The Earliest School in the Catalina Foothills

While John and Helen Murphey are attributed with the formation of the Catalina Foothills School District in 1931, their earliest educational contribution to the area was the prestigious Hacienda Del Sol Girls School.

John Murphey came to the foothills in 1928. He skillfully noted the market for health-related schools as well as homes. He built the Hacienda del Sol School the next year. The school was billed as an elite college preparatory boarding school for girls right in the center of the Foothills and was located off today’s North Hacienda Del Sol Road. Some say the property was originally leased under the state provisions reserved for state schools, others say it was founded as an Episcopal private boarding school. Either way it served from 1929 to 1945 as a “girls only” elite educational institution.

Hacienda Del Sol School offered a college preparatory curriculum during a school year that commenced on October 1 and ended May 1. The school served girls between 12 and 18 years of age.  There was a lower school (possibly seventh and eighth grade) and an upper school devoted to high school and college preparatory, all with a true flavor of western outdoor activities. The lower school taught the basics of English, math and drawing while the upper school focused on English, grammar, algebra, biology, sketching and extracurricular physical education. It specifically focused on equine sports and the school allowed space for the girls to house their horses, which they had to buy and provide a saddle for. The cost of boarding was included in the tuition which began at $2000 and later rose to $2500. The school served girls between 12 and 18 years of age.  A brochure promoted the school to “girls who like to don chaps, sombrero and boots”. It was publicized as a home away from home ranch school for daughters of society’s elite families.

Some of the most prominent families in the country sent their children to the Murphey’s school. Amongst the roster of famous names were Vanderbilt’s, Westinghouse’s, Spalding’s, Pillsbury’s, and Kellogg’s. Even the granddaughter (Ellen Wilson McAdoo) of the former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson attended the school.

Both the students and the Murpheys looked upon the Hacienda Del Sol school as a home away from home. It was a desert retreat inspired by early Moorish architecture and built in the style of a Spanish colonial ranch. The school had many personal touches crafted by the Murpheys. Helen and John took special pride and care in the institution, going as far as to personally construct portions of the facility. It is noted that Helen even carved intricate patterns into the beamed ceilings of the main building’s library. This was a relaxing desert retreat as well as a conscientious school.

Unfortunately, the school encountered many detrimental events. A fire nearly destroyed most of the buildings in 1938 forcing the Murpheys to make emergency repairs. Courageously, John and Helen turned the tragedy into a momentous occasion. The two hired Josias Joesler to design the renovation of the entire complex. Much of the school was rebuilt according to Joesler’s designs which included oversized brick fireplaces, vast picture windows, and large, open common areas.

When America entered World War II there were even more setbacks and the school had to close its doors for the duration of the battle.  The school closed in 1942. Educational activities only resumed once Germany and Japan surrendered to the Allied forces in 1945. The Murpheys still struggled to restart their school once the fighting ended. They finally made the decision to sell their treasured property. In March of 1945 the Murpheys and the Rev. George W. Ferguson sold the property to the family of Howard Morgan for the sum of $110,000. The Morgans proved to be careful and responsible managers and spent thousands on refurbishing the facility. They decided not to reopen the site as a school and transformed it into an affluent dude ranch resort known as “Hacienda Del Sol Hotel.”

Sources:

Wikipedia, https://www.haciendadelsol.com, Arizona Daily Star “Hacienda Del Sol Rd. grew out of early girl’s school” David Leighton 08/09, 2013, “Area is shaped by Development” Bob Ring, AZ Daily Star May 14, 2009.