spookysouthwest: Upon a remote mesa top outside of Sedona, Arizona stand the crumbling remains of th
spookysouthwest: Upon a remote mesa top outside of Sedona, Arizona stand the crumbling remains of the House of Apache Fire, built by Jack Frye for his beloved wife, Helen. He designed it to resemble the striking and unique architecture of the Hopi people. After their divorce, the house passed to Helen. Helen Frye was a prominent member of the arts community in Sedona, being a founder of the Sedona Arts Center that still stands today. Sometime in the 1970s, however, she became deeply involved in a newly-formed mystical cult called Eckankar. The cult immediately took control of her house, making alterations and turning the house into their Spiritual Center. One of these changes was replacing windows with mirrors, so as to protect the privacy of the worshipers inside. Walls were fortified, hidden rooms were added, and a meditation chamber they called a kiva was built underground. The hand-painted floor tiles were destroyed for no reason at all, except to remind Helen who was in control. She turned over significant amounts of money to them over the years, giving them a major financial boost. Thanks to Helen Frye’s money, the Eckankar are still around today, although they no longer own the House of Apache Fire. They sold it in 1980; it now stands on property owned by Red Rock State Park, and has fallen into ruin. -- source link