“Some of Wyoming’s most interesting structures display no architect-designed elements or manufactured materials. These intriguing buildings exhibit craftsmanship attained only by man’s hand. These buildings fall into the category of folk architecture.” (1)
Drawn piece-sur-piece detail.
This line drawing shows a birds-eye-view of piece-sur-piece construction, the viewpoint is from the top of a vertical log looking down. (Illustration by Jamie Wells.)Figure 1: Piece-sur-piece construction (2)
Folk architecture is a combination of traditional and personal sources that is indicative of dude ranches architecture that we may see today. “Ideas concerning the exterior design, the interior plans, the construction techniques, and the preparation of construction materials are passed from one generation to the next by informal methods, usually orally through hands on experience. The design of a folk building is derived from the knowledge of its builder. The structure reflects his background, creativity and level of craftsmanship. The design process is informal, and regular architectural plans are not part of the scenario. As in manufactured architecture, repetitive forms or types are seen; however, the builders did not rely on mass-produced plan nor manufactured elements.” (3)
Valley Ranch, Park County
Figure 2: This modest log cabin, located at the Valley Ranch, is typical of many of Wyoming's earliest cabins. The builder used materials, logs and sod, that could be obtained in the area (Drawing by Jamie Wells.) (4)
Many of the buildings and other structures on dude ranches display folk architecture. It is most likely that when you visit a dude ranch you will see structures that were built to operate the ranch, hold livestock and hay, and to house the people that stayed there. Homesteaders and early ranchers brought with them this passed down knowledge of building design, material use, and wood working techniques. The valley ranch located in Park County is a great example of this sort of personal architecture and use of materials from the area. The building itself is made of logs of the surrounding forest and the roof is laid with sod for protection and insulation. Mud was packed in the cracks between the logs and lodge pole pines were used for the fencing around the outside. Such a building would seem to be the simplest design and construction to us nowadays, but to the dude rancher or homesteader they were the best the land could offer.
**Images Courtesy of the American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
(1)Starr, Eileen F. Architecture in the Cowboy State 1849-1940, Interpreting Wyoming’s Architecture-Folk Architecture, p.47, 1992.
(2)Figure 1: Piece-sur-piece construction. Starr, Eileen F., Architecture in the Cowboy State 1849-1940, 1992.
(3) Starr, Eileen F. Architecture in the Cowboy State 1849-1940, Interpreting Wyoming’s Architecture-Folk Architecture, p.47, 1992.
(4)Figure 1: Valley Ranch Cabin. Starr, Eileen F., Architecture in the Cowboy State 1849-1940, 1992.
