July 2022
Time to make: 1.5 hours
Finishing: 1 hour
Original design: Philmont / Bill Macfarlane
It's the day before we arrive at Philmont but we are in Cimarron, NM and one of the places we will be at is the St. James Hotel. Now I know what your thinking, why a door? I'll get to that...
The St. James has a long history in Cimarron as famous and infamous have stayed there such as Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill, Bat Masterson, Zane Grey, Clay Allison, Black Jack Ketchum, Annie Oakley, Jesse James, and the outlaw Davy Crockett (a descendant of the original) just to name a few. It is said there are so many bullet holes in the celling that the roof had to be replaced and a double layer of hardwood floor placed in the rooms upstairs to keep sleeping guests from being shot by some downstairs. You can still see 20 bullet holes in the dining room alone. The door? I'm getting there.
One other thing, the hotel is haunted. From Mary Lambert, the wife of the original owner, who's favorite haunt is to stand at the end of a guest's bed until they become aware of her presence to the little boy who giggles and runs through the halls. But one of the most active ghosts is T.J. Wright who won the hotel in a poker game one night. The following day he was going to collect his winnings but was shot by an unknown assailant. The wounded cowboy was carried to a room where he died two days latter. Yes, the room was room 18 which he believes is his room in his hotel. In the past when room 18 has been rented to guests, TJ goes on a rampage roaming the halls and breaking things. The owners decided that room 18 would be locked and kept for TJ Wright as his own. Every month the staff changes the linens, leave a fresh bottle of Jack Daniels whisky, and tobacco to keep him happy.
Carved from a piece of pallet pine, a simple slide to carve and finish. I first painted with a white primer first and then painted with a thin brown hobby paint to give it a wood grain look. The door knob is a black tack and the lettering is done with waterslide paper. A couple of coats of poly finish it off.