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historic character that Mormon Row is
one of the most accessible and well visited
historic districts in the park, popular
amongst tourists, photographers, and local
residents.
The T.A. Moulton Barn
Turns 100 in 2013
Thomas Alma Moulton claimed his
homestead on Mormon Row in 1907
when he was twenty-four years old and
moved permanently to the site in 1912 with
his wife and newborn son. Alma began
construction of the barn in 1913 as a shelter
for the animals. The barn was constructed
using lodgepole pines that were cut from
nearby Timber Island and skidded to the
homestead using a team of horses. The first
section of the barn was an 18 foot by 24
foot box, twelve courses of logs in height.
The barn would remain a flat-roofed
structure until 1928 when Alma and his
son Clark added five more courses of logs
under a pitched roof to construct a hayloft.
In 1934 and 1938 the Moultons constructed
the south and north lean-to additions to
create shelter for mail horses and hogs
while running the dairy operation out of
the central section of the barn. The Moulton
family sold the homestead to the National
Park Service in 1960.
National Park Cultural Resources staff to
plan an event to celebrate the centennial
of the barn and to raise awareness of the
barn’s preservation needs. The committee
wrote a proclamation declaring July 20,
2013 the T.A. Moulton Barn Centennial
Celebration day. Representative Cynthia
Lummis, Senators John Barrasso and
Mike Enzi sent letters in support of the
proclamation; Governor Matt Mead and
Mayor Mark Barron signed proclamations.
The committee received $2,000 in event
support funding from the Wyoming
Humanities Council. Albertsons donated
food and beverage for the event, and inkind donations from committee members
and the National Park Service covered
additional funding needs. Live music, art,
dance, tours and story-telling activities
marked the special occasion.
| my Wyoming craving
Preservation Future of the
T.A. Moulton Barn
In order to properly identify the full
preservation needs for the barn, a Historic
Structures Report was needed. Because the
barn was built in discrete phases, was not
designed by an architect, and experiences
unusually heavy snow load, the solutions to
resolve structural problems are complex
and require a comprehensive analysis of
the building. Plans are being reviewed for
the rehabilitation of the barn. Work needs
on all of Mormon Row exceed a half
million dollars. W L M
Over the years, images of the Moulton barn
have graced thousands of cards, magazines,
jigsaw puzzles, and newspapers and the
barn has been featured in major motion
pictures such as Spencer’s Mountain.
Referred to as “the most photographed
barn in America,” the T.A. Moulton barn
has become an architectural icon, a symbol
of the pioneering spirit that shaped the
American West.
The T.A. Moulton Barn
Centennial Celebration
A group of Moulton descendants, a few
well-known artists, and some concerned
park visitors have joined with Grand Teton
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