Smith Mansion - Towering Log House

Wapiti, Wyoming

Smith Mansion juts up from a slope along the North Fork Highway, midway between Cody and Yellowstone National Park. From a distance it resembles a pile of discarded logs and lumber, coaxed into an intricate fantasy palace. The 5-story, 77-ft. tall rustic structure was hand-built -- without blueprints -- by the late (Francis) Lee Smith. Lee was born in Cody and worked as an engineer at a local firm. Smith Mansion was his side project for 22 years, and he spent every spare moment working on it. It started as a future home for his family, and along the way morphed into a tangle of rooms, balconies, and staircases. Lee hauled logs from Rattlesnake Mountain, north of Wapiti, by pickup truck and by horse.

In April 1992, while toiling alone on a balcony, 48-year old Smith was hit by falling lumber, and fell. His body was discovered two days later. Since then, the Mansion has been empty, seemingly abandoned. Trespassing is prohibited, but weather and vandalism have taken a toll.

We happened to drive by on a recent summer weekend, and could see a large tour group on one of the upper levels, doing a walk-through/climb-up. Summer tours are scheduled in advance at the Smith Mansion website. Sunny Larsen, Smith's daughter, continues to raise funds to restore the Smith Mansion and to preserve the legacy of her eccentric-genius architect father.