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.

  1. Teton County Historic Preservation Board’s List of Historically Significant Properties
  2. Jackson Historic Register Nomination
  3. Town of Jackson Demolition Permits
  4. Certificates of Appropriateness

The Teton County Historic Preservation Board (TCHPB) also 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.

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

  • All document submission to the Historic Preservation Board must be submitted in one PDF document. The applicant is responsible for formatting architectural plans and images for the PDF format.
  • All PDFs submitted to the TCHPB must be labeled 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. A last-minutes submission does not ensure review at the next scheduled meeting. Please speak to your assigned town planner or see the TCHPB website for more information.
  • TCHPB meetings are public. Meeting packets are posted on this website before each meeting, including research reports and Jackson Planning Staff Reports related to your application. You are welcome, but not required to, attend TCHPB meetings.
  • No fees are charged for submitting materials to TCHPB.

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.

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. Jackson Historic Register

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

3. Town of Jackson Demolitions Permits

Please submit your demolition permit per Town of Jackson instructions. If your permit requires TCHPB review, it will be forwarded to us from Jackson Planning Department. Generally, buildings/resources 50 years old or older require review. After review the TCHPB recommendation is submitted to the Jackson Building and Planning Department.

4. 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. Owners of Teton County property outside the Town of Jackson may request a review and documentation of the historic preservation appropriateness of a project.

Properties inside Jackson Town limits: Follow the Town of Jackson instructions. Jackson Town Planning will forward your application to us.

Teton County, Wyoming Properties outside Jackson Town Limits:

Owners of Teton County properties located outside the Town of Jackson and designated as historically significant are not required to submit renovation projects to the Historic Preservation Board for review.

However, if your property is currently designated as historically significant and you want to ensure that an upcoming project will not void that designation, you may request that the Historic Preservation Board review your plans and determine if the project is appropriate given the property’s historic status. 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.

Property owners are responsible for submitting a complete request, including all materials listed below. Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed.

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

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.