Castle Dare 1886
Just east of Pioneer Ave. & 20th Streetes in Cheyenne

Castle Dare was designed by architect J. P. Julien and built by R. W. Bradley, pioneer stonemason and contractor. The original house was commissioned by cattle baron Alexander Swan as a wedding present for his daughter Louise. Construction was begun in 1886, but the terrible blizzard of that winter caused Swan such financial reverses that the house was sold to David D. Dare who undertook its completion and furnishing. It was for Dare that the house was named.

Later, the house became the property of Bradley, who built the barn carriage house. Both buildings were done in a combination of Norman Revival and Richardson Romanesque architecture. The characteristics include ashlar masonry and towers with crenelated battlements or conical roofs.

The main house served as a boarding house, funeral parlor, and lodge hall until it was razed in 1963 to make way for a parking lot. The carriage house has been used as a private club, shops, and professional offices.

It is a reflection of Cheyenne during the height of the cattle baron days and is representative of the town when it was referred to as the richest small town in America. Renovation of the carriage house began in 1979 and was done almost entirely by volunteer labor.

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