The Sheridan Inn in Wyoming, a historic building built by Buffalo Bill Cody in the 1890s, almost faced its demise in the early 2000s. Cracks began to appear in the walls, signaling that something was seriously wrong.
Edre Maier, the then-executive director of the Sheridan Heritage Center, wasn’t convinced that it was just “routine settling” as some board members suggested. The future of the inn looked bleak, and saving it would turn out to be a monumental task.
A Near Collapse
In the early 2000s, Maier was told that the cracks in the wall were nothing to worry about. One board member dismissed her concerns, saying, “You’re a girl, you don’t know anything that you’re talking about.” Despite the dismissive remarks, Maier was not convinced and took matters into her own hands.
She hired a specialist from Colorado who used ground-penetrating radar to assess the damage, and the results were sobering. The prognosis: the building had only two years left before it could collapse into Fifth Street.
Maier, determined to save the inn, embarked on an ambitious $6 million restoration project, raising funds from private donors and even holding bake sales. However, the task was daunting, and rallying support was tough.
People had wanted to tear down the building many times before, including in 1967, when there were plans to demolish it for a shopping center. But it was saved by Neltje, the granddaughter of Frank Nelson Doubleday, who renovated and reopened it in 1968.
The Inn’s Ghosts
While Maier’s initial involvement with the inn wasn’t driven by a personal passion for the building, she soon found herself deeply attached. One of the things that captured her interest was the presence of ghosts.
As she spent more time at the inn, Maier had several unexplainable experiences. From hearing children’s laughter on the third floor to finding strange handprints in the dust, she began to believe the inn was haunted.
One night, her dog, who often accompanied her to the inn, started barking and wagging its tail, seemingly happy to see someone. But when Maier entered the room, no one was there.
Another eerie experience occurred on the stairs, where Maier often felt the cold presence of what she believed to be Miss Kate, a ghostly figure she would meet near her office.
Despite trying to remain skeptical, these experiences led Maier to delve deeper into the inn’s history. Through her research, she realized the inn was more than just a historic building—it was a vital piece of Wyoming’s heritage. She couldn’t let it fall apart.
The Cost of Preservation
The initial estimate to save the building was $4 million, which involved using steel rods to support the structure and rebuild the foundation. However, during the renovation, it was discovered that the original builders had failed to properly cement part of the wall, relying instead on rocks.
This was just one of many unexpected challenges Maier faced during the restoration. As work progressed, additional issues surfaced, including the need to support the second and third floors with steel beams, adding another $2 million to the cost of the project.
Ultimately, the task proved too much for Maier and the board to handle alone. To complete the restoration, they sought out a private buyer who could finish the work and make the inn accessible to modern guests.
The private buyer, whose family had previously worked at the inn, purchased the building, completed the renovations, and eventually sold it to Best Western, who now operates the property.
A Monument to Preservation
Today, the Sheridan Inn is a vital part of the Sheridan community, thanks to the efforts of countless people over the years. Maier’s work was instrumental in saving the building, and she was recently recognized with a Humstone Historic Preservation Lifetime Achievement Award for her dedication to preserving historic structures like the Sheridan Inn.
Maier acknowledges that the building’s survival is due to the work of many, including the original architect, Thomas R. Kimball. Kimball’s innovative design, which included an “upside-down hull of a ship” with rods running through the building, is what ultimately saved the Inn from collapse.
It is these rods that can still be seen in the ballroom today, a testament to the vision and craftsmanship that has helped the Inn endure.
The Sheridan Inn stands today as a testament to the power of perseverance and community involvement. It is a living piece of Wyoming’s history, saved from ruin by the efforts of many, especially Edre Maier. The Inn’s story of preservation is not just about bricks and mortar—it is about the people who cared enough to fight for its future, ghosts and all.
