THE Z MANSION​

Charles and Harriett Wright began construction on their grand Tucson home in 1898. Mr. Wright was an attorney who had served as attorney general of Colorado in 1879-80 before moving to Tucson in 1888. At that time national opinion was sharply divided over the admission of Arizona to the Union and congressional leaders debated "the inability of the people [of Arizona] to govern themselves wisely". Wright hoped that his family's stately Neoclassical contribution to Tucson's "Millionaires Row" would send the right message but died in 1900 shortly after construction finished. Mrs. Wright passed away in 1932 at the age of 89. Her memoirs recount their life together, including their covered wagon migration from Ohio to Denver, and are preserved by the Arizona Historical Society.

 

After Mr. Wright's death, the house was sold to the Zellweger family, millionaire cattle barons, who made it their home for the next 75 years. By the early '40s the house had been covered in stucco and faded into the background scenery of downtown Tucson while its peers were torn down one by one. In 1976, the mansion was purchased by Margaret Carmichael, property developer and co-owner of Secretariat, the Triple Crown-winning racehorse. She undertook a multi-year restoration, removing the stucco and revealing the perfectly preserved original clapboard siding. Her estate sold the Z in 1994 to the heir of the Pinkerton tobacco fortune, Jay Pinkerton Murray.

 

In 2002, it was purchased by bestselling author, columnist and entrepreneur Thomas Langdon Hill and his wife Emmeline, a pediatric audiologist. After raising six children in their home and serving countless meals to the hungry, the Hills are now transferring The Z to a foundation who will continue to expand their mission.

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And, yes, The Z has hosted many wonderful weddings. However, The Z is no longer booking any new events and, instead, will celebrate those wonderful couples who have already reserved their dates. These upcoming weddings will be -- in every sense of the word -- exceptional!

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