Not So Fast: No One Seems to Want Cheyenne's 'Free' Frontier Homes

Tuesday, March 17, 2015, by Rachel B. Doyle

With their gabled roofs, eggshell-blue shingled faades, and porches perfect for sipping Sarsaparilla, the trio of 1890s houses behind the governor's mansion in Cheyenne, Wyoming would seem to be just the sort of historic homes that the city would want to preserve. Yet for five years, their owners have been trying to give the charming fixer-uppers away for free, even offering to pay buyers $10K for the privilege.

But this is not the deal of the century. The lucky person who nabs these homes will have to move them off of the land where they currently stand, at an estimated cost of $200K, according to the New York Times. After Cheyenne's historic preservation board stepped in, the land owners were denied the demolition permit they sought, so a freebie seemed like the next best option. So far, they have shown nearly 100 people around the three painted homes, which are run-down but rich in period detail, but no one has jumped at the unusual offer. The NYT story has photos, and Google Maps has directions to Cheyenne.

Cheyenne, Wyoming. Photo via Getty Images

A Frontier Land Dispute, Circa 2015, Pits Modernization Against the Past [New York Times] Box Up this Tudor Mansion and Haul It Away for $125K [Curbed National]

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Not So Fast: No One Seems to Want Cheyenne's 'Free' Frontier Homes