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Did you know Jackson once had a water tower? This tower was installed in 1929 as part of the town’s first gravity-fed system that brought running water into the buildings for the first time. To demonstrate the power of the new system, water was shot over the roof of the Clubhouse to encourage residents to connect their houses.
📸: 1991.3636.012 (History Jackson Hole collection @jacksonhole_history)
#thisplacematters #historicpreservation #jacksonhole #jacksonholehistory #peoplesavingplaces #savingplaces #thatswy #deserve2preserve
Can you guess what famous intersection in town this is? It’s facing southwest and none of the visible businesses still exist. The white clapboard with the false front on the left is an extension of the smaller log building on the right, they’re both the Log Cabin Club. Across the road is the remains of a Texaco Station, owned and built by Chester Simpson in 1934. The photo also shows the road has been dug up to install the next segment of the new water system.
📸: 1958.0571.001P (History Jackson Hole Collection @jacksonhole_history
#thisplacematters #historicpreservation #jacksonhole #jacksonholehistory #peoplesavingplaces #savingplaces #thatswy #deserve2preserve
Announcing the Teton County Historic Preservation Board`s Heritage Tours Series! This brand new multi-media project will be launched in May to celebrate Preservation Month. We`ve been hard at work on this and we`re so excited to give you a sneak preview.
Heritage Tours was funded by the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board @visitjacksonhole to celebrate the history of downtown Jackson. This series was designed to compliment a self-guided walking tour the Preservation Board launched in the fall of 2023. Step back in time with us and discover the important history of our community.
N is for: National Folk Style
National Folk is a catch-all term with which to categorize the varied architecture unique to local areas. Meaning, due to geographic and social constraints, certain patterns in house building can take different shapes depending on the local climate and access to materials. In Jackson, log tends to be the most-used building material in the early 20th century due to the difficulty in accessing nationwide trade routes via the railroad.
We have many representations of different forms and styles of National Folk architecture, but one of the most recognized is the Van Vleck house. These square frames with hipped or pyramidal roofs were cost effective and gave you the most space for the least building supplies. Something needed in Jackson in 1910 when it was constructed. Later examples of our National Folk buildings are frame, with clapboard siding as transportation routes improved.
Keep an eye out for examples of National Folk around town (we have quite a few)! Take a photo and tag us.
📸: Van Vleck home now Cafe Genevieve (History Jackson Hole 1958.2467.001)
@jacksonhole_history
#HistoricPreservation #ThisPlaceMatters #JacksonHoleWyoming #JacksonWY #Architecture #deserve2preserve
The Secretary’s Standards for the treatment of historic properties are an important set of guidelines that help protect historic resources. The last few months we’ve looked at the definition for each standard. Now, how to choose which standard might apply to a project? There are several considerations and each is determined by the needs of the individual building or structure. The most common include level of significance (local, state, federal), physical condition, proposed use, and any applicable codes (fire, ADA).
Proposed Use: If the intent of the project is to utilize the building for a new use, a decision has to be made about the loss of original materials with the new use. If too many important character-defining features will need to be altered or replaced then the project may not qualify. Sometimes creative solutions can be made to preserve original materials and character.
One local example is the transformation of the Hardeman barns at the Teton Raptor Center into exhibit and event space that preserved the large open hayloft.
To read more on the Secretary’s Standards, please visit the link in our bio.
📸: Gerrit Hardeman outside the Moseley-Hardeman barn. History Jackson Hole Collection 1958.0217.001P & Photo by Samantha Ford
#HistoricPreservation #ThisPlaceMatters #JacksonHoleWyoming #HistoricWyoming #SavingPlaces #JacksonHoleHistory #JacksonHole #HistoryJacksonHole #ThatsWY #PeopleSavingPlaces
🗓️ Mark your calendars for the 2nd Tuesday of every month for the Preservation Board meeting!
🤝 Our next Board Meeting on Tuesday, April 8th from 7-9pm is ZOOM ONLY.
👥The public is welcome to comment at every meeting. For details about this month’s meeting, see the links below:
📋 AGENDA: https://tetonhistoricpreservation.org/tchpb-meeting-documents/
💻 ZOOM LINK: https://bit.ly/teton-preservation-zoom
#HistoricPreservation #ThisPlaceMatters #JacksonHoleWyoming #HistoricWyoming #PeopleSavingPlaces #JacksonHoleHistory #HistoryJacksonHole
📖 This month’s Preservation Dictionary term is: Cultural Landscapes!
A cultural landscape is a historically significant property that shows evidence of human interaction with the physical environment.
The National Park Service recognizes four cultural landscape categories: historic designed landscapes, historic vernacular landscapes, historic sites, and ethnographic landscapes.
📥 Have suggestions for a definition or questions about cultural landscapes? Leave them below!
#HistoricPreservation #ThisPlaceMatters #JacksonHoleWyoming #JacksonWY #PreservationDictionary #savingplaces
Another example of a cabin with whitewashing, although this time on the interior (no longer extant), is the Luther Taylor cabin near Kelly. Along with a dry-laid stone foundation and wooden plank floors, the cabin`s exterior has another unique construction element. It would seem at a loss for a suitable aggregate (sand, small stones) or even a concrete mixture, leftover crushed pieces of wood were used. This is identifiable as a homemade mixture for both the bits of wood as the gloppy amounts of mud or concrete, and likely some lime. The chinking also appears to carry a paint pigment, but an in-depth lab analysis is needed to determine the exact makeup. It is certainly the most interesting chinking in the valley.
📸: Photo by Samantha Ford
#thisplacematters #historicpreservation #jacksonhole #jacksonholehistory #peoplesavingplaces #savingplaces #thatswy #deserve2preserve
Wondering where Bill Menor got the whitewash to make his buildings sparkly white? His brother Holiday homesteaded directly across the Snake River on the east bank and constructed a lime kiln. The kiln provided an important building material: quicklime. Water was added to rehydrate the lime and it could be used for a variety of uses like chinking on a log cabin, plaster, or whitewashing. It could also aid in a variety of agricultural uses. The Menor homestead stands out today as the only remaining exterior whitewashed cabin. Other area homesteads utilized Holiday’s quicklime to whitewash their interiors, helping to brighten the spaces.
📸: Menor’s Homestead (History Jackson Hole @jacksonholehistory 1989.2308.001)
#thisplacematters #historicpreservation #jacksonhole #jacksonholehistory #peoplesavingplaces #savingplaces #thatswy #deserve2preserve
M is for: Mid-century Modern!
This architectural type is the most endangered in the Town of Jackson, especially in the Gill Addition. There’s a misconception that only the very oldest buildings are considered “historic.” Especially when people alive today can remember the development of these neighborhoods. In 100 years from now when they’re all over 150 years old, how many will be left? One of the reasons we don’t have a lot of very old historic buildings is because 50-100 years ago they also weren’t considered important enough to save either. Now we cherish them. Your decisions right now impact the future of our built environment.
Have you seen an example of mid-century modern architecture around town? Take a photo and tag us.
📸: A recently demolished house at 375 E. Gill. Photo credit @jacksonfunk.jh
#HistoricPreservation #ThisPlaceMatters #JacksonHoleWyoming #JacksonWY #Architecture #deserve2preserve
As some of you have correctly guessed, it’s Menor’s Ferry! Built by Bill Menor sometime between 1894-1896. When Bill arrived in Jackson Hole, he knew he wanted to operate a ferry to provide a safe crossing for the formidable Snake River. He chose his parcel carefully, for it’s easy bank access and the safest water. By 1908 when Menor received his patent, he had constructed a 5-room cabin, a storeroom, an ice house, a shed, a barn and related corrals. He also operated a small general store. Initially he cultivated 12 acres of land (seen in last week’s photo), but downsized to 5 acres after his ferry and store business became popular.
Menor was the West Bank’s sole occupant until 1911 when Jimmy Manges filed on a patent near Timbered Island. The ferry remained the safest river crossing option until the 1920s when two bridges were built at Wilson, and at the current-day site at Dornan’s (the current bridge is further south than the original). By 1929 the ferry was no longer in service.
📸: History Jackson Hole @jacksonholehistory 1989.2308.001 & Photo by Samantha Ford.
#thisplacematters #historicpreservation #jacksonhole #jacksonholehistory #peoplesavingplaces #savingplaces #thatswy #deserve2preserve
This is a “backward” view of one of the most-visited homesteads in Jackson Hole. Have any guesses where it is? Hint: the bright white buildings are a giveaway! Come back Thursday for the reveal!
📸: History Jackson Hole @jacksonholehistory 2003.0073.013
#HistoricPreservation #ThisPlaceMatters #JacksonHoleWyoming #HistoricWyoming #PeopleSavingPlaces #JacksonHoleHistory #HistoryJacksonHole
