Teton County Historic Preservation Board

Historic Preservation in Teton County, Wyoming

In 1915, Charles Wort bought four parcels of land for $100 and invested $90,000 constructing The Wort Hotel. In 1950, the Silver Dollar Bar was added, including the famous serpentine bar featuring 2,032 uncirculated silver dollars. The Wort survived a massive fire in 1980 and lives on as Jackson’s only historic luxury hotel.

Applying for Historic Significance Review and Determination — Information and Forms

The Teton County Historic Preservation Board (TCHPB) is responsible for determining the historic significance of properties in Teton County as part of four local programs. Instructions for each are provided below—simply click a program name to jump to its section.

Properties in Teton County, Outside Jackson Town Limits

Properties within Jackson Town Limits

General Instructions for Submitting Materials to the Teton County Historic Preservation Board

  • All submission to the Historic Preservation Board must be submitted in one PDF document.
  • Please label your PDF with the Jackson Planning Department identification number (Examples: DEM25-0012 or P25-0021) or the property address followed by the type of application. (Examples: 440EKelly_JHR or 240TetonLane_TCHPBList)
  • The applicant is responsible for submitting a complete application.
  • The applicant is responsible for timely submission of materials. Please speak to your assigned town planner or see the TCHPB website for more information.
  • TCHPB meetings are public. You are welcome, but not required to attend. You may attend in person or via Zoom. Meeting packets are posted on this website before each meeting.
  • No fees are charged for submitting materials to TCHPB.

Teton County Properties

(Outside the Town of Jackson)

1. Teton County Historic Preservation Board’s List of Historically Significant Properties

The Teton County Historic Preservation Board’s (TCHPB) List of Historically Significant Properties includes properties with historical significance within Teton County, but outside the Town of Jackson.

Apply to List a Property as “Historically Significant” Download the Application Form for Teton County Historic Preservation Board’s List of Historically Significant Properties. Applicants must include the Teton County Letter of Authorization.

Submit applications for the TCHPB List of Historically Significant Properties to tetonpreservation@gmail.com. Applications are reviewed during regular TCHPB meetings, held on the second Tuesday of each month. Please note the submission deadline for each month on our website.

2. Historic Property Project Review: Ensure your project will not affect historic designation

Renovations, additions, relocation, and other alterations to historic properties may affect their historic designation. To avoid invalidating historic designation, the Teton County Historic Preservation Board assists property owners by reviewing historic property project details. There is no charge for the review or the Board’s recommendations.

The Historic Preservation Board will review your plans and determine if the proposed work is in accordance with historic preservation standards. TCHPB members may also recommend changes to your project or offer other assistance to support appropriate historic preservation methods and materials.

Projects found to be historically appropriate are confirmed with a letter to the land owner and the Teton County Building and Planning Department.

To have your project reviewed for historical appropriateness, please submit all the materials listed below to tetonpreservation@gmail.com

Properties within Jackson Town Limits

1. Jackson Historic Register Listing

Owners of Jackson, Wyoming properties may submit an application to the Town of Jackson Planning Department. The planning department will submit your form to the TCHPB on your behalf.

Download the Town of Jackson Historic Register Application Form
Download the Town of Jackson Letter of Authorization Form

2. Town of Jackson Certificates of Appropriateness

A Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) is required for the approval of any significant change, addition, repositioning, or relocation of a listed Historic Resource located in the Town of Jackson.

Follow the Town of Jackson instructions. Jackson Town Planning will forward your application to the Historic Preservation Board.

3. Town of Jackson Demolition Permit Application Review

Note: Property owners are strongly encouraged to submit demolition permit application early.

Please submit your demolition permit application per Town of Jackson instructions. If the Planning Department staff determines that your application requires TCHPB review, they will forward your application to the Board.

Once forwarded to the TCHPB, the permit application is added to the agenda of the next meeting. TCHPB meetings are public and you are welcome to, but not required to, attend in person or via Zoom. You may also access TCHPB meetings packet on this website prior to the meeting. After their review, the TCHPB submits their findings to the Jackson Planning Director possibly including a recommendation to delay in the issuance of your permit of up to 100 days. The delay, or “stay of demolition”, provides the owner and the community time to preserve or move the historic resource.

The Planning Director reviews the TCHPB recommendation and then files his own recommendation and the TCHPB’s recommendation with the Jackson Town Council. The final decision regarding the issuance of the demolition permit will be made by the Jackson Town Council during a regular public meeting. Please check the Council’s agenda center online or ask your assigned planner to help.

National Register of Historic Places

The Teton County Historic Preservation Board (TCHPB) supports the listing of Teton County properties on the National Register of Historic Places by connecting property owners with qualified historic consultants who can prepare National Register applications. On a case-by-case basis, TCHPB may provide financial assistance covering up to 50% of eligible application costs.

To request support, please email tetonpreservation@gmail.com. Requests are reviewed at the next scheduled Preservation Board meeting.

What determines historic significance?

Not all “old” buildings are historic or historically significant. Historic significance is typically determined by a historic research professional and/or a government entity.

The process of determining historic significance includes documentation of building information, like build date and prior ownership, using official land records. That data is combined with information regarding the building’s prior use, current condition, and other factors. The report containing this research is called a survey. The survey information is evaluated using the Department of the Interior’s Standards. Once the historic significance of a building is determined, recommendations regarding potential actions are made by historic preservationists.

The Teton County Historic Preservation Board (TCHPB), made up of volunteer historic preservationists and professionals from related fields who’ve been appointed by the Teton County Commissioners. The TCHPB determines historic significance. The Town of Jackson and Teton County departments or governments use that determination to support their decisions regarding demolition permits, Jackson Historic Register listings, and Certificates of Appropriateness.