Jackson Historic Downtown Walking Tour

This tour was curated by: Teton County Historic Preservation Board

The Teton County Historic Preservation Board Mission: The Teton County Historic Preservation Board (TCHPB) exists to identify, protect, and preserve Teton County’s architectural and archaeological heritage to ensure respectful planning and development that preserves our sense of place and community character.

The Teton County Historic Preservation Board Vision Statement: TCHPB envisions a community where vital historic properties exist in concert with new development. Community members and local governments recognize the value and power of historic preservation and implement effective preservation policies and practices.

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1. Jackson Town Square

Jackson’s Town Square has several evolutions of use that are older than the town itself. Once an area host to wild cowboys, stray livestock, and trash, the Square looks very different today. In 1932 it was formally named George Washington Memorial Park as part of a nation-wide movement to beautify town centers in honor of Washington’s 200th birthday. The Square appears to be an integral piece of the town plan today, but its placement is an accident that traces its roots to the early homesteading history of Jackson Hole.

2. The Clubhouse

The Clubhouse was built in 1897 and served as the first community gathering space in Jackson. Nearly every early community civic need began in this building. It once housed the school, church, post office, elections, trials, a mercantile, barbershop, bakery, and has served the community continuously. In 1908 a renovation was completed, which added a second story and the distinctive hipped roof still visible today. The old log walls were sheathed with clapboard, and the building became the origin point for the Town Square. The businesses that outgrew its walls were sited next door, or in the immediate area and the center of town was established.

3. Van Vleck House

In 1910 Roy Van Vleck began construction on a modest log cabin in preparation for his upcoming marriage to Genevieve Lawton. Genevieve was a member of a wealthy middle-class family in Michigan and used to modern amenities like indoor plumbing. However, Genevieve shared the same pioneer spirit as her future husband, and embraced her rustic cabin and exterior “two-holer.” Though she warned her daughters to both marry within their community, because her heart was always divided between her family in Michigan and her life in Wyoming.

4. Smith House

Originally built as a resident in 1941, the Smith House has seen a lot of change over its 82-year history. The evolution of the building closely mirrors that of the Town of Jackson. From a small rural and agricultural area in the 1940s to a bustling western town when the false-front façade was added in the 1980s. It was eventually moved in 1994 when its former location was chosen for the newly expanded Teton County municipal offices. Now preserved in perpetuity with a façade easement, the old mid-20th century building is at home in its current location, in an open green setting more closely associated with its early bungalow architecture.

5. Weston House

The Weston house was built in 1936 for Harry and Stella V. Weston, the daughter and son-in-law of Roy and Genevieve Van Vleck. The Van Vlecks were a close family, and Stella’s sister Jean was given land for her own house to the east (now present site of the Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum). Harry Weston eventually purchased the Mercantile from his father-in-law Roy Van Vleck and the Westons were involved in several community organizations. They lived here until 1983, when it was then renovated into a commercial space. It is currently owned by the Healthy Being Café and Juicery.

6. Jackson Drug Company

Jackson Drug operated for 87 years before closing in 2001. Jim Simpson had originally opened it in the Clubhouse in 1914, and later sold the business to his pharmacist Bruce Porter in 1920. In 1937 the Jackson Drug building was constructed, and quickly became a literal cornerstone of the community. The modern stone ashlar façade was a big change for a predominantly log and wooden clapboard town. In 2010 Porter’s descendants reacquired the building, and in 2018 they reopened Jackson Drug. In 2023, the Jackson Drug business has operated for a collective 92 years.

7. Teton Theatre

The Teton Theatre operated for 70 years from 1942 until 2012 and was a beloved business in a historic building. It was originally built in 1942 by Bruce Porter, who also owned the adjacent Rainbow Theatre, and ran the first movie theatre in Jackson in the Clubhouse in the 1920s. He built and opened the Teton Theatre to operate as a dedicated movie theatre, with modern technology and stadium seating. The descendants of Bruce Porter renovated the theater building in 2018 and preserved many of the original features, including the exterior marquee. It currently operates as a pizza restaurant.

8. St. John's Chapel

Jackson Hole’s rugged and remote geography meant that few reliable transportation routes were available prior to the 1910s. Those intrepid enough to make the journey were primarily large extended Mormon families looking for available land. The majority of the early churches were Mormon, and served the largely Mormon communities. In 1911 the first Episcopal building was constructed in the town of Jackson, just a block away from the developing Town Square. Today it’s known as the Rectory, but in 1911 the community called it the “Rest Home.” A small chapel was built in 1915 to house a growing congregation. Both buildings are still extant today on the St. John’s campus.

9. Deloney Store

Charles “Pap” Deloney opened Jackson Hole’s first general store in 1899 in his home. In 1906, the store expanded to its own location. Deloney chose a modern brick veneer thanks to the newly established brickyard. A series of buildings like the school, church, and hotel utilized the new material, but the Deloney Store is the only survivor from this period. Pap Deloney supplied a wide variety of goods to support the needs of the rural community, but candy proved to be his best-seller. When he went out of town, he left the store open and patrons left notes for what they took. But Pap had to lock up the candy in the safe, because that had a habit of disappearing.

10. Spicer Garage

The Jackson Hole Playhouse was built in 1916 with a very different appearance and purpose. It was originally built as a garage for wagon and automobile storage in the winter. A blacksmith shop was added in 1919 to help make repairs on the automobiles and in 1923 a Ford dealership opened under Walt Spicer. The building quickly became known as “Spicer’s Garage,” a name still associated with the building today. Spicer sold genuine Ford parts, and serviced a variety of vehicles. The building was equipped with electricity, a modern amenity unavailable to the rest of Jackson until the 1940s. In the 1950s the building was converted into a bowling alley by new owners Ed and Vera Cheney. They ran Cheney Electric, a radio and small appliance store. In 1959 the Cheneys remodeled the bowling alley into a 150-set theater. The building exterior was also changed significantly to help draw business as the Pink Garter Theater. It later became the Jackson Hole Playhouse in 1974.

11. The Wort Hotel

The Wort Hotel was built in 1941, and was the dream of the late Charles Wort. Wort homesteaded in Jackson Hole in the 1890s and dreamed of building a luxury hotel. He became one of the premiere outfitters, and ran a successful livery stable and automobile garage. The enterprising Wort also purchased the Ole Warner Camp on Jackson Lake and remodeled it into an outfitting resort (today known as Signal Mountain Lodge). After family tragedy struck, Charles’ sons John and Jess took up the Wort mantle and built their father’s dream hotel. They personally quarried and laid the foundation stones, and established luxury accommodations in Jackson Hole.

12. The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar

The Cowboy Bar was began as “Ruby’s Saloon” in the early 1930s before a large renovation and a name change in 1939. Ben Goe Sr. renamed the business to create a more general appeal and draw. His vision was to create a western themed bar where any cowboy or tourist could pull up to the bar and have a drink. The business was successful, and upon Goe’s retirement the mantel was taken up by a succession of owners who added their own flair and character to the building. They all saw it as the keystone business it is today, where locals and tourists alike rub elbows on the dance floor and on the famous saddle barstools.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Jackson Historic Downtown Walking Tour

Created by Samantha Ford on October 27th 2023, 1:15:06 am.

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Description

This tour highlights the old buildings and sites of downtown Jackson, Wyoming. The seat of Teton County and Jackson Hole, the town of Jackson was incorporated in 1914. The buildings on this tour reflect the varied history of the town, from the early homesteaders up until modern day. The tour helps to trace the evolution of Jackson from a rural agricultural community to a bustling 20th century tourist destination. Located within driving distance of Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park and the Bridger-Teton National Forest, the Jackson Hole valley is ideally situated for those looking for outdoor adventure and Wild West history.

Entries on This Tour

Jackson Historic Downtown Walking Tour

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