The Villa Philmonte was the New Mexico home of Waite and Genevieve Phillips. It was constructed in the Spanish Mediterranean style from 1926 to 1927 and it is 28,400 square feet in size. The Villa Philmonte is a house museum today. Tour guides tell the story of the Phillips family, their Philmont Ranch, and the gifting of that ranch in two parcels to the Boy Scouts of America, 1938 and 1941. Please call the Philmont Museum for tour information – 575-376-2281, select option 5.
Waite Phillips was born on a farm in southwestern Iowa on January 19, 1883. He was born with an identical twin whose name was Wiate. Note that the “a” and the “i” in the two names were transposed – very confusing! The boys were extremely adventuresome. When they turned 16 in 1899 they left the farm and set out to see the West. They traveled thousands of miles and took jobs whenever they needed money. They worked at timber camps, railroad camps, a shingle factory, hotels, and even Western Union as messengers
After 2 years of restoration, the Villa player piano now plays for all tours.