News
Evening at Kendrick Mansion Draws Good Crowd
On Wednesday, June 26, the Trail End State Historic Site and Kendrick Mansion held their 9th annual Evening at the Mansion celebration.
Trail End, also known as the Kendrick Mansion, cost around $165,000 when it was built in the early 1900s. In today’s money that would be around 5 million dollars. One ad from the Sheridan Real Estate Company from 1908, advertised an 8-room house with bath, pantry and closets, was priced at $2400. A four-bedroom house with city water and electric lights was $1600.
Trail End was and is something special, inside and out. Everything was the best for the time. The mansion is a little under 14,000 square feet with thirty plus rooms, three floors plus a basement.
The home was built in the Flemish Revival style, recognizable by the presence of curvilinear gables. It is a mix of the Flemish elements and the Neoclassical style including columns, pediments and balustrades. Located on a hill over-looking the town, Trail End is a landmark in Sheridan.
The warm, sunny weather encouraged a good crowd to come to this year’s event at the Mansion.
Sharie Shada, Superintendent at Trail End, said this:
Games were set up on the lawn and they included croquet, Sorry, checkers and badminton. “All the games are pre-1960, and they are all games that the Kendrick children and grandchildren would have the opportunity to play.” Shada said. “The Kendricks played tennis and had a tennis court near the carriage house. But for today we set up badminton.”
Shada talked about how the Evening at the Mansion started.
Volunteers from Trail End provided lemonade, water and a variety of cookies for the attendees.
Kitty Norris-Guile was one of the volunteers who were serving the cookies and drinks.
Peggy Redle is a new volunteer, and she planned to tour the Mansion, and talked about the Mansion being a part of her childhood in Sheridan.
Bob and Cindy Nielsen, long-time Sheridan residents, and their visitors talked about the event. Cindy added about some of the other events she had attended as well.
Bob said he had been on the grounds before, but had never toured the Mansion, but he planned to at the event this year.
Mike and Lynn Foss, the Nielsen’s out-of-town visitors, had this to say about Evening at the Mansion.
Music was provided by Jane Perkins and Terry Garrison.
The 1929 Ford Model A Roadster owned by Luke Knudson, who is the treasurer of the Trail End Guilds, was parked near the Mansion. The car is similar to the old cars that were once parked at the Mansion when Kendrick’s lived there. Knudson also owns the Old General Store Antiques in Sheridan.
Knudson talked about his car,
He added that it creates a lot of interest when he drives it around town.
In 1968, when there was talk about tearing the mansion down, the Sheridan County Historical Society purchased Trail End. They ran it as a museum until 1982, when ownership was transferred to the State of Wyoming, and it is now a state historic site, open to the public.
The Mansion gives a glimpse of life during the period for 1913 to 1933, mainly through the eyes of the Kendrick family.
On Wednesday night, there were free tours of the Mansion, music, games and attendees brought picnic suppers and lawn chairs to enjoy the evening on the lawn at the Mansion.
Shada said that during the summer Trail End is open every day from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
