The Weston House, currently Healthy Being Juicery
Year Built: 1936
Historic Use: Residential
Current Use: Healthy Being Juicery
Historic Designation: Teton Trust for Historic Places Easement (2020)
History of the Weston House
After Genevieve Van Vleck’s untimely death in 1936, Roy Van Vleck gifted or sold a 75 ft. by 150 ft. parcel to Stella and her new husband, Harry Weston, where they constructed their log cabin. In 1948, after his second daughter, Jean, married, he sold or gifted her a parcel next to the Weston’s property, where Jean and her husband Bob Stewart constructed a house in c. 1950. The tradition of one generation subdividing their land for the next generation was typical of early settlement in Jackson, where, as families grew, new houses were constructed. This trend is outlined in the Grand Teton National Park MPDF as it applies to homesteads, though the same context is applicable to the development of the town of Jackson as well.
In 1957, Second Street (known as Deloney Street today) was converted from a rutted dirt path into a proper road. “Second Street, east of the Square, is being rehabilitated, dredged, and shocked to pieces. What was once a rutted cow path laced with dandelions and flowering alfalfa, holds great promise of a future boulevard—or at the least a reliable thoroughfare for vehicle traffic,” Grace S. Nelson wrote in The Jackson Hole Guide. The new road ran parallel to Broadway with a 200 ft. space between the roads. This distance left a 50 ft. band between the back of the Weston and Stewarts properties and the new road. In 1959 Roy Van Vleck sold the Stewarts the land behind their property, creating a full lot that ran the distance between Broadway and Deloney Street. The Weston’s never purchased the land behind their lot, instead eventually inheriting it from Roy Van Vleck’s estate. Clare Roy Van Vleck died on March 25, 1960 while on his annual winter vacation to Florida. 6 Stella and Jean inherited his property, retaining it until 1983 when they sold it to Ridge Creek Investment, the same buyer that already owned the lot to the west. At the time, Stella and Harry retained the small piece behind their lot. In 1986 the Weston’s sold their lot to Ridge Creek Investments. In 1989, Ridge Creek Investment combined the Clinton Van Vleck, Roy and Genevieve Van Vleck, and Stella and Harry Weston properties to create the large lot that exists. Abi Garaman and Ridge Creek Investment sold to Deloney Street LLC (Max Chapman) in 2008. In 2007 the Stewart’s sold their parcel on Broadway, and in 2013 it was purchased by Max Chapman.
Stella and Harry Weston lived in their house until their deaths in 1989 and 1990, respectively. Estella, known as Stella, was named after one of Genevieve’s sisters. Over the course of her life she was a true community organizer in Jackson, and instrumental in many “firsts.” She was a member of the “Grey Ladies” volunteers at St. John’s Hospital begun during World War II, worked as a nurses aid at the hospital, helped start the local Girl Scouts, served on the Teton County school board, and was an original member of the Teton County Library Board. She was also an outdoorswoman, taking annual hunting trips for antelope and sage grouse, and enjoying horseback riding and camping. Harry had a similarly positive and direct impact on the community. Born in Cody, he was the son of Harry R. Weston, Sr., who served as Wyoming State Treasurer from 1930-1935. Weston was a volunteer firefighter, served on the Jackson town council, was a member of the Rotary Club and BPO Elks, a Shriner, and a 32 degree mason. A conservationist, Harry also served on the board of the Grand Teton National Park Natural History Association for 52 years. In 1940, Harry and partner Ed Lanke purchased the Jackson Mercantile from Roy Van Vleck. Stella and Harry had three children, Roy, Genevieve, and Harriet.
After Stella and Harry’s deaths, Abi Garaman converted their log cabin into a business space, renting it to a number of different businesses including an orthopedic surgeon, the Snake River Music store, and the Jackson Hole Roaster coffee shop. Healthy Being Juicery, the current occupant, opened in the space in late 2013. Between 1936 and 1990 the location transformed from a residential area to a prime commercial location.
During the Weston’s lives, few changes were made to the house, though the changes around the house were significant. While a photo of the building in 1938 shows that it did not have white trim, another image taken sometime before 1950 shows the white trim in place, suggesting it was added within a few years of the building’s construction. The couple also planted the large cottonwoods, and eventually constructed a garage.
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