The Stone House

Why the Gable House Needed Preservation

What makes the Gable House historically or culturally important?

The Gable House is historically and culturally significant because it embodies the story of Wyoming homesteading, agricultural hardship and adaptation, Prohibition-era rural culture, and early twentieth-century architecture. It is also preserved with exceptional integrity within its original landscape.

• Built in 1898, the house reflects settlement under the Homestead Act of 1862 and later land expansion through amendments that shaped Wyoming’s agricultural landscape. Its ownership history illustrates both the optimism of early homesteading and the instability many families faced.
• The property’s foreclosure during drought and post–World War I price collapse mirrors the widespread failure of Wyoming farms and ranches during this period, making it a representative local example of a statewide agricultural crisis.
• During the 1920s, the house played a documented role in the illegal production and distribution of alcohol, with its root cellar converted into a distillery and speakeasy. This use ties the property to a nationally significant period of cultural resistance, informal economies, and rural adaptation during Prohibition.
• Long-term ownership by the Peters family and the later formation of the Peters Grazing Association reflect broader shifts from small homesteads to cooperative and large-scale ranching operations in Wyoming.

The Gable House is also architecturally significant as a rare and well-preserved rural example of Foursquare Classical Revival architecture:

• Its stone construction, symmetrical façade, hipped roof with dormers, and center-hall floor plan embody the defining characteristics of the style and period.
• Foursquare Classical Revival houses, especially stone-built, are uncommon in rural Sheridan County, where few intact nineteenth-century farmhouses remain.
• The house retains original materials, workmanship, floor plan, fireplaces, plaster walls, wood floors, and decorative features.

What signs showed it needed protection or attention now, rather than later?

Very few intact nineteenth-century rural farmhouses remain in eastern Sheridan County, especially stone-built residences. As surrounding historic homesteads were lost to demolition, neglect, or modernization, the Gable House increasingly stood out as a rare survivor. That rarity made the idea of its loss, or even incremental alteration, especially unacceptable.

• At over 120 years old, these original materials require ongoing care. Without intentional protection, deferred maintenance or “piecemeal” repairs could quickly erode the very features that make the property historically significant.
• The property passed through multiple owners in recent decades, increasing the risk of incompatible renovations, removal of historic features, and development pressure or subdivision.
• The house’s associations with homesteading hardship, Prohibition-era bootlegging, and ranching consolidation are stories that are easy to lose if not documented and protected. These informal, working-class histories are often the first to disappear when properties are altered or repurposed.
• Importantly, the house was protected before major deterioration occurred. The signs were not catastrophic damage, but rather advanced age, rarity, intact historic fabric, and increasing external pressures. This made it an ideal candidate for protection before emergency intervention was needed, aligning with best practices in historic preservation.

History of the Gable House

In brief, what do we know about when it was built and by whom?

Rufus E. Weir originally owned the 160 acres of land on which the Stone House was built. Weir filed for a homestead under the Homestead Act of 1862 and almost immediately sold his claim to John P. Patton, who was locally known as “Uncle Johnny” in 1898. Patton was born in Arkansas and moved to Sheridan, Wyoming in the late 1880s. Around 1898, Patton enlisted the help of William Bethuran to build a house. Not much is known about Bethuran; however, oral histories indicate that he was a stonemason of either Welsh or Dutch descent. Patton died in 1903.

What stories, past uses, or notable people are tied to it?

Around 1915, Willis Spears and his wife, Virginia, as well as his brother, known as Doc Spears, and Doc’s wife, Daisy, began purchasing land east of Sheridan. The Stone House was among the properties that they purchased. From 1915 to 1919, the Spears Family purchased multiple parcels of land from the Garners. Unfortunately, the Spear Family lost the Stone House in foreclosure to the Bank of Omaha in 1921. A severe drought gripped much of Wyoming in 1920, severely impacting agricultural enterprises in the state. The drought, combined with the near collapse in agricultural commodity prices following the end of World War I, caused an agricultural depression in states like Wyoming.

Walt and Mary Peters purchased the Stone House in 1921 from the Bank of Omaha. Walt and his brother Albert had acquired many small homesteads in the area that had been decimated by the drought conditions. Eventually, they grew the homestead – surrounding and including the Stone House – to 24,000 acres. Today, scattered over the vast 24,000 acres, you can still see remnants of the old homestead sites; several building foundations are still visible.

Walt Peters was a bootlegger and transformed the Stone House’s root cellar into a distillery and speakeasy that housed five moonshine stills. The moonshine was transported to Sheridan underneath dirty laundry on the laundry wagon. The stills from the Stone House Speakeasy are still in Sheridan and displayed at a local distillery.

Walt and Mary continued to operate the ranch until Walt’s passing in 1973. After his death, Mary sold the entire ranch to the Peters Grazing Association. She sold it below market value. According to locals, she said that “Walt would have wanted it that way.” The Peters Growing Association (PGA) was established in 1973. The PGA had 19 founding members and was named after Walt and Mary Peters. It was established specifically to purchase the entire 24,000 acres and homestead from Mary following Walt’s passing.

At the time of the purchase, the coalition was initially outbid by the Burns Cattle Group. However, Mary Peters stepped in and sold the entire ranch to the PGA for under market value, stating, “Walt would have wanted the little guys to have a chance.” The PGA leveraged the Grazing Association Program and borrowed $2.4 million from the United States Government’s FHA loan program to secure the purchase. The PGA then carved out the three acres that the home sits on today, as well as 99 acres across SR Buffalo Creek Road, and sold those parcels to Adolph and Virginia Renschler in 1974 for $75,000. The PGA used the proceeds from the sales to support their early mortgage payments.

Since its inception, the intent of the PGA members had been to keep the 24,000 acres intact. However, they ran into financial difficulty early on, which forced them to sell the farmhouse and 99 acres.

What original features remain that tell its story today?

The stone walls themselves reflect the utility and creativity of using native materials.

The Lunch House isn’t protected by the easement, but it was a contributing structure for the National Register of Historic Places nomination. It would have served agricultural employees for the large operation during the 1920’s.

The Lunch House is a small wood-frame building with a gable roof built in 1922. There is only one room with a small wood-burning stove.

How the Preservation Process Happened

How did SCLT first connect with the property and owners?

Brian Nix, who purchased the property in 2022, is committed to preserving it for future generations. He immediately began the process to nominate the stone house for the National Register of Historic Places. As a part of that process, Nix became familiar with SCLT’s history program. Soon, both parties agreed that placing a historic preservation easement on the property was the logical next step.

The Sheridan Community Land Trust helps property owners and communities navigate the process of recognizing historic places through the National Register of Historic Places by serving as a local guide, researcher, and advocate. The organization assists with evaluating eligibility, conducting historical research, gathering documentation, and coordinating with the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office, helping translate local history into the formal nominations required for federal recognition. By combining regional expertise with public outreach and education, SCLT makes the process more accessible while helping owners understand both the benefits of listing and the fact that National Register designation is voluntary and does not place restrictions on private property rights.

What were the key steps in moving toward a preservation easement?

Working with the Sheridan Community Land Trust, property owner Brian Nix undertook a careful, collaborative process to place a historic preservation easement on his property, ensuring its long-term protection while retaining private ownership. The effort began with conversations about the property’s historical significance and preservation goals, followed by an evaluation of the features that most clearly conveyed its historic character. Together, SCLT and the owner documented the site through photographs, written descriptions, and mapping, creating a baseline record that establishes the property’s condition and guides future stewardship.

With that foundation in place, SCLT worked alongside the owner and legal counsel to draft a preservation easement tailored to the property, defining what elements would be protected and how future changes would be reviewed. After completing the necessary appraisal and legal review, the agreement was finalized and recorded, making the protections permanent and binding for future owners.