Blair, Charles E., House
a.k.a. Imperial Investments, Inc. Offices
170 N. 5th St., Laramie, WYThe architectural distinction of the Blair House lies in the fact that it is a well preserved example of a late Victorian house form, built a decade after Victorianism's official "death". The asymmetrical massing of the building, picturesque roofline, variety of textures and materials, classical motifs, and interior spatial organization earmark the building as a holdover from the Queen Anne Style, which had remained popular throughout the state long after its abandonment elsewhere in the country. The building's somewhat late construction is indicated by its use of blond brick, unavailable in Wyoming before the turn of the century, and relatively austere use of applied ornamentation. The Blair House is also representative in that its architect was brought in from out-of-state, a common occurrence at the time. A visual anchor for the neighborhood and an example of a genre that is becoming increasingly rare, the house also serves as a successful illustration of commercial adaptive reuse in Laramie. Its owners, Imperial Investments Incorporated, have maintained it well and intend to take advantage of the tax and grants benefits that registration affords.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.