Wort Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wort Hotel
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 Location in Wyoming
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jackson, Wyoming United States |
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| Built | 1941 |
| Architect | Grimmett, Lorenzo |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 99001507 |
| Added to NRHP | December 09, 1999 |
The Wort Hotel is a famous hotel in downtown Jackson, Wyoming, United States. Brothers John and Jess Wort built it. They were very important in changing the economy of Jackson Hole from farming to tourism.
This hotel was the first fancy hotel in Jackson. It has a special look, a bit like old English Tudor houses. The building has two floors. The first floor is made of brick. The second floor has wood beams and stucco, which is a type of plaster. It also has many pointed roofs called gables facing the street.
The land for the hotel was bought by Charles Wort, who was John and Jess's father. He ran a place for horses and carriages there from 1915 to 1932. From 1932 to 1940, the Wort family ran a different lodge in Grand Teton National Park. The Wort Hotel finally opened in 1941. In 1950, a special bar called the Silver Dollar Bar was added. It has 2,032 real silver dollars pressed into its surface!
The Wort Family Story
Charles J. Wort first came to Jackson Hole in 1893. He was 19 years old and visited his brother. Charles decided to stay and start a farm in the South Park area. In 1899, he went back to Nebraska to marry Luella Perkins. They returned to Jackson Hole together.
In the early 1900s, Charles started a business helping people go on outdoor trips. His sons, John and Jess, helped him. The Wort family started buying land in the middle of Jackson in 1915. Their goal was to build a hotel someday.
- Early Businesses: Charles built the Wort Livery Stable and Corral on the property. He ran it until 1932. He also had the Wort Garage. In 1917, Charles and Luella bought another hotel, the Jackson Hotel. They ran it for about a year.
- Moving to Town: By 1925, they built a house across from where the future hotel would be. This meant they stopped being ranchers. This house was later moved to Wilson, Wyoming in the 1960s.
- The Boys' Cabin: They had also built a small log cabin for their sons. This was so John and Jess could stay in town when bad weather made it hard to go home from school. This cabin is now in Town Square. It is used for a stagecoach ride business in the summer.
- Park Adventures: In the 1920s, the Worts got the first business permit in Grand Teton National Park. They ran a boating business at Jenny Lake. In the 1930s, they ran hunting trips in the Gros Ventre Wilderness area.
- Signal Mountain Lodge: In 1932, the Worts bought a camp on Jackson Lake. They called it the Wort Lodge and Camp. They ran it until 1940. They then sold it, and it became the Signal Mountain Lodge. The money from this sale helped John and Jess build the Wort Hotel. Charles had passed away in 1933.
The Hotel's History
Lorenzo "Ren" Grimmett designed the Wort Hotel. He taught himself how to be an architect. He was from Idaho Falls, Idaho. After seeing how successful the Wort Hotel was, Grimmett designed a very similar hotel. It was called the Stage Coach Inn in West Yellowstone, Montana. He even owned and ran that hotel himself.
The Wort Hotel was finished just before World War II started. Even with rules during wartime, the hotel became popular. Many soldiers on leave came to stay there.
- Gambling Days: Gambling was against the law, but people often ignored it until the 1950s. Then, Wyoming Governor Milward Simpson started a campaign against gambling. At the Wort, gambling moved to the basement, in a room called the Teton Room. Locals called it the "Snake Pit." Gambling finally stopped completely in the mid-1950s.
- Fire and Rebuilding: In 1980, a big fire badly damaged the hotel. Much of the second floor was destroyed. But the hotel was rebuilt and reopened in 1981 with some changes. In 1984, the Wort family sold the hotel.
- Historic Status: The hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. This means it is a special building recognized for its history.
See also
In Spanish: Wort Hotel para niños
