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Black and Orange Cabins

 
 

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Located in Ft. Bridger, Uinta County, Wyoming, the Black and Orange Cabins were built by Mrs. Margaret Rochford over a period of time beginning with the construction of the cabins around 1925 and ending with the construction of a new Outhouse building between 1937 and 1939. The complex is located along the original route of the Lincoln Highway; the highway took a 90 degree turn right in front of the property. The site contains six buildings; five of the buildings are contributing and one is noncontributing. The contributing buildings include the two rectangular cabin structures, the Outhouse, the Shower Shed/Generator Room, and the Residence. The office building was reconstructed during the site’s restoration – the original burned down in 1992 – and is noncontributing. The original entrance to the Black and Orange Garage Cabins was along the northern boundary of the property. To the west of the entrance is the noncontributing office building; it is located in the office building’s original location. The two nearly identical cabin structures run along the western edge of the property; they are approximately 8’ apart with the southern building at a slight angle to the northern building. The Shower Shed/Generator Room is located to the southwest of southern cabin structure. The Outhouse is to the south of the southern cabin structure. The Residence is the final contributing structure; it is located near the eastern boundary of the property.

The Black and Orange Garage Cabins in Fort Bridger, Uinta County, Wyoming are significant on a state level under Criterion A because of the site’s association with the Lincoln Highway and automobile travel as well as the expansion and impact of the Lincoln Highway on tourism in the state of Wyoming during the 1920s and 1930s. Mrs. Margaret Rochford built the Black and Orange Garage Cabins to facilitate the needs of automobile tourists travelling through Wyoming and operated the establishment until 1936. The cabins were designed specifically to accommodate the needs of automobile tourists, which is evidenced by the individual garages attached to each cabin. The Black and Orange Garage Cabins are an example of the effect that heritage tourism, automobile transportation, and the Lincoln Highway had on small towns in Wyoming. They are the best surviving example of Lincoln Highway motor courts in Wyoming and one of the most well-preserved examples left in the United States. The site retains its integrity despite years of neglect. The refurbishment of the buildings was done with as little disruption as possible; much of the original materials were reused. Significant efforts were made to replicate the cabin’s interiors to be historically accurate. The area surrounding the cabins has changed very little and does not affect the integrity of the site.

 

 

Black-and-Orange-Cabins

Date Added to Register:
Thursday, April 23, 2020
 
Location:
Fort Bridger
 
County:
Uinta County
 
Smithsonian Number: 
48UT2648