The (Possible) Haunting of Smith Mansion-Cody,Wyoming
By: Katelyn Parker
What the heck is that? A question that is most likely on people’s minds as they travel to or from Yellowstone National Park’s east entrance. Just outside of Wapiti, Wyoming sits, what appears to be, a large house, but the architectural influence is not like anything we have seen before. It doesn’t seem to make any functional sense and the construction does not look to be finished.
Is It Haunted?
What is the history of this architectural oddity that sits up on a hill just off Highway 14? Do you think its haunted? Of course not, right? Ghosts, goblins, and hauntings don’t exist. After you hear the story, you may find yourself changing your beliefs, or at least thinking about it.
The History
In the 1970’s Francis Lee Smith began construction on his family home in Wapiti, Wyoming. A past fire had devastated the nearby, Rattlesnake Mountain which is where Smith foraged for his lumber. Moving the logs to his property using only what he had, he was ready to begin construction. Smith didn’t use the help of a contactor, blueprints, or heavy equipment. He just started building. When you look at the house it almost looks as if once one project was finished, he began another one on top of it, and another on top of that, until his dream home was five stories tall.
Why Did He Build the Smith Mansion?
Looking at the house, you almost have to wonder if Smith was building the house or being commanded and controlled by the house itself. Smith didn’t seem to have any fundamental plan for functionality, just an artistic idea that he had to see come to fruition. Many aspects of the mansion are constructed with beautiful craftsmanship and design, but others don’t seem to make any rational sense.
Death of the Dreamer
In 1992, after decades of building, Francis Lee Smith fell to his death while working on his mansion. He was only 48 at the time of his death. Was this just a freak accident or are the suppositions true? Perhaps Smith Mansion is haunted and was controlling Smith, commanding the work only to take his life in the end. Maybe it’s just as history states, a man had an artistic dream and made it his life’s work to see it come to fruition. Whatever the truth may be, Smith Mansion still stands tall for everyone in the valley to see. An architectural oddity that is one mans legend.
So, Is It Haunted?
Over the years the building has stood abandoned. Several different generations have tried to find firsthand evidence of a haunting. Teenagers have climbed the hill looking for a good scare and vandals have done their best to destroy what was once the beholder of one man’s dreams. As far as I know, there has never been any solid “evidence” of anything supernatural, but the house can influence an uneasy feeling.
No Trespassing!
Smith Mansion remains private property, so before you consider yourself a ghost hunter, think twice. We ask that you respect this Wapiti marvel and just ponder its possibilities without breaking the law. If you are interested in being part of Francis Lee Smith’s legend, you can donate to the preservation project here.
