About the Historical Living Project

Laramie is a town that boasts rich western history and includes many historic homes and oral traditions. The Historical Living Project is a video-based journalism initiative that provides residents and visitors with a historical narrative of the people and historic homes of Laramie, from its beginnings as a railroad town, to a thriving community that values its sustainable architecture and historic heritage. 

“Laramie has so many styles of historic homes and the use of video and new technology such as mobile tagging is a great way to feature our history for residents and visitors alike,” said Chamois Andersen, director of communications for the Environment and Natural Resources Program. “With this project I wanted to not only feature the sustainable architecture of these historic homes but to interview the homeowners about what they know about the people who lived in these homes in the early 1900s, the early residents of Laramie who really contributed to the growth and prosperity of our town.”

This project profiles many of the houses in the National Historic District, the University Neighborhood of Laramie. Video vignettes highlight the style and oral history of each home and are featured in a walking tour guide, accessible via mobile tags using a smartphone while on the tour. The brochures are available for free at the Albany County Visitor Bureau at 212 Custer and online at www.visitlaramie.org/hlp. The videos, audio files and feature stories are also available to view or download via the program's website.

From Queen Anne Victorian and American Craftsman to Folk Pyramid and Tudor Revival, the Historical Living Project covers 12 distinct homes and oral history accounts of their residents. Homes lived in by such famous residents as John Meldrum, who served as secretary of the Wyoming Territory in 1890; the third president of the University of Wyoming, Charles, O. Merica; and a deputy sheriff named Emil Therkildsen, who in 1908, hid a prisoner in the cellar of his house to avoid a lynching, then spirited him to Cheyenne in the middle of the night to face trail. “It became clear early on in this project that our community and homeowners really value our historic ties to the West,” Andersen said. “I was impressed by how much knowledge had been passed down to the current owners. This project is intended to continue those stories and to highlight our historic homes that make this town so special.”

The Historical Living Project

Chamois Andersen, Producer
Keith Perschino, Film Assistant
Ted Haskell, Project Assistant
Patrick Wolfinbarger, Website consultant

Sponsors

The Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund
University of Wyoming’s Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources
UW American Heritage Center

Partners

Albany County Tourism Board
Albany County Historic Preservation Board
Laramie Plains Museum at the Historic Ivinson Mansion