The
Bellemont Bahá'i School is located on a small parcel
of land surrounded on
all sides by the United States Forest Service. Its name is taken
from
the community of
Bellemont, Arizona
founded as a fueling station for steam
locomotives running
between
Chicago and Los
Angles before
Arizona became a state in
1912. The name is French for
referring
to the
12,600'
San Francisco Peaks that dominates the landscape from the
Bellemont Prairie.
With
the exception of being near the Santa Fe Railroad and Route
66, the site chosen for building
the
School was wilderness in 1957.
Construction
of the four
lane US I-40 to replace the old two lane highway was started after
World War II and well after Flagstaff Bahá'is began working on
the
School.
Work started with the
construction
of a foundation for a cabin moved to the site in 1958. However,
many more years would pass before the road was improved and the
infrastructure
needed for future development was
realized.
Although the property was purchased and deeded to the Local
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'is of Flagstaff in 1962; a plan
for the development of
the
School was not produced until the Bellemont Bahá'i School
Committee was formed in August of
1986.
Its creation
initiated the
first inter-community program started at the grass root level in
Arizona. From inception committee members have been appointed by
their local spiritual assemblies and groups. In 1989, guidelines
clearly identifying the committee's
responsibilities
were adopted. Currently there are thirty-eight members
representing thirteen local spiritual assemblies and five
groups
serving on the committee.
A significant increase in financial support for the School followed the formation of the committee, but the means of protecting the financial investments being made by other Bahá'i communities remained unprotected until 1996, when the members of the Flagstaff Local Spiritual Assembly officially granted every Local Spiritual Assembly and Group with committee members a vested interest in the School and property. Also, three amendments to the guidelines were made to assure Bahá 'is everywhere that this Bahá'i property will remain the site of a Bahá'i School.
Assuring
the property will remain a site for school does not mean all the
things that make a school have been accomplished. Providing the
infrastructure
took years to achieve. New utilities made a shower building with a
second floor library
possible.
Most
recently a new commercial kitchen and attached ramada (pavilion)
was completed in time for the annual 2010 Summer School
in
July. The achievements made over the last fifty-five years are
lighting the way in achieving the dream of an early band of
home
front pioneers to build a Bahá'i School. Their love for the
Bahá'i Faith is to be seen in their legacy. 
Note: The photograph above shows the members of the first Flagstaff LSA formed in 1957. Pictured: front row, l. to r. Helen Becker, Louise Becker and Elizabeth Coke. Middle, l. to r. are Bill McCormick, Calvin Barr, Timothy Becker, Nina Seibert and Gisela McCormick. Danny Gimlin is shown on the top left.
The photograph on the right is of the assembly members who incorporated the LSA in 1959. Shown in the first row, l. to r. are Louise Becker, Gisela Mc Cormick, Helen Becker, Donna Jenkins and Frances Latham. In the back row, l. to r. are Harry Hambly, Bill McCormick, Val Latham Sr. and Hilde McCormick.