After Bob Snow opened Phineas Phogg's Balloon Works on the north side of Church Street, his attention turned across the street to the corner of Church and Garland. There he built the Cheyenne Saloon and Opera House, an over-the-top western showroom unlike anything Orlando had ever seen.
But the corner where the Cheyenne stood had a rich history long before Bob Snow arrived. Located just south of the Slemons Building (home to Rosie O'Grady's) and east of the site of Orlando's first school for African Americans, the property traces its roots to Orlando's pioneer days.
Pioneers and Purcells
It's hard to imagine today, but Orlando was once a frontier cattle town where cowboys rode horses through the streets of downtown and open-range cattle wandered freely. In Eve Bacon's history of the city, she recounts this story by J. Walter Hosier describing Christmas 1882 in the streets of Orlando:
"There were two saloons in Orlando at that time and the cowboys rode their ponies into the front door and up to the bar and drank their liquor without dismounting... They lassoed a cow and dragged it through the streets and then tried lassoing each other or any citizen who happened to be on the street."
As Orlando Sentinel writer Mark Andrews noted, ranching remained Orange County's dominant industry until the arrival of the railroad in 1880 gave citrus growers a faster way to ship their fruit to market. Even then, Orlando was still very much a cow town when early merchants such as William Slemons, Joseph Bumby, and Nicholas Mernaugh established businesses along Church Street.
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| Orange County Regional History Center |
Irish immigrant Nicholas R. "T.D." Mernaugh arrived in Orlando in 1885 and opened a grocery store at the corner of Church Street and Garland Avenue. A devout Catholic, he later donated his estate to the church and had earlier established a Catholic cemetery on what is now Edgewater Drive in College Park, near today's 7-Eleven. Most of the graves were eventually reinterred.
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| Orange County Regional History Center |
A sepia-toned photograph of Mernaugh's grocery could easily pass for a scene from an old western movie. The unpaved street, two-story wooden storefront, horse-drawn wagon, gas lamp, and hams hanging outside the entrance evoke the frontier character of early Orlando. In many ways, Bob Snow's theatrical western saloon had its roots in a building that genuinely belonged to the Old West.
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| Powell Poultry ad, 1919 |
The corner evolved with the city. The 1919 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map still shows a grocery store there, and newspaper advertisements suggest it was home to the Powell Poultry & Produce Co., which promoted itself as "the place to get something good to eat," including Georgia cane syrup, country-smoked meats, and fresh poultry.
During the Florida Boom of the 1920s, the site reflected Orlando's growing diversity. Suzuki's Art Shop opened at 124 W. Church Street, selling Japanese tea sets, lamps, novelties, and gifts. In 1923, Mrs. Suzuki described why she and her husband had embraced their adopted home:
"Ivanhoe Lake is one dream of the Great Artist's work, and you can run miles through fields smiling with gracious invitations. New York chilled me. Orlando makes me happy, and my husband works like mad."
The Depression and postwar years brought another succession of businesses. The 124 W. Church Street address housed a Sherwin-Williams paint store, the E.E. Shoup Department Store—well known for its Christmas toys—the Good and Bad Furniture Store, and later a warehouse for Mather's Furniture. Today, Mather's Social Gathering, located in the company's former flagship building at Pine Street and Magnolia Avenue, serves as a wonderful example of how a historic commercial building can be successfully adapted for a new generation.
The site's final commercial occupant before Church Street Station arrived in 1970 when B.E. Purcell & Co. relocated there. Founder Buren Estes "B.E." Purcell had arrived in Orlando during the Florida land boom of 1924. After briefly working in a furniture store, he struck out on his own, building a business that eventually expanded to seven stores across four Central Florida counties.
Forced to relocate when the City of Orlando acquired his longtime Church Street store for construction of the new police headquarters, Purcell moved into the former Mather's warehouse at 124 W. Church Street. The company advertised that it could "clothe the family, furnish the home," offering furniture, clothing, western wear, leather goods, appliances, and floor coverings.
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| Purcell ad from 1973 |
Purcell's own love of horses shaped the company's identity. He owned a 2,000-acre ranch where he raised Palomino and Arabian horses, and after his death in 1971, his daughter Louise Purcell Horn continued emphasizing the western lifestyle that had become synonymous with the family business.
As Bob Snow began transforming Church Street Station, Horn embraced the changing neighborhood. In 1973, the Orlando Sentinel reported that the Church Street store would be remodeled to complement the "new (old) motif" taking shape across the street. At the time, western wear and saddlery had become the store's strongest departments.
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| From Jul 23, 1977 |
Two years later, Purcell's consolidated its western merchandise into the Church Street location and rebranded as Purcell Country. The store featured saddles, boots, western apparel, a chuckwagon-style restaurant, an old-fashioned soda fountain, and a rustic country store with rough-hewn interiors and wood floors. Louise Horn called it the "frontier side of the street," perfectly complementing Rosie O'Grady's Victorian streetscape across Church Street.
For a brief moment, Purcell Country bridged two eras of Orlando history. It connected the authentic frontier commerce of pioneer Church Street with the carefully crafted nostalgia Bob Snow was creating across the street. When Snow built the Cheyenne Saloon on the neighboring lot, he wasn't inventing a western tradition—he was building upon one that had existed on Church Street for nearly a century.
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| Orlando Sentinel |
A Foot-Stompin', Heel-Kickin' Western Saloon to End All Saloons!
In 1977, Louise Purcell Horn sold the property to Bob Snow. At the time, Snow announced that Purcell Country would remain part of the growing Church Street Station complex. Those plans eventually changed, however, and by the end of 1980 construction was underway on what was initially called the Cheyenne Saloon and Social Club.
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| From Dec 11, 1980 |
Church Street Station Vice President Dick Milano described the project as a country-western counterpart to Rosie O'Grady's—a family-friendly venue built around music, entertainment, and audience participation.
The Cheyenne Saloon and Opera House officially opened on June 3, 1982. Country music legend Marty Robbins headlined opening night, while Zeke Sheppard and the Cheyenne Stampede became the house band.
Snow admitted there had never been anything quite like the Cheyenne in the actual Old West, but he insisted it represented what a western saloon and opera house should have looked like.
Little remained of the old Purcell's building. The ceilings were raised to an astonishing 75 feet, a third floor was added, and more than 250,000 board feet of golden oak transformed the space into a massive western showcase capable of accommodating 1,000 foot-stompin', heel-kickin' guests. Snow proudly described the style as "California, go-to-hell Victorian décor."
Like every Bob Snow attraction, the magic was in the details. Antique chandeliers containing medallions from the Philadelphia Mint hung overhead, while others came from the Schlitz Mansion in St. Louis. Visitors also encountered an 1880 billiard table, an extensive collection of antique firearms, Native American arrowheads, and sculptures by Frederic Remington.
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| OrlandoMemory |
The experience extended far beyond the décor. Cocktail waitresses performed clogging routines during the nightly stage shows. Tuesday evenings featured free country dance lessons where guests learned the one-step, two-step, and Cotton-Eyed Joe. Thursdays became "Longneck Night," complete with beer specials and barbecue sandwiches, while the restaurant served buffalo burgers alongside traditional barbecue favorites. Guests looking for something stronger could order the Cheyenne Gunslinger, a margarita served with lime or strawberries in a souvenir glass.
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| OrlandoMemory |
My own favorite memories include Friday's Backyard BBQ promotion, playing blackjack with play money on the third floor, and watching the dancers whirl across the dance floor. When the Cheyenne was packed, the energy in the room was unlike anything else in Orlando. It wasn't just a nightclub or concert venue—it was an experience. Those who were there during its heyday know exactly what I mean.
Unfortunately, the good times didn't last forever. By 2001, Church Street Station had passed through several owners and was struggling financially. Familiar promotions such as Nickel Beer Night made a brief return in an effort to draw crowds, but it wasn't enough. That October, many of the complex's priceless antiques were auctioned off, and the Cheyenne closed "for renovations"—marking the end of one of Orlando's most memorable entertainment venues.
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| Ad from the Cheyenne reboot in 2008 |
The Cheyenne Rides Again
In 2002, reports surfaced that Snow hoped to "corral a lease" for the building from the owners, but a deal didn't materialize until Orlando developer Cameron Kuhn purchased the complex in 2007. By the end of that year, Snow was actively recruiting talent, advertising for singers, dancers, ropers, whip artists, bartenders, jugglers, and fire eaters.
After nine months and $3 million in renovations, Snow reopened the Cheyenne in February 2008. Repairs were made to fix a leaky roof, a state-of-the-art sound system was installed, and a museum recreated the iconic Remington sculptures that once graced the bars. Orlando Sentinel columnist Beth Kassab noted it was "high noon" for the Cheyenne, as it faced stiff headwinds from local construction projects—including the nearby 55 West building and work on the I-4 off-ramp. To make matters worse, Kuhn was experiencing severe financial strain, admitting he had overextended his investments.
Snow brushed off the skepticism with humor, joking, “You know what happens to pioneers? We get arrows in our butt, and we’re prepared for a few arrows.” Despite his optimism, Kassab concluded that the odds were stacked against the venue's survival—and she was unfortunately proven right. The reboot lasted only about a year.
For Church Street alumni like myself, it was a crushing blow. I was brought in to design the marketing and advertising for the reboot, and I was in attendance for the grand reopening. Seeing the sheer amount of passion and effort Snow poured into restoring the room to its original spectacle made its quick closure all the more heartbreaking.
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| State Archives of Florida |
Plays, Parties, and Possibilities
Although the Cheyenne's days as a country music showcase ended long ago, the building never became obsolete. Over the past two decades it has continued to host weddings, corporate events, concerts, and festivals such as Tacos & Tequila and Whiskey Business. The Orlando Philharmonic, Florida Theatrical Association, and Opera Orlando have all staged performances there.
A marketing brochure prepared by the building's current owner, Lincoln Property Company, notes that the former showroom has remained "actively used as a private event space for weddings, corporate events and live music concerts." The property is now marketed as more than 17,000 square feet of event space "perfect for a restaurant, brewery, winery, entertainment complex or music venue."
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| From Yelp |
What Makes a Building Historic?
One reason I wrote these two posts was because I kept seeing comments on social media claiming there was "nothing historic" about the Cheyenne.
If "historic" simply meant "old," those comments might have a point. The building is still several years shy of the 50-year benchmark often associated with eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places. But age alone has never determined historic significance.
Historic properties are evaluated for their association with important events and people, their architectural merit, their craftsmanship, and the integrity of what survives.
By those standards, the Cheyenne has a compelling story to tell.
From 1982 through the 1990s, it hosted many of country music's greatest performers, including members of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It served as the home of the nationally televised Church Street Station series and became one of the country's premier country music venues. Beyond music, it hosted community events, political fundraisers, and press conferences, including a memorable appearance by legendary football coaches Steve Spurrier and Bobby Bowden.
Architecturally, the building is remarkable in its own right. More than 50 craftsmen spent nearly two and a half years constructing the elaborate western interior using traditional techniques rarely employed today. Mortise-and-tenon roof trusses support the soaring ceilings without bolts or steel plates. More than 5,000 hand-turned spindles, carved railings, banisters, and balustrades were crafted on site, creating one of downtown Orlando's most distinctive interiors.
Despite sitting within both Orlando's Local Downtown Historic District and the federally certified historic district recognized by the National Park Service, the Cheyenne remains vulnerable. The recent moratorium suspending Historic Preservation Board reviews demonstrates that historic buildings cannot be taken for granted. Walking around the building today, it's easy to spot weathered wood and areas of deterioration that deserve attention before more serious damage occurs.
Reimagining the Cheyenne
Downtown Orlando has changed dramatically since Bob Snow envisioned the Cheyenne more than four decades ago.
The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the Kia Center, and future plans for the Orlando Magic Sports & Entertainment District have transformed downtown's entertainment landscape. It is difficult to imagine another concert venue succeeding on Church Street.
But perhaps the Cheyenne doesn't need to compete with those venues.
Instead, what if it celebrated the history that already exists within its walls?
During the Church Street Station era, the Cheyenne functioned as an unofficial museum of the American West, filled with historic artifacts, antique firearms, stained glass, and western memorabilia. Why couldn't it become an official museum celebrating Florida's extraordinary musical heritage?
Imagine a Florida Music Hall of Fame honoring artists from Ray Charles, Tom Petty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Allman Brothers to Jim Morrison, Gloria Estefan, NSYNC, and countless others who have shaped American music. The stage that once welcomed Marty Robbins, Tammy Wynette, Garth Brooks, George Jones, and Jerry Lee Lewis could once again host live performances, award ceremonies, and educational programs. The restaurant could become a Hard Rock-style dining experience filled with memorabilia celebrating Florida musicians.
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| Rendering of the third-floor of the Cheyenne Saloon as a Florida Music Museum |
The Cheyenne Saloon has already proven it can bring people together.
The question isn't whether the building has a future.
It's whether we'll have the vision to build one that respects its past.
Preserving the Cheyenne isn't about freezing downtown in time. It's about recognizing that Orlando's greatest places succeed when they tell stories no other city can tell. Before we erase another chapter of our history, we should ask ourselves a simple question:
What could this building become if we valued its history as much as its real estate?
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| Rendering of the first-floor of the Cheyenne Saloon as a Florida Music Museum |
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