Item Detail
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31517
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0
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0
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English
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Pink and Papered : The John and Bartha Moulton Homestead and Its Relationship to Broader Trends in Rural, Mormon, and Domestic Architecture in the American West
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Philadelphia, PA
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University of Pennsylvania
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Master of Science in Historic Preservation
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In the southeast corner of Grand Teton National Park sits string of six Mormon homesteads collectively called “Mormon Row.” Arranged along a main road, the Row’s six building clusters are surrounded by an agricultural landscape of houses, fields, farm buildings, and drainage systems. Some of these landscape features are still in use by residents while others have dissolved into parkland. The Row is an eclectic mix of rustic log structures and mid-20th-century farmhouses set against the backdrop of the Grand Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges. Though seemingly desolate today, 32 families once made this place their home. John and Bartha Moulton, a Mormon couple from southeastern Idaho, spent most of their lives on a homestead on the Row’s northern half. While the Moulton homestead includes the characteristic log barns, corrals, and dilapidated fences one might expect of a disused Western homestead, the stuccoed Moulton house is painted a surprising shade of salmon pink with emerald green trim, and a mauve foundation. This stucco building is locally known as “the Pink House” and is a standout fixture in the landscape. While the exterior of the house makes a strong statement that can be seen from a long distance away, the interior is equally incongruous with most preconceived notions of frontier homesteading. Prefabricated materials, bright colors, and bold wallpapers tell a story of late-stage homesteading infused with personality and style extracurricular to the utilitarian needs of an isolated farm.