Discover Historic Buffalo, P.O. Box 383, Buffalo, WY 82834

313 North Main (Historic Mansion House Inn)

This 2½ story Queen Anne Style motel was once Dr. Lott’s home, one of the first physicians to settle in Buffalo. Dr. Lott came to Buffalo in 1879 as a physician at Fort McKinney. When he married, he had this house built in 1906 for his bride, Ella. Seven years later Lott died, leaving Ella with little but the spacious and stylish house. She made a living boarding teachers and bachelors, and was known for her home cooked food. The tradition continues today as the Mansion House continues to take in travelers.

71 - 77 North Main (Coldwell Banker-The Smith Brokerage and Great Divide Real Estate)

These two brick buildings were built in the 1880s, and conjoin at an angle uneven to Main Street. Charles Burritt, a successful lawyer and Buffalo’s second mayor, erected the building that now houses Visionary Communications. Originally, the upstairs were apartments and an early bank, possibly the First National of Buffalo.

33 North Main (The Office)

This building was the Myers Hotel in 1880. Remodeling nearly caused the structure to collapse. The building has served as a clothing store and home to the Buffalo Bulletin, our local newspaper, for many years.

7 North Main

On the National Historic Register, this building of coarse red brick with a tan brick façade was build in 1917. Home to Buffalo’s first modern movie theatre until 1984, it’s distinctive façade and architectural window treatment make it stand out from Buffalo’s other historic buildings.

1 North Main (Margo's Pottery)

Built in 1909, this building with its cast iron façade, was originally known as the Theatorium and served as the town’s first motion picture theater. Later and for many many years, it was the Buffalo Bar where, traditionally, the cattlemen from the area drank (the   sheepherders frequented the other side of the street).

51 South Main (Hitching Post Gallery)

This building has had a number of uses since it was first built in 1897. From 1897 to 1933 it housed the local butcher shop, from 1933 to 1944 it was a grocery store. In 1944 it became the home for Bud’s Barber Shop. In 1970 City Electric moved in here, and in 1974, Fritz Purcell opened Purcell’s Jewelry Store. Purcell sold the business in 1980 to Kraft Jewelers. They remained until 1988 when the gallery, owned by local artists Hugh and Will Jennings, opened here.

96 - 100 South Main Street

Built sometime during the 1910 era by Charles Baker, the Johnson County Bank was located here. Early on this building served as a millenary shop!  Later the building became John Erhart’s Fruit and Candy Store.

90 - 94 South Main
(Holistic Health Center & Up In Smoke)

On the National Register of Historic Places. A jeweler, F. A. Shaver, built this sandstone building with decorative ironwork on the top edge of its façade in 1892. Known then as the Shaver Block (all large buildings then were called blocks), Shaver’s own jewelry store was located in the north side of the building for many years. The south side was first inhabited by Mrs. Helen Walker’s millinery, and later this was the first home of Buffalo Federal Savings and Loan.  The safe is still here and in good working condition.

84 - 89 South Main

On the National Historic Register, this unique all second story cast-iron façade was constructed in 1895. It was typical of the time to bring in pre-manufactured building facades to dress up local buildings constructed with native brick. This is the only surviving building in Buffalo with such extensive cast-iron façade work. The "seven" shaped sign was attached to the building during the filming of the movie, "Endangered Species" in 1981 to serve as a sign for the fictitious local newspaper, "Buffalo Citizen’s Journal". So far it has not been removed.

76 South Main

This "building" was erected in 1904 to house T. G. Gatchell’s pharmacy. Like many old West towns, the architect used the walls of the adjoining buildings for his side walls. Gatchell’s Drug Store  was open for business here until 1987.  Jim Gatchell,  famous far and wide for his pharmaceutical skills as much as for his ever growing collection of Military and Indian artifacts, operated the store and often traded medicine for artifacts. Gatchell’s collection later became the core for the Johnson County Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum, and he its proud founding patron. There is still a piece of a mural of Buffalo in there from the early part of the century.

54 - 70 South Main
(The Sports Lure and Sports Lure Too)

Repeatedly built and rebuilt out of locally kilned brick from 1804-1901, this site was the home of the Capitol Hotel – considered the finest inn this side of Cheyenne. The hotel and Saloon were open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Notice the high ceilings in all of these stores and particularly the recently restored original tin ceiling in Sports Lure Too - along with its beautiful and distinctive raised plaster molding. The New York Store, long a favorite mainstay of Buffalo, was established on this location in 1898 and did business continually until 1901 to June 1987. This site is now on the National Register of Historic Buildings.

28 - 30 South Main
(Cooley Images)

As early as 1891, Munkres and Mathers operated a general merchandise store on this site. Then, in 1903 the present native brick building was constructed for the Buffalo Hardware Store.

22 South Main
(American Outback Antiques)

Built in 1887, this building housed the Hasbrouck Haberdashery business. Later, Kube and Kennedy, a men’s clothing store was located here during the early 1900s. Also of import, this was the location of Buffalo’s first library and the second floor was used as an opera house.

10 - 12 South Main
(formerly Idlewild Café)

A National Historic Building, Charlie King erected this building in 1919, and it was known then as the King Hotel. The hotel served Chinese and American food in the café on the first floor and was the only three story commercial building in Buffalo. It later became the Idlewild Café. It is now in the process of renovation.

4 South Main (Sol De Vallarta Mexican Restaurant)

This red sandstone building was built in 1898 for Mrs. Julia Jensen’s "Fancy Goods and Novelties" store. In 1907 the First National Bank of Buffalo moved into the building until the 1912 flood, when Clear Creek rose ten feet above Main Street’s sidewalk. Later the building was home to the 21 Club Bar, and even later a Mexican restaurant.

10 - 30 North Main (Museum of the Occidental Hotel, Gift shop, and "The Virginian" Restaurant & Busy Bee Restaurant)

The original hotel on this site was a log structure built in 1880 that was erected by Charles Buell. In later years, through three different major building additions in 1903, 1908 (The Occidental Saloon) and 1910 (The Main Lobby and museum entrance), this brick structure grew to encompass a whole downtown block. The Occidental was home to weary travelers and at one time or another offered a bar, a restaurant and a barbershop. The Occidental advertised that Owen Wister’s famous cowboy icon, The Virginian, "got his man here". Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Occidental is a museum open to the public.

76 North Main (Johnson County Courthouse)

The oldest building in the commercial district, this two story Neo-Classical stlye building was constructed in 1884, the year Buffalo was chartered. In early days a wooden white cupola was perched a top this building. This building is also listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings.

90 North Main (Jim Gatchell Museum – Carnegie Wing)

Formerly the Johnson County Andrew Carnegie Library, is now an annex to the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum of the West. Constructed in 1909 the library is made of native stone, cut by hand and hauled to this site.

158 North Main (Hersey Apartments)

This building, dating back to 1909, was known then as the Armory as it was used for militia drills. Later it was a roller skating rink and a center for public events – until it was remodeled for apartments.

203 North Main (Hen House Beauty Shop)

This Victorian brick house was built by one of the first sheriff’s of Buffalo, Richard (Dick) Kennedy.

294 North Main

This cottage was built by Charles H. Burritt, Buffalo’s second mayor, during 1884-85 as a log cabin.

312 North Main (William Holland Home)

The Holland House was built in 1883 after Mrs. Juliet W. Hart, owner of Buffalo’s town site, offered William H. Holland an acre of land if he would build a two story brick house costing more than $3,000. The bricks and lumber in the house are all native. The three large cottonwoods in the yard were brought from the banks of the Powder River by Holland. Descendants of William H. Holland still reside in the home.