Tony Zimmerman, the Old Man of the Mountain, had a vision of his famous Mt. Lemmon Inn, that it would be revered as the Community Center for the village of Summerhaven.  During the 1940s and '50s, his inn served as a place for gatherings, groceries, social events, dances, great food and the hub of activity for all to enjoy.  After the Inn had changed hands various times and burned in 1970, the land lay forlorn and idle.

On July 4th, 2007, once again vision became reality in the Village of Summerhaven, as the new Mt. Lemmon Community Center was formally dedicated.  The dream began with planning by many people after the Aspen Fire of 2003 and a bond election by voters in Pima County to fund a facility for all who visit Mt. Lemmon.  Dilligent efforts by Pima County Board of Supervisors Ray Carroll, Pima County planners, architect Phil Swaim of Swaim & Associates, Summerhaven residents and property owners, and the builder, Corona Sierra, have created a magnificent addition to the heart of the community.



The Mt. Lemmon Community Center Advisory Committee was created to select artists for the public art that would become a permanent display for the new structure.  Its mission was "to assist Pima County in developing a village center for Summerhaven that reflects the history of the village, celebrates the spirit of the community, and educates village residents and visitors on the special environment of the mountain."   In addition,  the Santa Catalina Mountains Partnership met to develop proposed uses and management structure for the new Mt. Lemmon facility.  
Trees for Mt. Lemmon actively participated in the choice of landscaping materials to enhance the community center grounds and renovated creek area, and in addition provided coyote willow saplings for the creek and dogwood shrubs to augment plants provided by Pima County to illustrate the use of native species for visitors. Prairie sage, columbine, Arizona fescue and maple trees grace the grounds.  Our volunteers watered the young plants throughout the summer months until they became established and will continue to do so as needed.
A historic apple tree dating back to the 1920s, burned in the Aspen Fire near the Alpine Lodge that also perished.  Before the charred trunk was cut down, Russ Buhrow, curator of plants at Tohono Chul Park and Trees for Mt. Lemmon, grafted a shoot from that old tree, and today a young sapling proudly stands in the south patio in honor of the rebirth of the mountain.  A gift from the Tucson Patio Garden Club provided funds for the project.  
Trees for Mt. Lemmon, along with the Mt. Lemmon Woman's Club, each donated $5,000 for the purchase of tables and chairs for the meeting room, and two permanent desk chairs for the Visitor's Center.
The Mt. Lemmon Community Center is part of Pima County's Natural Resources Parks Recreation Department. Although the building is owned by Pima County, the Mt. Lemmon Community Center, Inc., was created to make decisions and govern the operations.  The Community Center is open exclusively for charitable, social and educational purposes.  The facility is dependant upon local volunteers to staff and support the center, and its mission is to:

•  Welcome all who visit the facility and promote Summerhaven, Mt. Lemmon and Pima County, Arizona