4 Lazy F Dude Ranch
Encyclopedia
The 4 Lazy F Ranch, also known as the Sun Star Ranch, is a dude ranch
and summer residence in Jackson Hole
, Wyoming
, built by the William Frew family of Pittsburgh in 1927. The existing property was built as a family retreat, not as a cattle ranch, in a rustic style of construction using logs and board-and-batten
techniques. The historic district includes seven cabins, a lodge, barn corral and smaller buildings on the west bank of the Snake River
north of Moose, Wyoming
. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1990.
Frew was a wealthy dude from Pittsburgh, who renamed the ranch the 4 Lazy F for the "Four Lazy Frews". The family allowed paying guests by invitation only, operating the ranch as both a family retreat and a dude ranch.
. Cabins are largely original construction with newer toilet additions to the rear. Interiors are intact with exposed logs in the walls and floors.
The property is an inholding in Grand Teton National Park
. The property was sold as a life estate
by Emily Frew Oliver to the National Park Service
. The property will eventually revert to full National Park Service
control. The 4 Lazy F was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on April 23, 1990.
Dude ranch
The guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.-History:...
and summer residence in Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole, originally called Jackson's Hole, is a valley located in the U.S. state of Wyoming, near the western border with Idaho. The name "hole" derives from language used by early trappers or mountain men, who primarily entered the valley from the north and east and had to descend along...
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, built by the William Frew family of Pittsburgh in 1927. The existing property was built as a family retreat, not as a cattle ranch, in a rustic style of construction using logs and board-and-batten
Batten
A batten is a thin strip of solid material, typically made from wood, plastic or metal. Battens are used in building construction and various other fields as both structural and purely cosmetic elements...
techniques. The historic district includes seven cabins, a lodge, barn corral and smaller buildings on the west bank of the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
north of Moose, Wyoming
Moose, Wyoming
Moose is an unincorporated community in Teton County, Wyoming, United States, in the Jackson Hole valley. It has a US Post Office, with the zip code of 83012. The town is located within Grand Teton National Park along the banks of the Snake River...
. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1990.
History
The ranch was first improved by Philadelphian Bryant Mears in 1914, building two log cabins, a small barn, corrals, fencing, a well and a ditch. Mears lived on the 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) property, which he called the Sun Star Ranch, during the winter of 1915, and in 1916 he raised oats, barley and hay. The following year he married, then left to join the Army from 1917 to 1919. In 1927 the ranch was sold by Edward Mears to William Frew.Frew was a wealthy dude from Pittsburgh, who renamed the ranch the 4 Lazy F for the "Four Lazy Frews". The family allowed paying guests by invitation only, operating the ranch as both a family retreat and a dude ranch.
Description
The ranch consists of seven cabins, a lodge-dining hall and a laundry-utility building, as well as a barn, garages, sheds and a corral. The ranch is sited on the west bank of the Snake River. All buildings are in the style known as "dude ranch vernacular", characterized by log construction and board-and-batten infill. Logs are generally varnished brown, but roofs are red or green asphalt roll roofingAsphalt roll roofing
Asphalt roll roofing or membrane is an inexpensive roofing material commonly used for buildings that feature a sloped roof pitch in North America. The material is based on the same materials used in asphalt shingles; an organic felt or fiberglass mat, saturated with asphalt, and faced with...
. Cabins are largely original construction with newer toilet additions to the rear. Interiors are intact with exposed logs in the walls and floors.
The property is an inholding in Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, U.S. The Park consists of approximately and includes the major peaks of the long Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Only south of Yellowstone...
. The property was sold as a life estate
Life estate
A life estate is a concept used in common law and statutory law to designate the ownership of land for the duration of a person's life. In legal terms it is an estate in real property that ends at death when there is a "reversion" to the original owner...
by Emily Frew Oliver to the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. The property will eventually revert to full National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
control. The 4 Lazy F was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on April 23, 1990.
See also
- Historical buildings and structures of Grand Teton National ParkHistorical buildings and structures of Grand Teton National ParkThe historical buildings and structures of Grand Teton National Park include a variety of buildings and built remains that pre-date the establishment of Grand Teton National Park, together with facilities built by the National Park Service to serve park visitors. Many of these places and structures...
External links
- The Dude Wranglers, Grand Teton Historic Resource Study, National Park Service and Grand Teton Natural History Association
- Photographs of the 4 Lazy F at the National Park Service's NRHP database
- 4 Lazy F Ranch at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office