Posted on 12/31/2004 7:31:02 AM PST by Theodore R.
Preservation effort gets help from Cheney
By Kevin Wingert news@wyomingnews.com Published in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
CHEYENNE - The second most powerful man in the country believes the Wyoming Historic Governors' Mansion is worth preserving.
Wyoming's own Dick Cheney, the vice president of the United States, has donated money to the foundation overseeing the restoration of the historic landmark where 19 different gubernatorial families lived while in office.
"To know that the vice president of our country is aware of your project and thinks enough of it that he wants to be part of it and wants to be part of it financially is absolutely the most exciting thing you could imagine," said Elisabet de Vallee, the chairwoman of the Wyoming Historic Governors' Mansion Foundation. "We're thrilled."
The foundation has already raised more than $1 million for the restoration project and is seeking an additional $300,000. The restoration of the mansion at 300 E. 21st St. is scheduled to be completed in time for the centennial celebration and its re-opening to the public June 10-12.
"The building itself tells so much of the story of Wyoming and to some degree the development of Western culture throughout the 20th century," said de Vallee, who has served on the foundation's board since October of 2001. "We have a historic legacy that we must honor and respect."
The restoration of the Historic Governors' Mansion is unique, as different portions of the mansion and the adjacent carriage house are being restored to different points in history.
"It's difficult to try and tie everything together from that many different years of restoration," said Darin Westby, the engineering supervisor for the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Historic Sites. "But through collaborative effort, we think we've come up with a really neat way to tie in all that history."
Some rooms in the mansion will be restored to their 1905 state, when the building became the home of Gov. Bryant B. Brooks and his family. The mansion would be inhabited by Wyoming first families for the next 71 years.
Even in 1905, the mansion was on the cusp of new technology. The mansion incorporated electrical lighting throughout the house, but it also had older gas lamps.
"They wanted to hedge their bets in case the new technologies didn't work out," de Vallee said. "They had old reliables so you didn't leave the governor in the dark."
Other rooms, including the dining room, will reflect the 1937 redecoration of the mansion under the guidance of Gov. Leslie Miller and his wife, Margaret.
The governor's den will be restored to the late 1950s to reflect Gov. Milward Simpson's vision of capturing the essence of Wyoming in the mansion.
On the third floor, two rooms will be restored to the late 1960s time period to reflect Gov. Stanley Hathaway's term. His wife, Bobby, had the two maid rooms converted into bedrooms for their daughters, Susan and Sondra.
"It's taken time and thought and luck, really, particularly in finding the 1937 fabrics and wallpaper that work together," said Tim White, the superintendent and curator for the Historic Governors' Mansion. "I discovered it's easier to find fabrics for upholstery, curtains and wallpapers from the turn of the (20th) century than it is to find the fabrics from the 1937 era."
White said many of Wyoming's first ladies, both past and present, returned items from their period in the mansion to be included in this restoration effort.
Beyond historic restoration, there were some structural concerns that needed to be addressed. Westby said water had been infiltrating into the basement, which could substantially damage the foundation of the building.
"From a structural standpoint, it will deteriorate the foundation and the mortar to the point where it crumbles," Westby said.
Westby said the restoration project presented several unique challenges in restoring structures to previous eras. He pointed to the renovated carriage house that had been converted into a garage. To restore it to its original 1905 structure, Westby said the garage door had to be removed and brick that matched 1905's standards in shape and size reinserted.
"We had to have a mason shave down the bricks to the right size and length," Westby said. "You have to do right by the architecture. Unfortunately that's not cheap. Restoration is not cheap."
To help raise the remaining $300,000 needed for the effort, de Vallee said the foundation has begun a brick donor campaign. For $100 a brick, donors can have up to three lines of text engraved in bricks that will become part of the carriage house's patio, adjacent to the First Family Tribute Garden.
The foundation also has organized a series of Music at the Mansion events that take place at Nagle Warren Mansion at 2 p.m. on the second Sunday of every month. Tickets are $15.
"These families led the state of Wyoming for decades . this is where they lived," said Lara Azar, the press secretary for Gov. Dave Freudenthal, who is serving as an honorary chairman for fundraising in the restoration effort. "It's something that should be valued for its historical perspective if nothing else."
To donate
To buy a commemorative brick, tickets to Music at the Mansion or make a tax-deductible donation for the restoration of the Historic Governors' Mansion, call 777-7878 or e-mail WyomingHGMF@aol.com.
Immediately they see the article I am sure.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.