Members of the Sedona Historic Preservation Commission and the Mayor of Sedona, Rob Adams, will dedicate the Van Ess House as a local historic landmark on Monday, February 14 2011 at 2:30 p.m. The public is invited to tour this mid-century home located at 280 Zane Grey Drive in the Sedona West Subdivision.

The Van Ess home was one of the first built in the 231-lot Sedona West subdivision, developed and platted in November 1960 by Edith and Jim Geary. The home was designed for the Gearys by Donald Theodore Van Ess, a licensed Arizona architect.  The home was one of several, including two Howard Madole designed homes, featured in the subdivision’s marketing brochure that described Sedona West as “Arizona’s Finest Subdivision in the West’s Most Colorful Country”.  The significance of the home is based on the Gearys’ contribution to the community, Van Ess’ body of work, and the striking and timeless design of the home itself.  It is considered to be one of Sedona’s finest examples of mid-century modern design.

The Historic Preservation Commission, volunteers appointed by the City Council, is dedicated to ensuring that early buildings within the Sedona city limits are identified, catalogued, and preserved.  Using criteria developed by the U.S. Department of the Interior,and adopted by the state of Arizona and the city of Sedona, the Commission has identified over 80 Sedona sites that possess historic significance based on a combination of age, architectural significance, or association with important events, people or local historical themes.  Twenty-three of these structures have been named historic landmarks by the City of Sedona, and three are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Chapel of the Holy Cross has been recently nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.

For more information, call Kathy Levin, City of Sedona Associate Planner at 203-5035.