Andrea Graham: The Cooper House at the University of Wyoming is the only building of its style on campus, or even in Laramie. Built by the Cooper family in the 1920s, it is modeled after a Santa Barbara home in a combination of Mission Revival and Pueblo Revival styles and was occupied by the Coopers until 1979. It survived threats of demolition and in the late 1980s became the home of UW’s American Studies Program. And a “home” it is, warm and inviting with a big sunny living room for informal gatherings and classes, and unique architectural details inside and out, including a bell over the front porch. The program has a tradition of capturing photos of its graduates each May on that porch. I am lucky to work in the building, which has produced many preservationists, no doubt inspired by the history surrounding them.

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