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| The Mystery of Helen Frye's |
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| Sky Fires at the Ridge- |
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| Village of Oak Creek- Sedona Arizona |
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| Sedona Landmark Series |
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| Helen Frye lived in many beautiful homes in her life time. With her second husband, Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr., Helen found herself in some of the most opulent and majestic private homes in the country, certainly more akin to palaces than mansions. So many rooms she was heard to once say, "I would often get lost navigating the interiors." |
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| Later in life, millionaires Jack and Helen Frye built the now world-famous, one of kind "House of Apache Fires" at their 700 acre Smoke Trail Ranch in Sedona. This house had views to die for and now as one of Sedona's most historic landmarks rests amid some of the most valuable real estate in Arizona. Helen and Jack's ranch in Sedona, now as Red Rock State Park, even at only a third of its original acreage, is now worth approximately 125 million dollars. If Jack and Helen had kept the entire Smoke Trail Ranch intact it would be worth a staggering 350 million dollars at today's prices! At the time the Apache Fires house was built by Helen and Jack, they owned a total of over 50,000 acres of land in the state of Arizona alone. This included the Sunshine Ranch, now known as the Red Gap Ranch between Winslow and Flagstaff. Another Frye ranch near Red Valley Arizona was called the Spring Valley Ranch. Simultaneously, they had a 5 acre estate in Overland Park Kansas (suburb of Kansas City) and a 73-acre-estate with mansion, pool, and stables, at Falls Church (Arlington) Virginia, aptly named "Hillcrest Farm." The estate was also called the Doubleday Mansion and currently is known as, "the Cedars." Whew.... what a lot of household management for Helen! It's no wonder Helen Frye derived most of her sleep on TWA air liners and Jack Frye's private Lockheed planes. |
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| After Helen and Jack went their separate ways, Helen built 2 other homes in Sedona. As a pioneer of innovation, Helen developed a portion of her and Jack's ranch into "Cup of Gold Estates," now one of the most exclusive, scenic, and high-dollar creek-side developments in the Sedona region. At the time of Helen and Jack's divorce there was a pending U.S. Forest Service land trade with the Frye Spring Valley Ranch. This trade land on the extreme north side of Smoke Trail Ranch called the "cliff-site" became the property where Helen built another home in 1961-62, christened the "Wings of the Wind" the views from this property are breathtaking. Quite assuredly, even today it is one of the top five view parcels in the entire Sedona region! This area is now known in Sedona as "Smoke Trail Ranch Estates." |
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| Few people are aware of yet another home that Helen Vanderbilt Frye built in Sedona, this because it was not completed at the time she died. It was designed as a modest, rustic, cabin-like dwelling called "Sky Fires," aptly named in part, to reflect a kinship with the "Apache Fires" house. It is also said that this house was named for the incredible sunsets seen at this rural location. Helen named all her homes- this was paramount to her, perhaps as a carry over from her Vanderbilt years. Surprisingly this home was not built on the famous Frye Smoke Trail Ranch but instead was constructed on property that Helen purchased from a dear friend, Faye Crenshaw. The then location was in the Sedona Red Rock region called the Village of Oak Creek, on property now known as the "Ridge." The Sedona Golf Resort now resides on this beautiful property adjoined by a Hilton Hotel resort. Certainly picturesque the property is graced with reflective ponds and golf greens. |
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| If it was not for Faye Crenshaw owning half the Village of Oak Creek at one time and her close friendship with Helen Frye there is no doubt Sky Fires would never have existed! So it is apropos that Faye is featured on this page. Above to the left is Helen Frye, Faye Crenshaw, and Helen's godchild Elisa Armijo. The location was the Winged Arts Building at Airport Road and 89A. To the right is Faye Crenshaw at her home. Images were from about 1967 and are courtesy of Helen's dear friend Rosie Armijo. |
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| A Simple Expression of Function and Design |
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| Envisioned By Artist Helen Frye |
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| This view home sat on top of a ridge with spectacular views of Bell Rock and the surrounding vistas. It has been said Sky Fires was adjoined by 20 or more acres however this is not verified. The home was two-story, a-frame in appearance, with a dramatic curved stairway, exposed open-beam ceilings, and a large circle drive entrance. In the sub-area there was a meditation room for Helen who was deeply spiritual. It was Helen's intention to one day move out to Sky Fires, but unfortunately she succumbed to lung cancer before she was able to see her dream home completed. After Helen's death, the house eventually became the property of Helen's twin sisters. Up until it was sold, Helen's former business manager-companion took up residence at the property. Some say he owned the house, but Helen's family assures me this simply is not true. |
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| Sky Fires Brought To Life |
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| Through the assistance of a generous anonymous web-surfer, who was a friend and building assistant to Helen Frye at Apache Fires and Sky Fires, we are able to have a visual of the infamous dwelling and an overview of Helen's intention with the project. |
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| The following description of "Sky Fires" was provided to Sedona Legend by one of its builders. To view the color drawing full size, please click on the thumbnail. |
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| LOCATION |
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| "Sky Fires" was situated upon several acres of prime hilltop real estate now occupied by the Sedona Golf Resort. Approximate position would have been at the current intersection of Bent Tree Drive and Heritage Circle. The original dirt access road meandered due West from Highway 179 and approached the property from the North. It is now mostly covered by golfing green. A weathered Indian Hogan and circular sheep corral, made of saplings, still stood on clear grassy land near the front entrance. The unpaved driveway began at a steel farm gate. From there the roofline could be seen, a short distance away, rising above the foliage. At its end was a turn-around loop in right front of the house. A small brick garage built by the previous owner Faye Crenshaw stood off to one side. The land had numerous mature pinion trees, particularly where it fell off in elevation to the South and West. Everything else was native scrub and bare red soil with loose rocks here and there. |
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| Back then, the area was still on the fringes of the township. The only sound was the wind. Below the house, to the mesa toward the West, was a sparsely vegetated plain. It was strewn with stone artifacts and pottery shards with black and white geometric patterns typical to the region. It is now a housing development. All the metates found there, large stone slabs for grinding corn, had been broken. Helen believed the Indians did this deliberately when forced to move off their land. There appeared to have once been a spring in the pass between the two mesas to the Southwest. There is a large rock nearby with spiral patterns and petroglyphs of horned animals. The Eastern boundary, and water bore, was shared with "The Spiritual Life Institute", a eclectic Christian center dotted with retreat huts. The primary outlook of the house was Northerly, with stunning views across Big Park to Bell Rock. Helen said the name "Sky Fires" was inspired by the spectacular sunsets that could been seen from this vantage point. |
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| FLOORPLAN |
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The structure consisted of a spacious, two storey central section, flanked by two single storey wings. It was constructed upon a concrete slab, with the master and guest bedrooms being at a lower "step-down" level. Adjacent to the main living area was an open kitchen, with level access to the side parking ramp via a long pantry. The floorplan reveals a few special design features. One is the sunken fireplace with a windowed alcove enclosing the chimney to maximize the view. Another is the subterranean Kiva, about three metres in diameter, excavated from solid red rock. This was intended as Helen's private meditation room. It had a curved staircase leading down to its entry door. Also visible is the trailer and low-slung cement brick addition, left by her friend Faye. These served as accommodation for the workers. Helen once mentioned she had a lot of "good times" there. Aside from that, she was always reluctant to discard anything that could be put to use. The second storey is not shown on the floorplan. It had a high raked ceiling, its own small bathroom along the South wall, and was said by Helen to be for her companion |
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| ELEVATION |
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| In appearance, "Sky Fires" was a refined, yet rustic, ranch house. As with Helen's earlier designs, its sprawling layout and choice of materials sought to reflect the natural beauty of the site. The color elevation drawing illustrates the front of the house which faced Bell Rock. First to be built was the Western wing. It was a novel construction of unfired adobe brick, interlaid every few courses with pine planks. Intended for aesthetic appeal and thermal mass, this was abandoned for the rest of the house due to weathering problems. Aside from that, it was labor intensive. The unique slit windows, comprised of heavy timber frames and three narrow panes each, were both a distinctive accent and practical way to conserve temperature. In contrast, the more recent central and Eastern sections of the structure were conventional stud frame, horizontally clad in rough-sawn pine planks. A mixture of creosote and old motor oil was applied externally as a preservative. Doors and widows were standard metal frame with sliding glass. The roofing overall was pale green, ribbed aluminum sheeting. An unusual choice for the time which had the unexpected feature of "creaking" as it expanded in the sun. |
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| INTERIOR |
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| The walls and exposed beam ceilings in the Western wing were lined entirely with rough-sawn pine. Painted in "Navaho White", this provided a traditional solidity and charm. There were numerous creative touches, such as the full-length desk in the master bedroom with views to Bell Rock. Over the bathtub, glass bricks in the wall admitted natural light from the studio. A back door led to a walkway under the eaves. It skirted a tall pinion which the building had been designed to spare. Aided by the thick adobe walls, high grade foam insulation above the ceiling and several wind turbines kept room temperature remarkably cool during even the hottest months. The central section, Eastern wing and upstairs bedroom were still mostly unlined at the time of Helen's death. Apart from an electric stove, there were no installed furnishings or floor coverings. |
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| CONSTRUCTION |
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| I never saw any architect's plans for the house. Only a few colored paintings by Helen. It was obviously a creative work in progress. This led to a number of unforeseen outcomes and changes to already completed work. With a view toward economy, the lumber was purchased unseasoned and shrunk after fitting, thereby leaving gaps. The Kiva was not waterproofed before backfilling. Unfortunately, it eventually filled waist-deep with rainwater seepage. Construction went slowly, lasting a few years from about 1977 to late 1979. During this time, workers with various skills came and went. Yet everyone maintained deep respect for Helen's good humor and generous spirit. She routinely drove over in her brown Ford pickup several days a week, often with dogs in tow, to inspect the building. By the time she was too incapacitated to do so, all work on the house had stopped. In the final months of her life, only a caretaker stayed on. |
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| MEMORIUM |
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| When "Sky Fires" was completed, Helen had intended to move into it from "Wings of the Wind." The latter had been acquired, under her auspices, by a spiritual group. As it turned out, she never spent a single night there. After her passing, ownership of the property was contested by three parties. The house was partly damaged by fire and eventually demolished to make way for the present up-market apartments at the golf course. It is hoped the information here will help rekindle and preserve the memory of Helen Frye's last building project. What was to become her final dream home in Sedona. |
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| Please note- it is likely that the uncolored rear portion of Sky Fires, as shown in the above drawing, was to be removed after Sky Fires was eventually completed. It was used primarily for the housing of construction workers. |
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| Flames of Doom |
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| A Fire Well Remembered- |
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| Rumors spread like wildfire in this small town of Sedona, but they cannot always be confirmed. One such rumor is of a mysterious fire at Sky Fires, after Helen died. For some reason, the incident has become imprinted on the minds of many in Sedona, I suppose because it was a "Helen Vanderbilt Frye" home, and of course the esoteric group connection. One persistent rumor when I started the Helen and Jack Frye Story was that Sky Fires burned down on the New Year's Eve after Helen Frye's death. After much research, I have found this to be untrue. There was indeed a fire at Sky Fires, however it was actually on April 29, 1983 no where near New Year's Eve of 1979. |
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| Another rumor is that the fire was arson, perpetrated by a certain new age group, yes, the same group that fleeced Helen Frye in the late 1970's. This one is intriguing, even though the house did not burn to the ground, I have to say the rumor of members of the group starting the fire can't be ruled out. Why? Because I keep hearing this version of the tale from Sedona residents connected with Helen Frye, even after all these years. Why would the group try to burn the house down? Let's just say there was a lot of fleecing going on and some of the members thought a certain, ex-member, had made off with loot that should have been bestowed upon the "group." That explains the motivation. How did I investigate the fire? By running all over Sedona chasing phantoms- first to the Red Rock News in Uptown Sedona, for 4 hours of tireless searching through newspapers from 1979 onward- but no luck. Secondly- talking to personnel at two of our Sedona Fire Department Stations. The current Sedona Fire Inspector directed me to a couple ex-firefighters, at which point, I started to hit paydirt. I actually found a firefighter that not only remembered a fire at the Ridge, but actually responded to it! Boy did this guy have an amazing memory! However- was it the right location and date? More investigation. |
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| The Story as told by a Sedona Fireman |
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In the pre-dawn darkness, residents of the Red Rock Country are
awakened by the chilling sound of mournful sirens wailing into the night. As an ominous orange glow grows in the sky over the Village, the red flashing lights of Sedona Fire Engines are seen navigating their way across the valley, around and behind massive red rock monoliths, searching for the urgent call. |
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| Yes, he remembered a fire at the "Ridge" near Rancho Rojo Estates in a large home on a hill. "A long time ago," he related, "don't know if I can help you with the details. No, it wasn't around New Year's, perhaps later in the year? We responded to a call in early morning from Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek, two stations. The guy who called in the fire gave poor directions, he told us to turn at a certain person's house, saying everyone knows the place. It turned out, once we were underway no one knew who or where he was talking about! Finally after more directions, we found the area. It was in the dark. I couldn't find the house again on a bet. When we got there we assessed the fire. We started up the staircase, but about halfway up we were confronted with heat so intense we had to back out. By that time the other Fire Department crew arrived and set up floodlights. The fire was so hot that it was melting the pitch out of the open-beamed timbered ceilings. Pitch was dripping on the floors. The fire had moved from the kitchen up the electrical "J' box up into the bathroom upstairs. The upstairs walls were studded but not finished. No it did not burn down. I do not recall any fire in Sedona where the house was not saved during that time period." |
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| Mandeville indicated that someone was trying to spray down the ceilings. Either way he knew the time of the year was not New Year's, as by the time they were finished he said they were in their shirt sleeves and the weather was mild. By the time they mopped up it was dawn. He said he didn't remember the cause being mysterious at all but electrical in nature. The house was owned by a single young male. He said he felt the time period was around 1982 or 1983, not 1979 or 1980. Later after the fire, they found out the place was associated with a certain esoteric group- Eckankar. I thanked him for his terrific memory, and left. The next day I decided to give the Red Rock News another try, researching later in the year from New Year's and earlier. Finally after two hours, I hit gold! There was the article on the front page of the Red Rock News describing almost exactly what the fireman had told me and he was actually mentioned in the article! This guy was amazing. It was the same fire I was looking for- the names proved it. Mandeville is one of the Sedona Fire Department's finest, without a doubt! |
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| FIRE DAMAGE SET AT $20,000.00 |
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| Sedona Red Rock News |
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| May 4, 1983 (Front Page) |
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Fire caused an estimated $20,000.00 damage during the early morning hours Friday to a former Helen Frye residence in the Village of Oak Creek on Spiritual Life Institute Road.
Fire Department spokesman Captain Denny Mandeville said, the current occupant awoke, smelled smoke and went some distance to reach a neighbor's home to call for help.
A fire of undetermined electrical origin in the two-story house was considered the cause of the fire, Mandeville said. |
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Extensive damage was done by breaking water pipes, but these in turn likely saved the building, he said. A total of 19 firefighters from the Sedona-Oak Creek (Coconino) and Red Rock (Yavapai) volunteer fire districts answered the call and were on the scene until 6:30 a.m.
(Although the newspaper article named the "current occupant" of the residence, it has been left out for this webpage. Anyone desiring to read the original article can do so at the Red Rock News office on Van Deren in Uptown Sedona.) |
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| Sky Fires- not to be re-claimed! |
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| An unfinished home- an escape from a life of 40 years at Smoke Trail Ranch. Helen Frye created such beauty, yet the same was viciously snatched away from her in the end. Ironically, this incomplete Frye project suffered a fate of destruction by fire and then passed into oblivion. Seems justified in regard to the overall story. Perhaps in the end it was Helen Frye herself who guided the demise of Sky Fires, a house in which she bestowed so much love and attention, this to insure her last project was not unjustly reclaimed by a usurper. Before Helen died, she was hounded to complete Sky Fires and transfer title to this property, she refused to "hand it over." Sky Fires would remain hers! |
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| Same Individual- Two Fires |
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| For the sake of the following story, we will call the occupant mentioned above, who was residing at Sky Fires when the fire occurred, “Will.” |
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| In nearly forty years of Frye ownership history with Sedona, and over 700 acres of property, there are only two fires remembered. It is quite intriguing that both of these fires were associated with the same person. This coincidence is not meant to imply anything other than a very unusual connection. What it may mean, who knows? |
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| Mystery Fire at Jack and Helen Frye's "Willow House." |
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| The Park Manager at Red Rock State Park once asked me if I knew anything about a fire at the Willow House? He stated the rafters in the attic were blackened from a fire. At some point after this inquiry a man contacted me with stories of his association with the Frye Ranch in the mid 1970's. Interestingly, he told me he was witness to a fire at the Willow House, which as a result almost burned to the ground. We will call this man Ken, as he asked that I not reveal his name. |
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| Helen had asked Will, who was living at Smoke Trail Ranch to help her by cleaning up the Willow House and clearing out some of the accumulated debris stored there. Ken was on hand that day and helped. Will decided rather than haul off the rubbish, to instead burn it in the Willow House fireplace. For some time he used the fireplace as an incinerator until the house was tidied up. Later, both of the boys, tired from the hard work were sitting out front of the Willow House watching the evening sunset. However, the “sunset” started to look suspicious? Soon they realized the beautiful orange sky was the result of the burning Willow House behind them, not the setting sun. The fireplace had become so overheated, that it started the attic of the Willow House on fire! |
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| Quickly they both jumped up and tried to put the fire out. Will climbed up into the attic and Ken handed him bucket after bucket of water to throw on the raging inferno. At one point Will almost fell through the ceiling, as he stepped off a rafter and his foot fell through. Miraculously, they finally got the fire out! The house was saved. At this point, they happened to look up and see Helen Frye herself, standing up on the cliff where the Wings of the Wind house rested, arms crossed looking down at them sternly, as if to say, “what you two doing down there to my house?” She had witnessed the whole event. |
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| Ironically, Ken told me that the pump which supplied water to the Willow House had just been repaired the day before. The Willow House had been without water for some time. If it had not been repaired, he said the Willow House would have burned to the ground! |
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Copyright © 2003
Sedona Legend Helen Frye Website
Created By R. D. Reynolds
All Rights Reserved |
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Thank you for visiting
Sedona Legend Helen Frye |
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