Fort Misery (Prescott, Arizona)
Prescott · Arizona
History & Significance
Built in 1863–64 by New Mexico trader Manuel Yrissari as his home and mercantile store on the banks of Granite Creek in Prescott, Fort Misery became the oldest log building associated with Arizona Territory. Constructed in haste, its nickname reflects the difficult challenges facing the territory's early settlers.
A foundational moment in Prescott's history occurred within its walls on May 30, 1864, when a public meeting led directly to the founding and naming of the town. Over its early decades, the crude structure housed multiple enterprises: a mercantile, boarding house, and law office for Judge John Howard.
The nickname originated from the cramped conditions—roughly sixteen by twenty feet with dirt floors and minimal ventilation. Territorial Historian Sharlot Hall directed its disassembly in 1934 and reassembly on the museum grounds in 1936; a complete reconstruction was undertaken in 1995–1996 with state heritage funding. It is now furnished as it would have been in the 1870s when Judge John Howard occupied it.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Arizona's oldest log cabin, constructed in 1864
- Original territorial-era frontier architecture and interior furnishings
- Located within the Sharlot Hall Museum grounds in Prescott
- Exhibits depicting early Arizona settlement and daily life
- Short distance from downtown Prescott's historic plaza
Sources
- https://sharlothallmuseum.org/historic_buildings/fort-misery/
- https://infoarizona.com/sharlot-hall-museum/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharlot_Hall_Museum
- https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/AZ-01-025-0040
- https://www.northamericanforts.com/West/az.html
- https://archives.sharlothallmuseum.org/articles/days-past-articles/1/the-space-between-a-history-of-the-sharlot-hall-museum-grounds