{"nrhp_refnum":"11000957","name":"Wigwam Village No. 7","other_names":["Wigwam Motel"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2728 Foothill Blvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Bernardino","county":"San Bernardino County","state":"CA","lat":34.10746370900003,"lon":-117.3492165945438,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2012-01-03","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Commerce"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A roadside motel complex of 19 teepee-shaped sleeping units, an apartment unit with office, and related features at 2728 W. Foothill Boulevard, San Bernardino, California, built 1947-1949 and opened in 1950 along U.S. Highway 66 to a design by Frank A. Redford.","why_significant":"It is argued to be significant under Criterion A (Commerce) as travel accommodation built in response to post-World War II automobile tourism on U.S. Highway 66. Under Criterion C (Architecture) it is a distinctive example of programmatic roadside architecture meant to catch the attention of high-speed motorists. It is one of only three surviving Wigwam Villages of the seven built, and embodies Redford's patented design and product-place-packaging approach.","narrative":"Wigwam Village No. 7, now operating as the Wigwam Motel, sits along Foothill Boulevard in San Bernardino, a segment of historic U.S. Highway 66. Built between 1947 and 1949 and opened in 1950, it was the last of seven Wigwam Villages designed by Frank A. Redford. Nineteen conical sleeping units, each about 32 feet tall and built of wooden ribs covered in plaster and concrete, are arranged in two semicircles around a central yard with a pool, fire pit, and an office and apartment unit. The complex matters for two reasons. It provided lodging for the surge of automobile tourists after World War II, and its teepee-shaped buildings are a clear example of programmatic roadside architecture meant to catch the eye of passing drivers. Only two other Wigwam Villages survive, in Kentucky and Arizona. A renovation from 2003 to 2005 restored a more historic color scheme while keeping the overall character intact.","period_of_significance":"1950-1958","architect_builder":"Redford, Frank A.","architectural_style":"OTHER: Programmatic","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Renovated between 2003 and 2005 and still operating as the Wigwam Motel, with minor loss of integrity from replaced doors, some windows and light posts.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:29.408534-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/11000957.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123857751","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-bernardino-county/wigwam-village-no-7-11000957/"}