Another building still present in the smelter yard is the smelter superintendent's house, built in 1915. The photo shows the residence in 1916.

In 1949, when a survey was completed by Phelps-Dodge, "the former Smelter Superintendent's House No. 50...has no sale value for occupancy unless the smelter plant is disposed of for industrial purposes."  The two-story residence was originally built at a cost of $7,416 to house the smelter superintendent and his family.  Later improvements of $10,000 were added. With occupancy, it is listed as having a value of $1500. (1949).  It sat adjacent to the smelter which comprised 196 acres all fenced. The slag pile covered  32 acres. 

The story of the United Verde Smelters would be incomplete without mention of Thomas Taylor, who is credited with the great success of United Verde Copper Company [UVCC]. In 1930 he was the general smelter superintendent, having worked his way from furnace foreman to general smelter superintendent over a career of 33 years.  Early photos of Wm. A. Clark, inspecting the proposed smelter site in 1910, identify him as one of the 5 men accompanying Clark. In 1935, United Verde Copper Company was purchased by Phelps Dodge [PD] Corporation at a cost of $20.8 million including assets of the local utilities and the Verde Tunnel and Smelter Railroad. It is estimated PD made about $40 million in profits between 1935 and 1953. PD brought some of their own executives in as managers:  William Saben 1935-1940, Charles R. Kuzell 1940-1944, Morris G. Fowler 1942-1943, John Pullen 1943-1948, and Carl Mills 1948-1950.  The current Clarkdale Police Station (originally a hospital) was numbered as House No. 49. It was built in 1921 and at  some point became the new Smelter Superintendent's House until the smelter closed in 1953. Then it became a private residence.

submitted by Cindy Emmett

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