When driving down 2nd street of downtown Laramie, it’s hard not to notice a big iron storefront on one of the buildings that reads “Simon Durlacher.” The building on 203 S 2nd street has been around since 1872 when it was built by Simon Durlacher, making it one of the oldest buildings on the block.
It’s the first post for the Diversity Initiative’s Preservation Month, and what better to start the month than talk about Carnegie Libraries in Wyoming and the women’s clubs that helped make them possible. This profile is written by Andrea Graham, who leads our Cowboy Carnegie program which is a traveling exhibit that has gone to cities throughout Wyoming.
In 1905, Swayger built a home on six acres of land at the corner of Randall Avenue and Bent Street in Cheyenne. He built a Georgian Revival influenced house with many unique features of the era. At the time no other house looked like the Swayger home and it gained considerable recognition.
The Silver Star Camp located in Thayne, Wyoming was built in 1909 was built by the Ladies LDS Relief Society. In 2017, the DUP was awarded a Historic Architecture Assistance Fund grant which matched them with Dubbe-Moulder to create a rehabilitation plan for the property.
The Old Johnson school, which is currently being occupied by Destiny Church and Academy, was built on the South Side of Cheyenne in 1923. Following an unfortunate accident in 2016 which compromised a load bearing wall on the west side of the school, Destiny Church and Academy was awarded a Historic Architecture Assistance Fund grant in 2016, which connected them to TDSi in Cheyenne.
Rock Springs’ Slovenski Dom has served as the social and cultural heart of Rock Springs’ Slovenian community for over 100 years. This building is a great representation of the preservation of immigrant history within the state, and an important example of repurposing and using old buildings not leaving them dormant.
Located in West Laramie off of Highway 130 stands the 1910 wood frame Corthell Dairy Barn. Owner Candace Pisciotti was awarded a Historic Architecture Assistance Fund grant in 2016 to assess the barn’s condition. She hopes to develop a plan to preserve the building for future use.
In September 1940 the new Skyline Theater opened in Pinedale, Wyoming and operated as a theater until the 1980s. The Skyline Theater is located in Pinedale’s locally designated historic district, and was awarded a Historic Architecture Assistance Fund grant in 2017.