The stately old mansion sits empty and silent about a mile outside of Laramie’s city limits, each of its seemingly endless rooms a testament to the sort of loneliness only Wyoming’s high plains can exude.
But it has a boisterous history. The wealthy original owner’s nine children once scampered about these halls. And more recently, members of a socialist LGBTQ commune gave a go at making it their own little utopia.
And the roughly 3-acre property could reverberate with life and joy again — as a wedding venue, a bed and breakfast or some combination thereof, associate real estate broker Arianna Van Fleet told Cowboy State Daily during a tour of the place Friday.
Despite wear and tear, the main mansion has the magical feel of “a dollhouse,” she said, adding that the right commercial buyer, with some time and ambition, could turn it into something truly special.
She and her mother, Wendy Van Fleet, work together as a team with Prism Real Estate Solutions.
The mansion is known as the Holliday House, named after prominent early Laramie resident Willaim Helmus “W.H.” Holliday (1848-1925). It was built in 1878 for Holliday and his wife, Emily (1848-1887).
Why Hasn’t It Sold?
Including a three-unit mini-motel adjacent to the house, which was probably built in the 1920s, the property is listed as having 13 bedrooms, seven bathrooms and nearly 7,000 square feet of living space. And there’s also a spacious Quonset hut near the house.
It’s all offered for the tempting price of $525,000, down from more than $800,000 when it was first listed in late 2022.
With all this history, space and potential, why hasn’t anybody snatched it up?
Likely for a few reasons, Arianna said. Real estate interest rates have been high, which can discourage buyers.
The Holliday House property, while it has “good bones” (a good foundation and sound structure) still needs a lot work, she said.
And because it’s considered multi-unit (six in total), it must be listed as a commercial property. Terms for commercial loans can be more complicated than for a residential loan, she added.
“I think if we could list it simply as a residential property, it would have sold by now,” Arianna said.
The current owners, who live out-of-state and wish to remain anonymous, have also been particular about prospective buyers, she added. They’re interested only in serious commercial buyers with a vison for the property.
“We do vetting of who comes out here for tours, so we’re not just getting lookie-loos,” she said.
There’s also reason think it could sell soon, she said. For starters, the perfect time of year is right around the corner.
“Our buying season in Laramie is summer. When the sun comes out, people are getting more active, and it corresponds with the end of the academic year at the University of Wyoming,” Arianna said.
And interest rates have dropped, making for a much more buyer-friendly market.
“The stars are aligning,” she said.
The Holliday House mansion, just west of Laramie, is for sale for $525,000. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily) 
The Holliday House mansion, just west of Laramie, is for sale for $525,000. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily) 
The Holliday House mansion, just west of Laramie, is for sale for $525,000. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily) 
The Holliday House mansion west of Laramie has numerous bedrooms, each with its own character. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily) 
Although Laramie’s Holliday House has gone through alterations since it was first built in 1878, many parts of it, like the front room fireplace mantle, are original. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily) 
As many as nine children of original owner W.H. Holliday scampered around the hallways of Laramie’s Holliday House mansion, which was built in 1878. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily) 
The “Cowboy Joe Suite” is one of three units in a mini-motel included with the Holliday House property west of Laramie. The entire property is for sale for $525,000. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily)
Huge Family
A classic Victorian-style mansion, the Holliday House was originally built in downtown Laramie at 319 Garfield St.
And it was a busy place.
Emily Holliday gave birth to 12 children — seven who survived to adulthood — before she died of heart failure at age 38, just after her youngest child was born, according to the Albany County Historical Society.
W.H. Holliday eventually got remarried to schoolteacher Sarah East, and they had two more daughters.
After W.H. Holliday’s death, the house changed hands a few times. At one point, the Larmie Boomerang newspaper office was on the ground floor.
Laramie resident Mel Duerksen told Cowboy State Daily that she recalls, although vaguely, going into the Boomerang’s office in the Holliday House as a young child.
“I was a really little kid, so it’s hard to recall exactly,” she said. “I just remember it was unusual, being in this newspaper office that was in a huge old mansion.”
To Move A Mansion
In 1978, the Holliday House was moved from Garfield Street to its current location on Welsh Lane, west of Laramie.
That was done to save it from demolition as parts of downtown Laramie underwent commercial development, Arianna said.
The house was split in half so it could be moved, “The bottom half, and then the top half,” she said, and placed over a full basement.
The basement has three bedrooms and a bathroom, and is considered a separate unit from the main house.
Most recently, the Solidarity Collective spent about four years on the property as an LGBTQ commune. But that group pulled up stakes and left in December 2022, and the property has sat empty since.
No Shenanigans
The house sitting empty for so long has spawned some local rumors that it had become a haven for squatters, illicit drug deals and other shenanigans.
That’s not true, Albany County Sheriff Aaron Appelhans told Cowboy State Daily.
“There have been a few calls for minor incidents along Welsh Lane, but I don’t think any have been specific to that property,” he said. “It’s been quiet out there.”
Different Units
A “butler’s quarters” at the rear of the house is considered a separate unit, although it could be integrated back into the main house, Arianna said.
The butler’s quarters might be the ideal space for a buyer to settle into as work is done on the rest of the property, she added, because it includes its own kitchen and bathroom.
The mini motel behind the house is considered three separate units, which need mostly some cosmetic work.
“These could be used as rental units, maybe for graduate students,” she said.
Needs Elbow Grease And Love
Duerksen said that she and her husband recently toured the property as potential buyers.
They love the house and want to see it saved, but decided it was just too big of a project for them.
“The work that is required out there is just outside of our skill set,” she said.
Like Airanna, Duerksen thinks that with enough investment, time and love, the Holliday House could be turned into one of Wyoming’s crown jewels.
“It would sure be neat if it’s purchased by somebody who has the money and the capability to bring it back to life,” she said. “I hope somebody can really commit to that house and turn it into something really cool.”
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
