Route 66 - Stony Dell in Phelps County, Missouri

Opened on Sunday, May 22, 1932. The resort was located about fourteen miles west of Rolla near Arlington, Missouri. George Prewett and his family owned the land. Vernon Prewett, was a stone mason; he built many buildings on the property, the bathhouse, restaurant, and cabins.

He built in an artistic stone style known as giraffe rock architecture often created using locally sourced cobble and sandstone. The most notable examples of that kind of stone architecture at Stony Dell were the bathhouse and restaurant, they became Route 66 landmarks.

The store was the first commercial building built on the land owned by the Prewett’s. George ran it and the general store just off Route 66 through the 1920s. Additions to the property's footprint began about 1928 when Vern added cabins across the road from the filling station.

The stone and wood cabins were the first additions to what became the Resort. Built on the south side of Route 66 just off the highway cabin accommodations were considered quite rustic but there was a small well house nearby so that guests could help themselves to spring water.

The pool was completed next. The locals around Arlington began using it in the summer of 1931. It opened to the public the following summer. It was constructed of concrete and spring-fed; the pool was large, almost 100 feet in length, 44 feet wide, and varied in depth.

The spring fed water system kept the pool cool and refilled it naturally. The spring was piped to the pool area and then released to cascade through a giraffe stone structure into the pool. The waterfall as visitors called it, was a popular feature at Stonydell.

Above the high dive centered on the wall was a stone star inside a rock circle with a light fixture at its center. This light lit the whole pool area and allowed guests to view special entertainment and swim at night.

Behind the pool, running along its length was a large stone two-story structure that held over 50 changing rooms for visitors to use when swimming in the pool. The bathhouse was made of giraffe stone with a stone archway at the center of the roof that often had an American flag.

Behind the slide connected by a concrete surround was the restaurant. The exterior of the restaurant was built in the giraffe stone style. The inside was elegantly furnished with tables, chairs, and booths all made of native red cedar.

The park and picnic area were added in 1935 behind the bathhouse. Visitors entered the park through an archway flanked by half walls on either side. The park had a pyramid-shaped rock garden, benches, swings, teeter-totter, and open green spaces. The park was free to use.

Many changes were made were made over the years. A souvenir store was built, and the original wellhouse was enveloped by the structure, sometime in the late 1930s or early 1940s. Signage advertised fresh, free artisanal water to encourage travelers to stop.

George sold Stony Dell around 1950, over property disputes with his son, Vern. After changing hands again, Stony Dell was purchased by Fred and Esther Widener in 1954. The Widener children ran the pool, offered swimming lessons, and acted as lifeguards. Fred ran the restaurant.