LEGACY HOMESTEAD

Our clients own one of the original homesteads in Teton County, Wyoming, which is still an operating ranch. When they purchased the historic Byron Jenkins Ranch, it had ten existing buildings demonstrating the vernacular architecture of the valley between 1938 and 1948. The buildings were modest and practical, designed to meet the needs at the time and constructed using inexpensive, locally sourced materials. The ranch buildings are a walk through the history of Jackson Hole and demonstrate the self-sufficiency of the valley’s settlers as structures include a blacksmith shop, an ice house, a stable for milk cows, a granary and a machine shed. We’ve collaborated with the owners over many years as their stewardship of the property has evolved, always aiming to respect the ranch’s history while finding ways to rehabilitate and repurpose the existing structures.

Though the owners are very comfortable with their existing home on the property, they wanted our help in creating a structure of new construction on the ranch. They envisioned a modest event venue that could be used as a guest house, and as a larger gathering area, both indoor and outdoor, for themselves, for their family and friends. Since they are from the South, they mentioned a traditional dog trot concept, which is some form of enclosed elements flanking an open but covered breezeway. They shared with DMA a number of images for inspiration from their travels such as low pitch hip roofs, shared roofs, and a ventilation element called a belvedere (cupola).

Principal Kurt Dubbe enjoyed designing this new Dog Trot which is divided into thirds, with the lefthand side a gathering room, the middle an open air venue with a small kitchenette, and the righthand third a one-bedroom ARU. For the construction, the owners engaged Hearthstone, a timber frame company out of Tennessee that they had used previously. The Dog Trot was created as a timber frame building with plank siding and a river rock base around the building perimeter, a nod to the vernacular materials available in the valley. The roof is similarly traditional with a class B fire retardant wood shake cedar shingle and copper treatment in some portions. The completed building is a finely crafted, relatively modest in scale structure that speaks to the clients and their interest in details.

In addition to the Dog Trot, Dubbe Moulder Architects developed a master plan in order to re-align the road properly to create a direct sight line of the Dog Trot when visitors arrive on the property. The master plan is also an aide as some of the historic structures have been relocated around the property. Along with the Dog Trot, DMA also designed the stabilization and rehabilitation of the machine shed, a long linear building built circa 1937 which was later converted to hay storage. Next to it we added three timber frame shelters which each house two horse stalls.

This large project has been a privilege to work on as we had the opportunity to work with the living history of Jackson Hole with the goal of respectfully acknowledging the property’s historic legacy.