” to residents and visitors who wander into the center, which will be located at 156 C S. Montezuma, across the street from Courthouse Square.
Gallagher, founder and president of the Prescott Western Heritage Foundation (PWHF), persuaded award-winning Prescott architect William Otwell of Otwell Associates to share his professional counsel about renovating a century-old building into an appealing destination for visitors.
Gallagher and PWHF Vice President Robert Greninger praise the location. They say they have been looking for an ideal location in the immediate downtown area, where tourists can park their cars and wander the streets. “Folks will be able to park, shop, eat and visit the center without hassle. The center is close to the Prescott Chamber of Commerce and the Visitor’s Center. The downtown parking garage is just a few steps away behind the center.”
They have plans for continually changing exhibits and displays that have visual and auditory appeal, especially for children and said the center would have a dedicated youth section particularly designed so that children can have interactive experiences.
Gallagher and his PWHF board of directors have received several substantial contributions, which are directed 100 percent to the creation of the center. For additional information about the center, go to visitwhc.org, or call 928-910-2307.
