Cheyenne’s Twin Chimneys Motor Track stood for nearly 90 years; This week, its iconic chimneys fell in about 30 seconds to make way for a self-service cafeteria.
The Twin Chimneys Motor Court in Cheyenne, Wyoming, which once provided travelers a place to stay along the historic Lincoln Highway, has been demolished to make way for a 7 Brew Coffee drive-thru stand. Its distinctive twin stone chimneys, the last parts of the former motel to be removed, collapsed in about 30 seconds earlier this week.According to Cowboy State Daily, the motel at 2405 East Lincolnway was known for its twin chimneys, red exterior, green roof and knotty pine interior. The motor court had provided accommodation for travelers for decades, while also providing them with a covered place to store their cars next to their rooms.The demolition has drawn the attention of many because the property was one of several former motor strips associated with travel along U.S. Highway 30. Megan Stanfill, executive director of the Alliance for Historic Wyoming, said she was disappointed that the building disappeared before there was an opportunity to consider ways to preserve it.“I always hate to see old buildings torn down before there’s a chance to save them,” Stanfill told Cowboy State Daily. “Instead of preserving it as a motel, perhaps the chimneys could have been preserved as a landmark.”Stanfill said discussions about repurposing old buildings often occur only when it’s too late. She said she first noticed Twin Chimneys while driving by and thought, “What a cool building.” A few months later, he saw that a fence had been put up around the property.
Why Twin Chimneys stood out
Stanfill began researching the motel’s history after noticing it. He said the rooms were original and dated from the time the motor court was built in the 1930s, while the reception area was renovated mid-century.Stanfill believes the twin chimneys may have been designed to help the motel stand out to passing travelers. In the 1930s, motor courts were competing for travelers’ money and needed ways to make their properties easy to recognize.“In the 1930s, these places were competing for travelers’ money, so they were trying to find the best way to attract them and make it easier for them to remember,” Stanfill said. “People didn’t have Google to know which motel to go to. They just heard about Twin Chimneys a few states away.”The Lincoln Highway was a private transcontinental highway whose construction began in 1913. Travelers using the highway did not necessarily stay in traditional hotels. Instead, motor tracks were developed offering both accommodation and a place to park a car.“They were camping in their car,” Stanfill said. “People started offering accommodation, a covered place to park the car right next to the room.”
Motor courts and the Lincoln Highway
Stanfill said there are still several examples of motor courses like Twin Chimneys remaining throughout Wyoming. They include the Sands Hotel in Cheyenne and other examples in Evanston and Fort Bridger.It has also been housed in renovated motor courts along the Lincoln Highway, including the Lincoln Highway Motor Court in Pennsylvania. According to Stanfill, its new owners are restoring the property and trying to create a place where travelers can experience the Lincoln Highway.He said there is growing interest in these types of properties across the country. He pointed to the popularity of Route 66, which is celebrating its centennial, as an example of interest in historic road trips.“It’s kind of a resurgence and people are looking for places like that,” he said. “I really hope we start to see a lot more movement in that direction on the Lincoln Highway.”For Twin Chimneys, however, that opportunity has passed. The property owner had gone through the city’s required process for demolition, and Stanfill said there was no way for his organization to stop it.
‘Look at the photos’
While he was sad to see the entire property disappear, Stanfill said landowners ultimately have to decide what is best for their land.He added: “We can’t stop a demolition like this; it’s already gone through the proper channels with the city. There’s nothing we can do right now except look at the pictures we have.”Stanfill said he would have liked to conduct a study of the building and document it. Such records, he said, could have been useful when dealing with similar old buildings that are in poor condition.The demolition was carried out by Chuck Harter of McCarty & Sons, a Denver construction company. The twin chimneys were saved until the end of the demolition. Harter said the East Lincolnway lot would be cleared of all traces of Twin Chimneys in about three days.The new business planned for the site is a 7 Brew Coffee stand. The company already has a store on Dell Range Boulevard in Cheyenne.Although the motel no longer exists, some remains of Twin Chimneys remain in private collections. Stanfill said visitors often took home match covers and postcards from the property.“When people visited us, they took matchbook covers and postcards,” Stanfill said. “They had no idea there would be something called eBay, where people would sell these things for a penny.”
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