About this property
Old Main, built 140 years ago in 1886 in Laramie, Wyoming, was the first building on the University of Wyoming campus and continues as its oldest. At an approximate elevation of 7,180 feet (2,190 m) above sea level, it currently houses university administration. Old Main was built as a result of the University Bill, passed by the government of the Territory of Wyoming. In a compromise among territorial legislators, Laramie was given the university, Cheyenne was given the capitol, and Evanston was given $10,000 to build an insane asylum. All three were fast-growing cities near Wyoming's southern border and connected by the Union Pacific Railroad. Territorial Governor Francis E. Warren appointed three Laramie residents to a building commission (J.W. Donnellan, LeRoy Grant and Robert Marsh) and allocated $50,000 to build the first university building in the territory. The building commission contracted Frederick Hale to design and Cook and Callahan to construct the building. Frederick Hale began his career as an architect in Denver around 1890. After designing Old Main early in his career, Hale moved to Utah and became an important figure in Salt Lake City architecture. Hale designed the David Keith Mansion, the Downey House, the Haxton Place, and the Markland/Walker House, all built on Salt Lake City's historic Temple Street. He also built the A.O. Whitmore Electric Automobile Building in Salt Lake City. Hale designed Old Main in the Romanesque Revival style. Its heavy stone construction, axial nature, symmetry, arch, and rectangular footprint all reflect the Romanesque style. Rough-cut sandstone, quarried from east of Laramie, is the primary stone used. The trim stone is Potsdam Sandstone, quarried from the Rawlins area. This smooth-textured stone contrasts with the native sandstone. As the first university building in the Wyoming Territory, Hale designed Old Main as an imposing structure. He included a central spire to serve both as a focal point for the structure and a signal of the building's importance. Old Main was built to reflect Wyoming rather than copying university structures of the Eastern United States. One can see the rough-textured body of the building representing the developing frontier, while the minimal usage of classical decoration might symbolize the emerging sophistication of the Wyoming population. The Masonic Order laid the cornerstone on September 27, 1886, construction finished on September 1, 1887. Classes began five days later, on September 6, 1887. It was originally called the University Building, because it housed the entire university. It included classrooms, labs, administration, maintenance, an auditorium, and a library. A two-story, 500-seat auditorium on the second level quickly became an entertainment center for Laramie.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Old Main listed on the National Register?
Old Main was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 10, 1986.
What type of historic resource is Old Main?
Old Main is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Old Main?
The period of significance for Old Main is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Old Main?
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