Cheyenne’s Castle rounds off Historic Preservation Month

This is a theatrical way to end the recognition of historic homes during Historic Preservation Month.

Shining the light on Cheyenne’s very own Castle, this home was built for the operator of the Atlas and a couple different saloons. The final house was owned by the co-founder of the Northwestern Cattle Company and the Union Cattle Company.

19^th Street Castle

Built in 1914 for local businessman Thomas Heaney, who operated the Atlas Theatre and the Tivoli Bar and Restaurant. Heaney opened his first saloon in 1882 on 17^th and Carey in Cheyenne. It became “Heaney’s Old House” after he left to operate the Tivoli Saloon. Along with operating the Atlas Theatre, Heaney built the Capitol Avenue Theatre. Heaney went on to become a Wyoming State Senator representing Laramie County. The Castle was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 10, 1979. It has since been converted into apartments.

William Sturgis House

Designed by George D. Rainsford, a New York architect who moved to Wyoming to raise horses, the William Sturgis House was built by William Sturgis in 1884. Sturgis was a cattle baron who moved from New York to Cheyenne in 1873. He joined forces with his brother, Thomas to form the Northwestern Cattle Company and the Union Cattle Company, becoming one of the most prominent cattle ranches in Wyoming. The Sturgis Brothers had a hand in the founding of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. William held interest in mines, the Stockgrower’s National Bank and Cheyenne Electric Light Company. The space between the Sturgis house and the JD Freeborn house was the front yard of the Sturgis house. Neighborhood kids would play hide and seek in the hedges. Due to a hard winter from 1886-1887, Sturgis sold the home to another local rancher, John Whitaker. Robert Carey (Carey Avenue is named after him) and his family lived in the house for a time before it was converted into apartments. The McGee family returned it to a single-family home to house their 14 children, 11 who were adopted.