An archival mountain rises from the plains surrounded by a village.
This image was the architectural inspiration for the Centennial Complex, the teepee-shaped building on the western side of the University of Wyoming campus. The building consists of American Heritage Center (AHC) and the Art Museum.
The AHC was previously located in Coe Library with the majority its collections stored in two off-campus facilities. Neither of these locations was optimal for housing some of the collections.
A specific climate is required to keep all collections in prime condition, allowing documents to be preserved for decades or even longer. These off-campus facilities presented a challenge with no way to control humidity and air temperature to preserve items.
It wasn’t until September 1993 that the Centennial Complex opened. With the several renovations have occurred since, the building makes an ideal home for the AHC and UW Art Museum.
“The building is custom designed to act as a repository for rare and irreplaceable items which have specific environmental requirements for preservation,” said William Hopkins, AHC manager of collections. “The building is not only one of the most secure on campus, but is climate controlled to provide the most stable storage environment possible given the design, and the need to balance preservation with access.
“Additionally, the university has spent a considerable amount of effort, time, and money to not only maintain the building, but to improve its condition over time, to protect the collections and help them last as long as possible.”
Both organizations in the Centennial Complex have gathered and received donations of extensive amounts of individual items and full collections. For over 25 years they have fostered friendships with the many famous individuals who have donated their works.
“One of our most valuable pieces is the Frederic Remington Arizona Territory 1888, oil on canvas, displayed in the George A. Rentschler Room,” said University Archivist Sara Davis. “We have the most extensive collection of Alfred Jacob Miller paintings, bronze pieces by Remington, and highly decorative western saddles. We also have some original signed letters by famous authors such as Robert Frost as well as one of Jack Benny’s violins, just to name a few items.”
Other collections in the Center include paraphernalia from comic book creator and producer Stan Lee, which was on display after Lee’s death in 2018. The Center also has original musical scores from “Babes in Toyland” and material from Hollywood entertainment collections including “Star Trek,” “Days of Our Lives,” “Twilight Zone” and “Outer Limits.” Actress Barbara Stanwyck, comedian Dan Rowan and broadcast Hugh Downs have also given collections to the AHC.
Other popular genres of archival collections include Western diaries, political collections and items related to military history.
The collections aren’t the only precious items to view in the complex, however. The elegant design and architecture inside the building is also worth seeing, and has its own inspiration.
“Inside on the second floor is an area called the ‘Loggia,’ which houses an indoor atrium that is intended to represent a forest,” said Hopkins, the collections manager. “Inside the Loggia a person can look straight up, approximately five floors, and through a skylight that is at the tip of the cone which presents a fascinating architectural vista and is one of the truly unique aspects of the building.”
The AHC attracts visitors from all over the country with its unique items, according to Davis, the archivist. It is currently hosting individuals from Spain, Switzerland and Venezuela who would like to research its collections.
Centennial Complex collections are open to the public for viewing and research. Hours for reading rooms, rare book collections and the AHC can be accessed at uwyo.edu/ahc/. Art Museum hours are available at UWyo.edu/artmuseum.
