Capitol North Historic District Update, Cheyenne, Wyoming

Humstone Consulting

From introduction: "The purpose of this project is to provide updated information about the 115 properties included in the Capitol North Historic District National Register of Historic Places nomination completed in 1980. The updated information will be used by the Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board to review proposed development projects within the district boundaries. Cheyenne’s Capitol North Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. As was the norm in 1980, the National Register nomination form contains minimal information about the historic context and significance of the neighborhood, and Section 7 (Description) includes only brief descriptions of a dozen or so prominent buildings. The district was described in the nomination as a residential district with a “good blend of middle to upper class housing stock” built between 1905 and 1930 and reflecting a variety of early 20th century housing styles. The nomination noted that the houses were primarily frame with clapboard siding, with a smaller number of brick houses; roof styles were varied; irregular massing was common; and the houses exhibited architectural details such as chimneys, decorative gables, stained and beveled glass, dormers, porches, and entryway ornamentation, all adding up to a “rich catalog of architectural detail.” The nomination also noted the uniform setbacks of the homes and developed landscaping with continuity in plantings, which contributed to the cohesiveness of the district. Some application of replacement (generally vinyl) siding was noted in 1980 nomination form... In undertaking the updating of the 1980 district nomination, Humstone Consulting re-surveyed the district and developed criteria for evaluating each individual property as contributing or noncontributing to the district. A rating system was developed to aid in the evaluation, and physical data about each property was recorded on an Excel spreadsheet. At least one photograph was taken of each building. Information recorded includes: date (from Laramie County Assessor’s records only), architectural style, exterior wall materials, roof type and architectural features. Accessory buildings were also examined; however only those that retained a high degree of integrity were included in the updated inventory. All buildings within the boundaries of the 1980 historic district were surveyed, including three not listed in the 1980 property ownership list. Because the original district nomination contained descriptions of only 11 of 115 properties and an incomplete photographic record, it was almost impossible to analyze whether or not individual buildings had changed between 1980 and 2015. The short building descriptions in the nomination indicated that replacement siding was already applied to several buildings at the time of nomination. Since all of the buildings built during the period of significance and not specifically excluded from the nomination are considered listed on the National Register, the updated survey used fairly generous evaluation criteria, which allowed for replacement siding and replacement windows." Funding was provided in part by a 2015 Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board (project number WY-15-33) administered by the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office (grant number P15AF00216) and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Cheyenne, Wyoming is a Certified Local Government.

Capitol North Historic District Update, Cheyenne, Wyoming

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