About this Room
At roughly 1,400 square feet, the Rosson House attic is the same size as each of the other floors of the House. Here’s what we know about its history:
The daughter of the third family to own the House (the Higleys) liked to roller skate in the attic. The Higleys also hired girls from the Phoenix Indian School for domestic help in the House, and some of the girls would live in the attic. Learn more about the Phoenix Indian School from the Heard Museum exhibit, Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories.
The fourth family to own the House (the Gammels) finished the attic and subdivided it into five separate rooms, to accommodate boarders. The rooms had access to electricity and running water.
During World War II, boys from St. Mary’s school lived in these attic rooms. The students were sent to live with the Gammels because there weren’t enough nuns to supervise all of the children sent to boarding school at St. Mary’s. According to interviews with Georgia Gammel Valliere, the boys were like a part of the family and would eat their meals with the Gammels.
When the City of Phoenix purchased Rosson House in 1974, there were a total of 19 people living in the House, including 5 people who lived in the attic. A second set of stairs had been installed from the second floor landing to the attic. Running water and electricity had also been added to the attic. During restoration of the House, the attic was returned to its original condition, with the exception of the insulation installed. The attic has no air conditioning.
Currently, part of the attic is used for seasonal storage, with the remainder set up for VIP tours.
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