Utah Preservation Magazine - Building on the Past Volume 6, 2002

J.S. 5 3.95 Canada 5 4.85

-

.-

'c N

.

.:

*

2.s

T H E

;.*.

.

.-

.r*

-.A'~AT~H.~C)~~EM.<'..~*%E,IWKWAR

*.: 2

'--TSRGRT-IN

,,,':,

TI~V~E +

P A S

.

SACRED P* P * ~ 9 ~ QYM i i i ANDZHE U T A H J ~ I

Come to Key. We offer the solutions you need to manage your financial life. And we're committed to providing exceptional service - whether you prefer to work with us in person, by telephone, or online. Find out what it's like to be truly welcome

KeyBank Achieve anything.

Im800.KEY2YOU@ Key.co m Banking

e

lnvestments

e

Insurance

Key.com is a federally registered service mark of KeyCorp. Securities are offered through McDonald lnvestments Inc., A KeyCorp Company and member NASD/NYSE/SIPC, lnvestments and insurance available through affiliates of KeyBank:

1

NOT FDIC INSURED

NO BANK GUARANTEE

MAY LOSE VALUE

I

'I au:a H . ~ R R , W1, : ~ RFPR E @uid

&,ITCHEN

k y o B;ATH ,, , .

! 1 ' ' ~ t i , i l r VISIT ~ 4 U . e N E W 'i~:G&Tl'%lrl,.AM,&S&$'.&UR.

;,,

,'

,..'

,

.,

I

marble. Venetian cut-glass chandeliers. 'Thicli, English

of OIL{-worldc s a t t s m a ~ ~ s l ~ i ~ and s ~ ~ h i s t i c n t i o n' .

Shl;'l' L A K E

C:LTY

5.5.5 S o u t h R l a ~ nS t r e e t

U T A H PRESERVATION B u i l d i n g o n t h e Past

Volume 6

contents N E O N SIGNS 8

By Kim Hancey Duffy The emergence of neon technology in the early 20th century sparked perhaps the most creative and vibrant era of signage. Preserving same of the memorable signs from thot period IS o challenge for both ortisans and business owners.

T H E HEBERVALLEY RAILROAD A N D LOCOMOTIVE #6 18 14

By Stephen L. Carr Trarn enthusiasts have worked slnce the iate 1960s to have an operable historic railroad in Utah. Revrved in the early 19908, the railroad-headlined by its restored steom engine-IS now on track for long-term success.

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE 20 Why do so many artists set up stud~osin l~istor~c buridrngs? Five of Utah's top artists share their personal storres about findrng practical and inspiring space rn vintage architecture. Some have remained m their buildings for more than three decades. Randall Lake Lee Deffebach Susan Gallacher Brian T. Kershisnilc Anna Campbell Bliss

WASATCH ACADEMY:

A LESSON IN HISTORY, LONGEVITY,AND QUALITY 32

By Laurel Brown This New England-style prep school in central Utoh has a history that goes bock more than I 2 5 years, an enviable academrc reputation, and a campus full of historrc buildings thot provide bath challenges and benefits to the institution.

SALT LAKE T E N T H WARD: N E I G H B O R H O O D O F INDUSTRY A N D DIVERSITY 38

By Korral Broschinsky The range of preserved hrstorrc structures in thrs eastsrde neighborhood reflects its diverse history There are humble worker cottages, upscale architect-des~gned homes, mdustnal ond commercial buildmgs, landscaped boulevards, an exotic sculpture garden, and several churches, including the area's namesake, the restored LDS Tenth Ward.

SACRED PLACES PHOTO C O N T E S T 4 4 Fifreen winning photos capture the souls of well-known and obscure sacred places throughout Utoh.

To purchase additional copies of this magazine o r inquire about distribution points please contact Sandra Hudson at (801) 552.9100.

To purchase back issues please contact the Utah State Historical Society at (80 I ) 533.3500 o r history.utah.gov.

TAH PRESERVATICL ,., I , , , , , , , ~,

,,>

Volume 2

Volume 3

Volume 4

Volume 5

PASSPORT I N T1ME:WORKING VACATIONS I N HISTORY 52 The Forest Service's PIT program offers the public a chance to participate in history by helping document and restore archaeological and historic sites.

A sampling of recent projects provides a glimpse into the on-the-ground workings of this innovative program.

"North Cottonwood Ranger Station Restoration," by Joseph Gallagher "Ranch Rehab and Archaeological Discovery," by Byron Loosle & Clay Johns "The Strawberry Valley 'Tin War' Project," by Charrnaine Thompson "Tie Hack History and Archaeology," Jennifer Eberlien "PIT:A Participant's Perspective:' by Karen Bashore

WESTMINSTER COLLEGE'S PAYNE GYMNASIUM: UTAH JAZZ HOME COURT ADVANTAGE 62 Travis K. Manning Both the college ond the jazz prospered dur~ngthe 20 yeors the teom used the school's 1928 gym as its practice floor and home bose.The teom has moved out, ond now the building faces an uncertofn future.

OLYMPIAN EFFORTS 68

A number of historic buildings were restored m time for the 2002 Solt Lake Winter Olympics. Some even played a major role In the events. Capsule summaries of I 2 historic renovation projects ore presented here.

NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS: ST. ANN AND COLUMBUS 74

By Susan Petheram It's refreshing to see two old schools not only soved but also refurbished and put back to use as neighborhood assets. These two Solt Lake-orea projects ore models of preservatton ond inspiration01 rem~ndersof the communrty-building potenriol of historrc school buildings.

COVER PHOTO Star Noodle Parlor, 225 25th Street, Ogden

UTAH PRESERVATION B U I L D I N G

O N

T H E

P A S T

U t a h State Historical Society

Utoh Preservation: Burld~ngon the Past (ISSN 1525-0849) is published annually by FWE*STAR. Inc. in partnership with the Utah State H~storicaiSoctecy IUrah State Historic Preservat~on0ffice.Copies of Utah Preservation are available through select bookstores In Utah and are provided free to members of the Histor~calSociety

age or handicap. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or faclllry operaced by a recipient o f Federal assistance should write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, National Park Service. 1849 C Street, NW. Washington. D C 20240.

Max J. Evans

Utah Preservaaon recelves financial support from the Utah Interagency Task Force. Including the Bureau of Land Managemenr. Natfonal Park Servce. U.S. Forest

Publ~shed by FYVE*STAR. Inc.. offering full-color publ~cat~onsand unique innovative advertising opportunirles to businesses and organizations.02002

Associate D i r e c t o r

Service, and Utah D ~ v ~ s ~ofo n Stare History. It is also funded with the assistance of a matchlng grant-in-aid from the National Park Service.However, the contents and opinions do not necessar~lyreflect the views or

(80 1) 533-3500

h~story utah gov

300 5. RIO Grande Salt Lake Clty, Utah 8 4 10 1

Director PreridentlCEO Celeste Gleove* (801) 552.9100 www.@estar.com

Wilson G. Martin Administrative KR Sandra L Hudson

Design loAnne Maass Deskn www.jornaossdes~gn.corn

E d i t o r U t a h Preservation Roger V. Roper

Assistant E d i t o r Kristen Smart Rogers

policies of the Department of the Interlor, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement o r recommendat~on by the Department of the Intersor. Regulations of the U.S. Department of the Interior strictly prohib~tunlawful discrimination on the basis of race. coior.nauonai origin.

Discla~mer:Every efforr has been made to ensure the accuracy of the ~nformarionin this publicat~on.Neither the Utah State Histor~calSociety nor FWEXSTAR.Inc. can assume respons~b~lity for errors or omissions.

Kirk Brimley, who has been in the sign business in Utah for 60 years, says that Utah had more neon signs than any state west of the Mississippi (Las Vegas' mega-illumination was post-WWII). Now most of those signs are either gone or altered radically from their original designs, and virtually all of the "spectaculars" are gone.

Any discussion of neon signs inevitably ends up lamenting those that have vanished, though it's difficult to separate whether we miss the old signs or the way of life they represented. A number of signs managed to survive into the 1990s, only to get yankedlike the microphone man who perched atop the KALL Radio station on South Temple, the Be1 Air Lounge, the Ding Ho Cafe dragon, and the wagging Carpetowne trio.

It used to be that these signs languished in lots and might be picked up by a collector.

Now they go to the landfill.

Creative advertising or visual clutter?

Neon afic~onadoPaul Heath created an alphabet poster from neon signs in the Salt Lake area.

Older business districts, such as Ogden's 24th & 25th street area, are the best place t o find historic neon signs.

I

Bill & Nada's, near Trolley Square, opened in the 1940s.

Both the sign and cafe are scheduled for removal in 2002.

10

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

A walk around Ogden's 24th and 25th streets gives you an idea of what many Utah downtowns looked like in the first half of the twentieth century. The names of the businesses reveal their vintage: Berthana Dancing, Lighthouse LoungeIGo Go Girls, and KO KOMo Club.

The signs hang over the sidewalk; some are two stories high. By the '60s and '70s, local neon signs were being replaced by enormous chain store logos, then plastics came along. In order to reduce liability, and to prevent the horrors of business districts infested with plastic clowns, most cities nationwide clamped down on signage.

Doug Dansie in Salt Lake City's planning office says that the city's ordinances were overhauled in the 1970s, calling for the removal of signs hanging over sidewalks and roadways, especially in the downtown area. Sizes were restricted, marquees discouraged, and blade signs -those that stick out from the front-were banned.

The Union Pacific and Rio Grande depots, and other buildings with landmark status, got special consideration. He says that if an owner wanted to change only the text on a sign, they didn't have to consider the new ordinances. But if they were going to alter the size, shape, pole, or scaffolding on which it sits, they would have to comply with the new standards. Dansie says the restrictions have actually loosened somewhat in the last few years, but not everyone is aware of it.

Artist Paul Heath, who has both photographed and created silkscreen renderings of neon signs for years, has his own view of signage. He says, "In the '40s and '50's downtown was alive with light.

Then someone came along and called it trash. They changed the city laws about size and shape of signs, and, if you think about it, now downtown is dead. What I would like to see is looser standards that stress artistic interpretation and allow for businesses to advertise in creative ways that can excite the viewer."

What's in a neon?

Neon, from the Greek word "neos" meaning new, was first displayed in Paris in 1910. Before that time, electric signs were essentially painted boxes illuminated by dozens of incandescent bulbs. Neon signs were first produced in Utah in the 1920s, and the technology hasn't changed a great deal since then. A neon sign begins as a metal box-it used to be pounded sheet metal, now it's aluminum. Older signs have geometric patterns or fairly intricate designs painted on them. The c'glassblowers" cut, heat, and bend prefabricated tubing to fit the design. The glassblower fits the tube with electrodes at either end and replaces the air with neon or argon gas.

When electrified, the gas forms a glowing band between the two electrodes. The tubes are braced onto the box then wired to transformers and the sign gets "plugged in." What has changed over the years is color. Neon glowing inside a clear tube is bright red-orange. Argon gas with mercury glows blue. Now colored glass or coated tubes create 150 colors.

What wears out on a neon sign? If water gets inside the cabinet, it can leak across the face of the design, form rust holes, or blow transformers. Occasionally a bird will blow the transformer. The glass tubes themselves are surprisingly durable, but occasionally they are targets for vandals. When owners are faced with major repairs or restoration, they are also faced with repairing it under new code and zoning ordinances. As a result, many signs don't survive.

National preservation guidelines include neon within the family of historic signs worthy of protection. History, after all, is multi-layered, and all of the trends and

technologies are legitimate parts of our past, even the gaudy ones. A National Park Service brief on historic signs offers the following advice: rn Retain signs which are: significant in reflecting the history of a building or historic district, characteristic of a period, outstanding examples of the sign maker's art, or local landmarks. rn Maintain signs, recognizing that ". . . the apparent age of historic signs is one of their major features; do not 'over restore' signs so that all evidence of their age is lost, even though the appearance and form may be recaptured."

If a business changes hands, try to keep the historic sign unaltered, relocate it to the interior or to another part of the lot, or modify it for reuse. Failing this, the sign could be considered for donation to a museum or other preservation organization.

Nearly 20 years ago, the status of the Rio Grande sign on top of the 1910 depot was a little shaky. The Utah State Historical Society was the new tenant, the building was under restoration, and the coffee shop was changing hands. The Historical Society took a good look at the sign. It wasn't a part of the original design, it was potentially causing damage to the roof, and the pigeons were having a party on top.

However, it was a piece of both railroad and neighborhood history.

Jean and Pete Henderson, the new restaurant owners, decided that because the sign was a city landmark and a beacon for their cafe, they would pay for its repair and upkeep. While the Historical Society considered their offer, the public weighed in loudly in favor of the sign. The sign stayed. The Hendersons still carry a monthly maintenance contract on the sign with Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO).

The new owners of the Stark Automotive building in Sugar House, LDI Group, chose to keep the old neon sign even though it had no relevance to their consulting business. They liked the history and character of the building, and the sign was a part of that. The weathered sign is clearly an artifact of an earlier era; only a couple of people have knocked at their door for a steering alignment since they moved into the building in 1997. They have toyed with the idea of refurbishing the

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

11

sign, but for now they are content to leave it intact, with its patina, like a treasured piecc of antique furniture.

Maintain, r e p a i r , or restore A stable business is the best guarantee for preservation of a historic neon sign. Many signs enjoy further protection in the form of a maintenance contract, undcr which the sign company actually owns and maintains the sign. O n e sign company, YESCO, even sends drivers cruising around at night, noting any clements that might be out of whack. This means that customers never let their signs become unsalvageable.

When the Bar X sign on Second South needed work a few years ago, it was lucky to be in David Brimley's hands, who, like his father Kirk, has been in the sign business since his teens. The original 1940s sign was a triangular marquee, with "Bar X" on two sides and a neon bronco revolving on top.

I n the 1970s it was redesigned for compli-

pride working back to the original. Most people driving by would think it was the same old sign.

Another of Brimley's favorites was the Delmar Lounge sign on Third South and Main, which was essentially eradicated when a new business made its new sign over the old. Brimley made a small reproduction for himself, which he keeps in his shop and displays on his website (brimleyneon.com).

H e also likes the Classic Cleaners sign on Third South, which contains vintage Nile green and ruby red glass. Another old favorite is the Be1 Air, which he rescued for his own collection. It's not something he can hang on his wall though-many of these hole-in-the-wall lounge signs were 10-15 feet long.

A great candidate for restoration can be found o n 21st South and 3rd East, where there is a two-sided, two-panel neon cartoon of a man in a car. In the first pane1 he's vexed, and in the next he's beaming when

I Th~sSugar House slgn

Though not original t o the depot, the Rio Grande sign is nevertheless an important part of the building's history and the city's skyline.

ance and flattened up against the building.

Brimley says restoration costs more than most owners are willing to pay. H e likes to use authentic tube supports and housings as well as hand-beat sheet metal when restoring o r reproducing signs.

When glass must be replaced, newer glass won't always do. Vintage "bromo blue" and "ruby red" (which contains gold) aren't manufactured any longer and must be replaced with Italian glass, a close match. The old white, blue, yellow, and green tubes contain mercury drops which, when opened in the shop, emit toxic mercury vapors, so special care must be taken.

If thc painted images are original, Brimley likes to leave them alone whenever possible, preserving the chalky surface and patina. When handling a two-sided sign, he may recommend restoring only one side and leaving the other side original.

For the Bar X, Brimley sanded through several layers of repaints to find the original paint, a cartoonish fake wood grain, which lie reproduced. The letters "Bar X" consist of scintillating incandescent bulbs outlined in ruby red glass which he matched from his own scavenged collection. Brimley took a lot of

12

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

Carburetor Exchange comes to his aid. This sign has been dark for years; however, a coincidence of calls from sign enthusiasts recently has its owner considering a restoration.

I n 1997, Celestial Flowers owner Charles Black moved his business from its longtime location on South Temple to a larger storefront o n First South. The cloudshaped sign with the blinking blue stars had stood on South Temple next to its neighbor, Backer's Bakery (another great sign), since Rainbow Signs built it in the 1950s. City ordinances wouldn't allow Black to reinstall the six-by-eight-foot sign similarly on a pole in front of his new business. H e arranged a creative solution: he had Rainbow refurbish the sign then install it inside the shop where it now glows out onto the street through large windows. For a cost of around $5,000 he showed his customers where he'd moved and most of thein followed him to First South.

Lorin and Beverly Konnow purchased the former Covered Wagon Motel o n North Temple a few years ago and

A number of mid-20th-century motels on south State Street and other "highways" into Salt Lalte City are still proclaiming their business with vintage neon signs.

k

1 P P

(below right and above) M o v ~ eheate el-s led the way ~n neons Infancy w ~ t hovel-scale, lum~nescentmat-quees tha could n o t be 1gnored.The old U p t o w n IS long gone. and he 1949V1lla1s fac~rigan uncel-taln futut-e.

renovated the sign. Ronno\v Elad thc texr. c1lL~ngedto their n e n name, <:it>- Creek Inn, a n d had the faded image 1-cpainted.

Aslred n~2.h~ he didn't i~istalla uewer sign, Ronnow said, "Ful- people \;tho like rieorl ~ t ' s a 110-brainer. T h e cigil had some 50 years of h s t o l - y under r;he C o r e r e d F7agon. \Ve ~ ~ . ~ ' d nt ot ecreate d a motel n.~tli modern conkenic-nces and old-fashioned c1-m-ncter. Tlzat sign is the fiil-\t scatemerlt n-c make.'"

F i \ e letters made the diiference betn-een Kedrnaa Mor ing and Storage alici Redman h l o > ~ o ,lnd s Stories, scherl a 111m production business r n o ed ~ 1-11to the Sugal-House location in 1980. T h e building is scheduled tor another update to condominiums, nnd the new owners p l a ~to~ retaln "Redman"con the scaffold, while sending t;hc "%lov~esand Storles" portion to the film production's new address 011 7th West.

In order to precer-be the 1936 ~ e l c o ~ n e sign that spans \Yrashington Boule\at-d, O g d e ~City l toolc it d r s ~ c and r ~ upgraded all its components. This includeci I-einst,tlling tlie neon, lvhich lldd been missing through most ot the '70sand ' S O s , dnd widening the metal arch t o accoml-r~odatethe wider roddwsy.

and Nadd's cafP and sign necw Trolley Square c,~n\ be far belund.

I

5 , ~ sVegas k kttenrqpdng to consuuct a neon naus~um,b ~ U"ah ~ t an't expect i t s measures ro ba presmed here. The Umh State His~orical Snciery has a s ~ x u l cnU~ctic?nof neons, kc1.~1diag&C Nc~c~dleH o u s ~Fairixant Bawl, and Beehive l;&er?i, which. W B S p a n uoE a

beehive-themed exhibiz the S ~ t h s ~ n i o l i ~ I L L T EBLIP L I a~ time. The i a ~ 3 u sHALL rni~roph~~ne man is retired2 resmreEi, and st6a1&a~j, the nm offig& of KALL Radio at Decks h k e . is a~topreciaua; tcl n ~ a h ~ a sisn jn (&we) Meon w a s often p~r-ed with "irccm rngnag@ SLK%ils grkaveprds, hut oca&orulI~k ba& of the bowfinghUarrd pin shown hare orThe Glu b'sglass of suds., some shops you might still fiszd an. old (below)Th~s agn wad p a r t EIP a Smf~hsonianexh16it of beememory or mi^. kaJJtb~a-Signs ha a great h i e Images h-am the Beehive 5tato a. nun?bl;r of y ~ ~ lego-s one propped np urt its back lot awaitin8 a decision kcrm h e t ~ ~ m ewwh e t l ~ e rto pay to i t repxired. It.is a ten-by-sk-hot, double-sided $ga ~irln. a pe$,ing rainbow oa a .chalky osmge pairat b a e k ~ ; ~ o m d .

T.11ea-e% s amism~tc=d;ledneon s&nbow un my, and beaeatll ir says, P R & ~ ~ b o ~ ~ S~aLavn~'?

RaWlb~* Sign [so relntiea) owner X 5 ~ c eCalby tlxmks it's n~dI.w~~a.tb. rep~iriug.Failing that, p.ekhpl; sorat: n m o-xac3-sTVLUBtep i o i w ~ r d wi~h a s1mpIe t e a ~ l l a ~ g eb-o w a b ~ z o~Rainbow ~t Salon?

I t i c 110t p o o r ~ n a i t l t e ~ l a n c ewhicli En the rnean~lrne, if you ~ ~ a ~to3 .s6-e t tlireatcns the neon rndrcluee oi Salt L,alye's old nemxs don" 1.aok far a sign gra~qwd, 1949 Villa 'Theatre. Ratliei; AII ~ n ~ e r t , ; l i r l just ~ a k ea drive down Salt La11eas Stl~te future of the business endangers botb the Sweetl O g d ~ a $25d.1 Street, e x the ald distinctlr c sign and theater itself. T h e same businss distzicrs BWOSS the state.. Zr's nos; may be s ~ i d to1 the U n i t e d Elecrr-ic libc be 1950s V~JSI doqnrown was Cornpanv sign 011 Fourth South, 1.i hose bathed in ne;c)12. These Eew s;u;l'virr~r~ may orange lightning bolt I ~ a stlaslied there f o r be m;sh;;a k ~ t e or f two9 ab 1east they're decades. T h e husinebs changed 11,lndc 111 stjIl standing. See hem a ~ M p.au e ca. t 2301 and, as of this wr-rting, brds are betisg KIM H A h l C E Y D M F F Y LS A F R E E L A N C E

-

cot~sidc~-ed for removal o i the sign.

Bd

W R l T f R L l V t N O IN S & L P LAlCF C I T Y .

n 1967, the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) ran its last freight from Provo to Heber City.

The following year the railroad was ganted approval to dispose of the unprofitable line, triggering a competition of sorts between two interested parties. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) had long coveted a better highway route from Provo to Heber City and beyond, as US-189 had a long route around Deer Creek Reservoir on the east side, whereas the rail line was much more direct along the western shore of the lake. Unbeknownst to the governor at the time, Calvin Rampton, U D O T bought the line and began plans to finally shorten the highway travel up Provo Canyon.

At the same time, early in 1968, a group of Heber Valley businessmen and a handful of local rail enthusiasts got together and devised a plan to develop a steam tourist railroad along one of the most scenic byways in the western United States. At the heart of the project were the newly abandoned rail line plus a steam locomotive that was already owned by the state. The Union Pacific Railroad (UP) had donated steam Locomotive #618 to the state in 1958 after it switched entirely to diesel locomotives.

This rare steam engine, built by the Baldwin Locomotive Company in 1907, had been used by the UP almost exclusively in northern Utah and southern Idaho. This locomotive was a tremendous "gold mine," because several tourist railroads were already operating around the country using steam engines and were finding much patronage due to the historical antiquity of the locomotives. The Heber City business people were able to raise the money needed to get the project moving. The rail enthusiasts knew that the engine was basically sound and just needed some tuning up to get it operational. The only hitch was UDOT's purchase of the track and its plan to relocate the highway on the railroad right-of-way.

The consortium of business -people/rail fans met with Governor Rampton in 1968 to present their plans. This, apparently, was the first time that the governor knew that U D O T had bought the former D&RGW right-of-way and was preparing to use it as a base for the new highway. The result of this meeting was that the governor favored more tourist-producing activities, and the highway would have to wait. Accordingly, since the track was already owned by the state, it was transferred from U D O T to the Department of Parks and Recreation (UDPR).

Through 1969 and mist of 1970, Heber 5 Creeper, Inc., was formed to operate the train and maintain the equipment. The line had been known affectionately as the "Heber Creeper" because the original I D&RGW trains up Provo Canyon had to travel so slowly due to steep grades and sharp curves. During the start-up period, the title to Locomotive #618 was transferred from the state to the Promontory Chapter of the National Railway Historical 1 Society, based in Salt Lake City. This chapter then leased the locomotive to Heber Creeper, Inc., a private concern whose stock was issued to those involved. Heber Creeper, Inc., also leased the roadbed and right-of-way from the state.

Local professional railroad engineers and maintenance personnel examined the locomotive from top to bottom. They determined the wheels needed to be turned as they had become slightly flattened from having sat for 12 years without having been moved.

Thanks to the major overhaul just prior to it being decommissioned, there was very little to be done with the integrity of the engine.

Finally on Thanksgiving Day, 1970, a little less than two years from when negotiations began, ~bcomotive#618 moved on its own power for the first time since 1958. After being maneuvered from its resting place to an active track and being towed as far as the mouth of Provo Canyon, the venerable engine was fired up for the first time. The engine, with a train of former hospital cars donated by Hill Air Force Base, an old Union Pacific

(opposite and below) The 1907 steam-powered Locomotive #618, meticulously restored in the mid-19903, has helped lead a revival of Urah's only tourist railroad.Trains operate year-round, winding through scenic Provo Canyon and the HeberValley.

I

b~

--

(above left) Bringing the old locomotive up to current standards required the skills of specialized expertrand more than $200.000. Here workers install new flue pipes inside the boiler. (above right) Among the vintage rail cars assembled by the railroad is Union Pacific's very first steel caboose, #3700, built in 1942.

U T A H

PRESERVATION

15

wooden caboose donated by Brigham Young University, and a couple of other donated coaches, wound its way up picturesque Provo Canyon and successfully into Heber City.

Years of planning were behind as the new entity took shape.

Over the next several years, other railcars and engines were acquired, including the entire railroad museum of the Sons of Utah Pioneers (previously based in Corinne, Utah). The older coaches from this museum looked better with the steam engine than the newer hospital cars did, and they were refurbished to make up a complete train set. Additional locomotives were acquired from various sources, and a few of these were restored and used in the Heber Creeper trains in the ensuing years. One by one, the restored locomotives were sidelined, either due to lack of spare parts, or running past the Federal Railway Administration's (FRA) inspection dates and not having enough funds to maintain them properly-but still old #618 continued to plug along.

Despite very acceptable patronage, by October 1990 the management (which since 1971 had gradually devolved into the ownership of one family) decided that the troubles of running a railroad were more than they wanted to continue with. The Heber Creeper Railroad shut down with dismal hopes that it would ever run again. Then enter again the business people of the Heber Valley. Many of the local businesses found that their revenues were sharply decreased in 1991 without the train running, so they petitioned the state legislature to give the railroad line one last try at being successful. In February 1992, pthe state appropriated $1.4 million to get the railroad running again. If it couldn't be made self-sustaining after that then it would be all over.

The legislature created the Heber Valley Historic Railroad Authority (HVHRA), a new

I

The line had been known affectionately as the "Heber Creeper" because the original D[IRGW trains up Provo Canyon had to travel so slowly due to steep grades and sharp curves.

(top and bottom)The historic trains played a very visible Winter Olympics, first and important in the during the pre-competition torch run, then as a shuttle for s~ectators.

(middle) Conductor and engineer compare watches as like they did back in the the time for departure nears, heyday of passenger railroading.

16

UTAH

PRESERVATION

independent state agency. Although there was oversight from various other state departments, the Heber Valley Railroad, as it was called, was allowed to run as if it were a private organization. One stipulation from the legislature was that the new HVHRA would have to develop a new terminal three blocks down-track from the original terminus, which had been retained by the family. The nuclei of the new railroad were the roadbed, track, and Locomotive #618, along with former Union Pacific diesel #I01 1.

With this new funding, the track (which had suffered years of no, or reduced, maintenance) was brought up to FRA operating standards, since the FRA was now overseeing tourist railroads as well as standard freight - rail lines. The historical integrity - . of the basic rail line structure was kept intact, in that none of the curves were straightened out and all bridges were retained. Diesel engine #lo1 1 was made fully operational, as steam engine #618 would not be able to be run again for several more years until it met the latest standards. Three older-type coaches were purchased from the Great Smoky Mountains Railway in North Carolina. The year 1992 saw all this maintenance and acquisition take place, the construction of a new and fully equipped engine house, and the beginnings of the restoration of the railroad's showpiece, steam engine #618.

The new Heber Valley Railroad began operations in May 1993, much to the delight of the citizens of Heber Valley, the state government, and rail fans across the country, as another railroad was saved from oblivion. Hoping for about 18,000 passengers the first year, more than 30,000 rode; then more than 35,000 in 1994, and some 65,000 in the 2000 season.

As a state agency, the Heber Valley Railroad was able to acquire surplus state and federal equipment for a fraction of its cost on the open market. This included quite a number of pieces of heavy-duty shop equipment, such as lathes, drills and pressure u

regulating devices for the rebuilding of #618.

This brings us to the pride and joy of the railroad. The original Heber Creeper Railroad may have been able to make a go of it with a diesel engine of some sort, but the available steam engine was really what got everyone excited. In fact, if the steam locomotive had not been available for the new Heber Valley Railroad, even with the historical track still in place, there is some question as to whether the state would have allocated the money to get started again.

In 1992, after complete inspection of #618 under new FRA regulations, it was determined that a major overhaul was required. Unfortunately, there were only enough funds to just get started tearing down #618. Just when things were looking the bleakest, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) was announced. This federal program provided funding for important historical transportation projects around the nation. With statistics in hand and the need obvious, the railroad applied for grant funds to restore the steam engine. In order to qualify for ISTEA funds, the engine had to meet the strict federal definition of a "historic resource." Fortunately, the fact that #618 had spent much of its life and ended its career in Utah, the State Historical Society was able to verify its historical qualifications. In 1993, the railroad was granted almost $200,000 for complete restoration.

From 1994 until early May 1995, the shop crew worked daily on the steamer. All the old flue pipes and tubes were removed from the boiler, and new ones were ordered and installed. Boiler thicknesses were measured every six inches according to the most recent, exacting boiler inspection standards. Many steam and water fittings had been broken, corroded, or lost, so new ones had to be designed and manufactured right in the engine house. Blocks of solid brass were cut, machined, drilled, and fitted using the newly acquired tools in the new backshop.

The painstaking restoration work progressed slowly, and the delays were compounded by several of the workers being pulled away to operate the diesel locomotive and serve as conductors on the regular summer tourist runs. Things picked up when the railroad hired well-known expert steam mechanic Bill Shenvood, recently from the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania. With his wealth of knowledge and experience in steam rebuilding, the engine was finished a week before opening day of the 1995 season.

Then, on that special day, May 13, 1995, a good crowd was on hand to witness the newly-reconditioned and painted locomotive effortlessly and quietly steam out from the engine house and take its rebuilt maiden voyage down the track.

After operating all summer of 1995, a few minor adjustments were made on the engine, as one would expect after a major overhaul, but the response of the locomotive to the detailed overhauling has been remarkable. Chief mechanical officer Craig Drury was exceptionally pleased with the power of the locomotive and the whisper-quiet operation instead of the usual heavy clanking noises that steam engines often produce. When a steam engine is constructed tightly, quite often when moving along level track the only noises heard from the engine will be the soft hissing of steam as it escapes from the cylinders.

With locomotive #618 as the showpiece, backed up by newly-arrived steam engine #75 from the Great Western Railway in Colorado, the railroad's own diesels, and some nicely painted period coaches and cabooses, the Heber Valley Railroad is expected to be around for a long time to come. Area businesses have noticed the increase in their traffic due to the renewed operation. Maintenance of track, locomotives, and rolling stock is a priority and is carried out under the close supervision of both the railroad's own mechanics and FRA overseers. School children by the busload ride the railroad every spring during their field trips to learn about rail transportation and to see what train travel was like in their grandparents' day. The train even served a unique role in the 2002 Winter Olympics, shuttling spectators of the biathlon and cross-country ski events at nearby Soldier Hollow.

One of the railroad's mottoes is "History in Motion," in reference to the dynamic quality of the working historic railroad. All in all, the railroad provides an educational experience that can be obtained in no other way. It certainly beats the alternative of trying to explain what a railroad was like if the track had been taken up and the roadbed turned into a "rail trail," or, worse yet, obliterated by a highway. a STEPHEN L. C A R R I S A

HISTORIAN,

RETIRED MEDICAL DOCTOR, A N D A

B O A R D M E M B E R OF THE HEBER VALLEY

ALYSA Historic Interior Design

Period Wallpapers

& Window

Coverings

Color Consulting Fabrics a n d Tassels Victorian Wllliam Morris Arts Early

(So

2

1 )

Please call

&

Crafts

o th C e n t u r y

644-6 I 6 5

for a n

appointment.

FORMER

RAILROAD.

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

17

rI

I Life's Too Short To Miss This Train.

I FOR RESERVATIONS PLEASE CALL

II

I hour & 3 1/2 hour excurszor?c

Rozind Irzp Seruzce From Vzvzun Park, Blue Grnl,, Murdelt Mrrteril alzd RBQ Dz17ner T Y ~ Z I I S

your perfect getaway! This charming historic landmark features ornate @ahogimy,crystal chandeliers in every room, beautiful stained glass ceiling, and &;iorthwe$t food at its best. Special events sparkle here. Sunset Magazine says the deiser Grand is "the finest hotel between Salt Lake and Seattle." Enjoy endless =creation and sightseeing in the magnificent Eastern Oregon wilderness. For those who appreciate historic preservation and timeless luxury, nothing compares to the -&w~rd-winning Geiser Grand. Come explore this architectural jewel, and find out why the Geiser's spectacular restoration received The National Trust for Historic &esefvation's coveted Hanor Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation.

!

---Rooms q from 57Rooi~rService & P l ~ ~ sRobes ll Front Desk ope17 24 Izot~rs Frec Videos, Gairzes & Books Gift Shop & Fitlzess Center

'J Exp101'cWorld Class Muselrms Stroll fhe Historic District

H

O

T

E

L

Artists

Residence

Many of Utah's best-known and accomplished artists have found comfortable quarters in historic buildings. Some are newcomers to old buildings, while others have enjoyed land suffered with?] their antique studios for over 30 years.

Nationatly as w e l l as locally, artists have led the way into the uncertain world of derelict old buildings and sketchy neighborhoods. Their intrepid presence and commitment have not only rl of entire neighborhoods. saved some individual buildings but have n f t ~ n~ n l r r r ~ revitalization

Low costs and fleg/b-[e, durable spaces ",e often the initial attraction of old buildings to young

e

stay lona after their careers b l ssom.

The following acdaunts by five of Utah's premier artists. provide insight into this relationship of

near the Eiffel Tower on the seventh floor of an apartment building. It had no running water and no north light. The sloping ceiling was right under the zinc roof, so the heat was withering in the summer. For this studio I paid the equivalent of $60 per month.

Discovering the Guthrie Building (158 E. 200 South) was a dream come true. The three-story building, constructed in 1890, is Richardsonian Romanesque. It was a store, offices, and hotel before Guthrie Cyclery moved in in the early 1930s. Guthrie is still on the main floor today. Since 1973 I have had three north-light rooms, high ceilings, and the freedom to do whatever I wanted to the walls and floors. The building was in a perfect state of decay. The finials from the banisters had been stolen, as was much of the original hardware. The roof leaked-on rainy days pieces of plaster would fall from the ceiling.

Birds got caught in the skylight. Linoleum tiles pulled up from the pine floors. The rent was cheaper, initially, than Paris. It was luxury!

I settled in and began to transform: the largest room for portraiture, the smallest room for still life, the in-between room as my office. Originally, one of my rooms had a kitchen.

I used the stove and sink to heat beeswax and dye batiks, a process I learned in Paris.

Eventually the kitchen was torn out, which was OK, because I stopped doing batiks and needed the room for painting.

At that time there were only a few of us renting studios in the building. The fire department had condemned the building for overnight residents. For a while a flutist was living in one of the rooms. H e was our unofficial fire alarm. At one point, thieves broke in during the night and systematically kicked in the studio doors, piling up cameras, radios, and stereo equipment in the hall. When they got to Byron's room, he was ready and charged them with a hammer. They took flight out the second-story fire escape, leaving all the booty. Some time after that we all got together for an awards banquet at the Rio Grande Cafk in honor of Byron's heroism. This included toasts, a white gessoed hammer on a velvet pillow, medals pinned on him found at the Salvation Army, with kisses on both cheeks, and a mock telegram from President Reagan telling him his bravery was an example to us all.

From the early 1970s to the middle 1980s, the Guthrie was sort of a cultural center.

20

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

7

We showed films in the hall on the first floor, had barbecues on the roof, dances for Halloween.

We also had a rule in the building that whenever we were to supply biographical information we would make something up, like: Assistant Curator, Dean, or Artist in Residence at the Guthrie Institute of Fine Arts, o r . . . having been awarded the coveted Grand Prix du Sourire (Grand Prize of the Smile), or Prix Vendome du Peintre Maudit (Vendome Prize for a painter who never sold anything in his lifetime). Things like that.

The Guthrie has been referred to as "the Left Bank of Salt Lake." It is now being restored historically as it was, partially at the insistence of its artists, who feel very protective of its original appeal.

Note: Randall Lake has also malntalned a studlo in a hlstoric bulldlng In Spring City for more than 20 years. (left and below) The skylight-~llum~nated upper floors of the Guthrle Bulldlng have harbored a vrbrant and eclectrc art cornmunlty for more than three decades. 011 palnter Randall Lake has occupled a three-room studlo on the upper floor slnce 1973.

(above) Lake has used the interior of his studio as the subject of a number of his paintings.

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

21

)effeback financia 58 when urchased an abandoned c. 1896 grocery in the Avenues for 5,000 (c.1935 photo). Many of her paintings now sell for lore than that.

ireatene vith demolition in the 1960s, Deffeba udio wit1 probably never again be endangered '

.ecprv>tinn-minrld Avpn~lpcHictnrir nicrrirr

(above and right)The tall ceilings and la open ma have provided the space she has needed t o work her large canvases and create her sculptures of found objects. It's a casual work area where she doesn't have t o worry about dripping paint on the floor or attaching things t o the walls.

22

U T A H

PRESERVATION

F?.. :2.

-.

.

.

rlrze and renovate the bulldrng t~

ook it. We worked out payments on rime of $150 a month. e two-story brick building was constructed in 1896 as a grocery store (Caldwell Market) with living quarters upstairs and a full basement. There was a hand-pulley elevator in the back room, with a structure holding the large iron wheel extending above the roof of the second floor.

At one time it was the U ~ a hLace Curtain Cleaning Cornpay. There were large wooden barrels hooked up to a system of pulleys suspended from the ceiling to make them turn. The last work on the building, before I bought it, was planned to make it a laundromat. The hont had been altered. The four arched windows in the apartment above had been replaced with two rectangular windows.

I got lots of help from friends to fix things up. I lived upstairs while working on it, using the large main floor as a studio, which, with its 13-foot ceilings, was perfect for some of my very large cailvases. And, given its well-used past, I've never worried about ruining anything by dripping paint on the floor or attaching things to the walls. The basement has served as a shop for framing and making stretchers, and as a staging area for the reconstruction work on the building.

Eventually I made the first floor livable by putting in a bedroom and bathroom.

We used a large, sealed double-glass from a meat counter left in the place at the top of the back wall where we put in a door and window, replacing a sliding garage door. The large back room serves as kitchen, dining room, livitlg room, library, and study. It has beautiful east light. I enjoy the morning light on objects, sleeping animals, and cobwebs. There is a small concrete patio in back with an area for planting flowers and trees.

I've had tenants upstairs ever since I moved down to the main floor. The income has helped over the years. I'm gone a lot, and it helps to have someone here to keep an eye on the building, the small yard, and to take out the garbage Monday mornings.

I have always wanted to restore the front windows in the apartment. The brick arches are still there. I haven't gotten around to it yet.

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

23

S p r ~ n gC~ty's 1874 R e l ~ eSoc~ety f granary and adlacent c a b ~ nhave been an

deal horne/stud~ofor Gallacher, a versat~leartlst, whose

wol-Its ~nclude011 and watercolor palntlngs, wood-bloclc prlnts, and sculpture.

derived frorii the cotmforL I feel in the well-used art drld arnbi,ince th;zt offer studios I h;ls.-e. Thev are in old buildings that possess a cl~ar~icter me the peace 1 need to concentrate o n my creative ~vorli.I'm especially fond of niy cozy Spring City get- in.,^^ home anci studio. T h e solitude is \el-? conducive to cl-entk e energy <lndthougl~ts.1 11'1be no telebision, computer, o r phone, and n o 11lail is sent there; there dl-e ~ l o i of ~ cthe d i s t r ~ c t i o n sthdt rnjr bus>- Salt Lake home and stuciio 1iak.e. hly country 1io111e is a11 oolite Iirnestonc, 1874 LDS Church Relief Societ) gI-anar). It has a rich his to^^ th'it gives a c,ilming feeling to the htruse. There's comfort in lino\17ing the longel itl, 2nd eT olutiorl of the building itself. There's ,i serenit!- I l e ~ et h ~ ~t l l o n s 1n~irnagi~l~ition t o ~vdmclei-as I 1-eacli out d i d t o ~ l c hthe stones in the m~alland wonder nbout ~k11oe.i.e~may h a l e placed t h e ~ i there i thosc 111an>> C J S C ago. Pel-haps it x\-,is 01-son H y d e hlmself, the first LDS apostle in this area, whose mite Mar!, A1211 (one of eight wivec) was president of the local Relief Society, hla~?; Ann dot~atedhet- land for the gr,xnar) and c~rg~xnizecl cluilting bees, bdl.;e sales, 'xnd other tundraising events for construct~ngthc building. In addition, ln,in!- loc,il cburch ri~ernbet-sd o n a ~ e dtime, labor, p o d s , and 1110tley to build this edifice.

The upstair\ of the gr'xndry, which i~ n u n r m y bedroom, as O r s o n HI de's office f o r '1 \zhile and on occ'isio11 xvas used tor Relief Society meetings. T h e granary is a

2A

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

(above) C a b ~ nInterlor

(left) Desp~teher cozy quarters, Gallacher prefers t o palnt SanpeteValley scenes plein a ~ In r all seasons.

substantial and important early church building in Spring City (granaries in most towns were of frame construction), and its history intrigues me. The building eventually fell into disuse and sat vacant for morc than 50 years. It became home t o hundreds of mice, spiders, and bats. I n the 1960s the property was sold into private hands and, though shcep were grazed on the lot, the building remained empty. Subsequently, two diffcrent families with six children each occupied the two-room granary and "modernized" it to serve their needs.

Then an architect, Allen Roberts, purchased the granary and startcd renovation. H e removed the families' rcmodelings and returned the intcrior to much of its original statc. 1 bought the granary from him in 1997 and finished restoring it. 1 usc it as a home base for my almost weekly artistic pilgi-imagcs to Sanpete County. I paint plezn air scenes from throughout the valley in all seasons, doing most of the painting in the field but usually returning to my base to finish them.

The old cabin on my property is also an important structure. I had it inoved in a couple of years ago to provide more studio and gucst space. I frequently conduct classes for .. asplring artists, and this cabin, expanded and upgraded with modern conveniences, helps accommodate that dimension of my artistic profession. As a professional artist, I teach many workshops each year in Spring City, and my students always meet in the cabin for painting, discussions, and eating. Its age and character are inviting and the students enjoy being in the cabin as much as I do. Though I don't know much about the cabin's history, I enjoy the warmth and solidity of its hand-hcwn logs. I enjoy setting up a still life and painting all day, or touching u p m y ala-prima landscape paintings in silence.

(right) Kershisnik built a dividing wall to create a studio in the west end of the building. The lofty ceiling provides much-needed wall space for his many works in progress. including mural-size paintings. (middle left and right) The building features stone walls and decorative stamped-metal exterior trim and interior ceilings. Note the skylight set into the broad frieze. (bottom left) Kershisnik hauled more than 20 loads of debris out of this turn-of-the-century dance hall in Kanosh when he set up his studio in the building in 1997. (bottom right) Basketball was a recreationalmainsay in the building for many years. Today, Kershisnik's wife. Suzanne, tutors young thespians in part of the space.

painters can be a bit odd, but I tell you, buildings are with logical argument, but my experience has convinced me of it.

The building was constructed in about 1900 and as a happy youngster it hosted roller skating, boxing and public meetings, along with dances and parties. The Town of Kanosh purchased it in the '40s, dug a basement under it, put in basketball hoops, and replaced the grandeur of the entrance with an aesthetically dysfunctional town council office. A few generations learned and honed their basketball skills on the slightly smaller-than-regulation court, often sneaking in by sending the scrawniest partcipant down the coal chute to make his way through the pitch black, past the sleeping monster boiler, and up the stairs to let in his companions.

In the mid-'7Os, the town relocated its offices and sold the building to my wife's family. The dance and play of cousins were gradually replaced by storage until it was sadly too cluttered for any activity. Utilities were turned off, windows broken, various critters took up residence. Some of the roofing blew off. The building became lonely and irritated. People came only occasionally, bringing more and more clutter. The town's children became afraid of the building's ominous emptiness and interacted with it only by breaking in from time to time on a dare.

I had lived in Kanosh for a few years when one day my kind landlord inexplicably and providentially turned me out of my studio. It took me a few days to even think of this old building as an option, but so it was and it was now choosing me. A few years earlier I had strolledwith blissful ignorance into a relationship with aiold home. Having no means with which to pay someone else to fix it, necessity provided an excruciating and adventurous education in almost every type of building therapy and repair, and so I was g A ' now prepared to be completely overwhelmed by yet another project. I negotiated a price 4 with my in-laws and in 1997 began a year of days divided between painting and the old building.

After three months of lonely clean-up it was time for modifications. I arranged for the reconnection of the utilities, built a division wall on the old court to designate the studio space, and with Eric Madsen's design, built a clerestory window to bring adequate daylight into my workspace. It all took a long time as I became intimately acquainted with this building and as we together measured ambitions against practical realities. It also took some time to expel the emotional stains of the building's sadness, which stains seemed to attract a host of bitter spirits who were gradually persuaded to leave if they were not going to participate constructively. It was clear to me that God had arranged the matter of the building's transfer and I was insistent that all occupants be in line with the building's new purposes.

26

UTAH

PRESERVATION

I opted against seeking loans o r grants that would dictate hurrying towards completion and historical accuracy.

Although I am a lover of antiquity, in this case, utility and practicality must also be major players. It takes me a long time to figure out what I want, to respond to the needs of the building itself, as well as our own evolving needs. My wife, for example, has an acting company, and parts of the building are being modified to accommodate her young players.

Although the outside has physic~~lly changed very little since its years of surly recalcitrance, the building feels very different now. It is breathing, laughing out loud sometimes, and enjoying the life and activity within. The lo~ielincssand fearfulness of the building are being replaced-even beforc the physical manifestations of these changes can be implemented-'1s solutions become clear and resources are secured.

We-this buildirlg and I-have chosen each other and it is working. We d o not completely agree dbout what and when things sliould be done, but we are pleased at the privilege of working on the list together. The effort and cxpensc are intimidatiilg, but the project is underway.

The building is alive again, and even in its very unfinished state, it is ~narvelous.I am a painter, and I know painters can be a bit odd, hut my building is happy, and what n place in which to paint.

An unobtrusive skylghr a t the rear of the building bathes the studio in natural I~ght.

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

27

(right) Bliss transformed this westside corner grocery into her art studio in the mid-1970s.The building has changed little over the years (except for the signs), though the neighborhood has improved dramatically-it was recently included in a western expansion of the Capitol Hill Historic District.

In the mid-1970s, I became familiar with the alleys and odd corners of Salt Lake City seeking a building that might serve as a studio and be affordable. A friend, Ranch Kimball, heard of my search and mentioned an abandoned grocery store near his office on Fourth North and Fourth West. It was in an advanced state of decay but the size and site had much to commend it. My dream of a New York-style loft was so strong I chose to overlook the building's many problems.

Reviewing the planned remodeling with several small contractors was discouraging.

They laughed at mention of a fixed price, noting the sloping walls and need for new wiring, plumbing, and heating. My husband, Bob, came to the rescue to head a team of architectural students who wanted building construction experience. They are now leading architects: Peter Emerson, Drew Heindel, David Canzonetti, and Ray Ferrari.

The mortgage banker for our house advised me on how to handle my limited savings, and a loan from my mother-in-law helped to cover remaining costs.

The high ceilings and open floor plan were ideal, but insulating the walls required all the studs to be tapered so that the finished surface could be plumb. A north skylight was planned to balance the good south light from the storefront. Ranch's Cannon Construction Company strengthened the ceiling structure to permit it. I was concerned about my continuing ability to support the studio and designed it for some flexibility. It could serve as a professional's office, a living space, or other use.

The reaction of the neighbors was interesting. They stopped frequently to follow the progress of the remodeling. They seemed pleased that the building was being restored and reviving that corner. A few years later the city responded to signs of revival in the area and repaved streets and improved sidewalks.

At the time I moved into the studio, there were some misgivings about the neighborhood. A drug shack nearby was very active. Police had periodic stakeouts near my building. Transients stopped frequently. A few break-ins were a cause for concern, and one particularly was a major loss. I think word finally circulated that modern abstract art is not easy to sell.

If you look on a city map, this section has potential as a very desirable residential area, and I have appeared at various planning hearings to plead for its designation as a mixed-use area. Many retired persons are here, and now young families have moved in and remodeled small pioneer houses. When working in my studio, I've enjoyed the sounds of neighborhood activity, children going and coming from school. I've often seen their faces pressed against the windows and hope their curiosity with art will continue.

My vintage building has served me well fbr over 25 years.

28

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

spectrum of work, Including paint~ngs,prlnts, and larger scale, ste-specific installations.

Bliss' small studo ~ncludesa varlety of her works in various stages of completion, ~ n c l u d n gher proposals for new prolects.

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

29

I

-

,4899 Holladay Boulevard Salt WkewWw.%amfmaIsl~.anrn' City, kItah8~lll'F l?hah= 8 @ l ~ 4 ~ l .. 1 JFLpI x 8 0 1 4 ~ 1 1 1

I

I

1,

I

THOMAS PETERSEN HAMMONDARCHITECTS r L

dlh

1

)-:{a

PROUD SUPPORTER OF UTAH'S UNI(IUE HERITAGE.

'

Thomas Petersen Hamrnond Architects has offered three

,..+

,

, 3 w,

a A ;& *:

.

of architechral, interior des~gn,and plann~ngservices: and currently employs 40 people in Salt Lake ~ity.~'-!?.

I#B1

2801 Award of Merit;S;rHLake City Historb Landmarks Cornmidm IDS 16thWard Complex Herltag~Foundstton Awwa of MeritIDS 10th Ward Complex HeritageFouadatlon ProjedAwardUbh State Fair Park Home Arts Building AIA Award of Merit-

Utah State Fair Park Grand Buildlng

Utah State Fair Park Grand Building HerilagaFoundationAward of Mar! Utah State Fair Perk Grand Building

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

31

AcudefJtY:

A LESSON IN HISTORY, LONGEVITY. AND QUALITY

-. '

e

(above) The cmtd qwad gives Wa$.ach Acadev a rrr~ege-fikeatmosphere, ~t is also the heart d rtlariy student activities, b t h formal and Enfarmat

i(:qqmrright) Mice Craighead"s:enemsiq in the 1930s helped keep rhe school afl~atand priavidled Facilities that have been enfoyed . . by- reve~almner-atunr crf students.

-

flawer right) Werorian-era architectural details grace romp ot the homer that have campus aver tke years,

part of the

The 1922 First Presbyterian Church, kitty-corner from the main campus, reflects che religious beginnings of the academy. The school has been independent since 1972.

32

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

H

By Ldurel Brown

ow does a small private school survive for over 125 years in a back-valley Utah town? H o w does it blend its 19th-century past with the demands and expectations of the 21st century? Wasatch Academy, a unique blend of vintage architecture and top-notch academics, has survived-and even thrived-in rural Mt. Pleasant, which is off the Wasatch Front and off the radar screens of most Utahns. This unique campus is not entirely unknown, however. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 as a prime example of a Presbyterian Mission School.

Rev. D~)uncanMcMillan, a Presbyterian ministcr who came to Utah looking for a drier climate, founded Wasatch Academy in 1875. The first classes were hcld in a small building on Mt. Pleasant's Main Street, the Libcral Dance Hall (which the academy has recently reacquired). McMillan headed the school until 1880, w l ~ e nthe Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church took over. T h ~ relationship t lasted until 1972, when administration of Wasatch Acadc~nywas turned over to an independent board of tlustccs. Since then, Wasatch has functioned as an independent, non-profit school.

The academy opened with cightccn students who were offered classes in the lower grades only By 1887, the school had expanded classes through the twelfth gradc and graduated its first two seniors. A new building was constructed the following year, serving Inany students before it was destroyed by fire in 1933. In 1896, Wasatch Academy became a boarding school. In 1930, it limited its enrollment to grades seven through twelve.

The last eighth grade class graduated in 1958. Presently cnrollrnent is li~nitcdto grades nine through twelve. Today, it is the only college-Preparatory boardil~gschool within a four-state area: Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Wyoming.

Wasatch Academy provides a wonderfully diverse con~lnunitywhere Inany cultures merge in an atmosphere of respect and cooperation. " N o one is anonymous; that is the strength of

Architectural craftsmanship, a park-like setting, and more than 125 years of history give the academy the feel of a deeply rooted New England prep school.

la academic achievements back up that image.

the school," says Roger Hansen, headmaster from 1954 to1981. The academy's 160 students come from such diverse countries as Nepal, Japan, Korea, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Latvia, Lithuania, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, and 15 states. Local commuters within a 30-mile radius of the campus comprise 11 percent of the student body. Wasatch students have received national recognition for their literary magazine and yearbook, as well as regional awards in the arts.

The school is located on a traditional quadrangle with the academic buildings, dormitories, and the dining hall situated around the commons area, School-owned faculty housing surrounds the campus. Academy buildings span over a century, from the 1891 Reemtsma Math and Science Frederick C. Jensen Home to the I Building, completed Salt Lake Tribune architectural columnist Jack Goodman described the Jensen Home as "Victorian Eclectic," a combination of Eastlake, Second Empire, Classical Revival, and Carpenter Gothic styles, with Shingle style thrown into the mix. The home was donated to the school by Frederick Jensen Stedman in 1954 and has beeh used to house faculty since that time. "Several people asked me if I felt I was living with ghosts," said former Jensen resident Donna Glidewell. "My reply was that they were friendly ghosts.

Their only concern was that the house be cherished and restored as a memorial to its unique past."

Judy Towers Reemtsma reflects, "My husband Keith was thrilled when he first learned of the plans for a new mathlscience building.

Good buildings must be spiritual as well as physical spaces. Wasatch

gave Keith a spirit of questioning that was to animate his life's work in heart transplant surgery. Even when he was quite ill, Keith looked to life and not to death. H e was surprised when the mathlscience building was named after him. But more important than the bricks and mortar or the name are the students who will be learning the science of the 21st century within its halls. Think of the living monuments you are starting!" Longtime science teacher Bill Bedford notes, "The new facility has definitely improved our ability to communicate and educate."

Other noteworthy buildings include the two-story Victorian style President's House (c.1895). Its outstanding feature is the horseshoe arch of rusticated stone that frames the entry vestibule. Head of School Joseph Loftin and family currently reside in this elegant home.

Indiana House (c.1900)is another two-story brick Victorian with stone trimmed Roman arched windows and door bays. The name was changed in 1979 to the Pierce Historical Hall in honor of Martin and Beverly Pierce, long-time benefactors and trustees of the school.

"Since the early 1970s)'' Mrs. Pierce said, "we have been concerned about the lack of a central repository for the documents and artifacts of Wasatch Academy's long and exciting history, as well as that of the Presbyterian Church in Utah." Their restoration of the house as a museum and archive was an important step in addressing both of those needs.

Two "Volunteers in Mission" for the Presbyterian Church, A1 Horach and Beth Tyler, began the restoration. Though many

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

33

people participated in the project, the school is especially indebted to Nancy Jones, a volunteer from Menaul Historical Library in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who devoted many weeks to collecting and cataloging the material and organizing its display in the building Johns Gymnasium (1921) is a one-story brick structure with three Roman arches of darker brick. It was built during a time of extreme economic difficulty for the area. According to local folklore, because first-quality brick was too costly then, discarded glass was gathered to recycle into bricks to face the building. The result is brick that looks like no other brick ever seen before. It is shiny like glass and has weathered to a rough and bumpy texture. Johns Gym now serves as the student recreation center, known as the "Tiger's Den" for the school's mascot, as well as the dining hall.

First Presbyterian Church (1922) is a one-story brick and cast stone structure of the Late Gothic Revival Style. It features a Norman tower and Tudor window and door bays. It is used by Wasatch Academy for its non-denominational chapel program and also serves the Mt. Pleasant community for church services.

There are several buildings of the Prairie School or bungalow style on campus built between 1915 and 1920. They serve as faculty housing and add variety to the mix of architectural styles.

A generous donation by Alice Craighead in the 1930s expanded the campus and literally saved the school, which was struggling financially at the time. Although she never visited Utah, Miss Craighead was impressed by Duncan McMillan's stories about

strong selling point when prospective students visit. It all depends on the perspective of the person who is touring the school. Some see the campus as quaint and lovely, while others equate "old" with being behind the times. The academy likes to play up the beauty of the campus to those who are nostalgic, and it works hard to prove that an old campus can be competitive with its newer counterparts. The overall effect is one of stability and endurance.

Interiors of some of the buildings are adorned with beautiful moldings, banisters, and other decorative woodwork that are viewed as impractical in the structures of today. The ceilings are high and give a sense of space and light. Even the old radiators are an aesthetic presence in the buildings. These details add a depth of character that cannot be acquired in any other way. Wasatch Academy believes that buildings with history are much more interesting visually. It is like comparing a blank canvas to a finished painting. One has the potential to become something great, while the other has already arrived at greatness.

However, being housed in these old buildings does have its challenges and drawbacks. For instance, large and spacious buildings are hard to keep warm in the winter, and students sometimes complain of being too cold. It can be a challenge to bring buildings up to code for the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ramps must be added and bathrooms must be made accessible. Bathroom facilities are often too small and plumbing must be changed, which can be difficult when you have to tear into existing walls and floors.

WasatchAcademy, a unique 6hn6 of vintage architecture and top-notch academics, has survived-and even thrived-in rural Mt. Pleasant.

Wasatch Academy that she had heard as a little girl in Washington, D.C. The considerable bequest in her will funded the construction of three building: the Alice Craighead Dormitory, the Craighead Administration Building, now used as a school building, and the Craighead Industrial Hall, now used as the Administration Building.

The 1938 "Alice" dorm is a two-story brick and cast stone structure in the Georgian Revival Style. It was originally built as a girls dorm, but in the fall of 2000 it was converted to a boys dorm. O n November 29, 2000, a fire broke out in the attic of Alice causing extensive damage. "It is fortunate that the Alice Dormitory could be restored and reused. Many buildings in better condition and far younger are discarded," noted J. Scott Anderson, an interior designer who donated his services to the restoration project. "While a fire is never a good thing, it has triggered a restoration that has secured Alice's future."

The twelve-building campus has a distinct and rich character unparalleled in Utah academic circles. Nancy Jones, the museum curator from New Mexico, describes it as follows: "Thinking about the buildings on the Wasatch campus always fills me with a strong sense of history. Each building has a story to tell and within these walls are the memories of the people who have been there over the years. The history of Wasatch Academy is the story of these students, teachers, and administrators who led the march for quality education and gave their Christian witness in the community. I feel blessed and fortunate to have been a part of this great story."

Wasatch Academy is proud of its heritage and the fact that the buildings and the school have endured for so long. This can be a

34

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

Fire suppression systems have to be upgraded to current standards.

Asbestos must be found and removed, which can be very costly and time-consuming. Sometimes bats and other creatures decide the buildings look like great places to take up residence. Exterior cracks must be filled and joints tightened. Old masonry often needs new mortar, and the integrity of the foundations must be maintained.

Beautiful paned windows do not offer the insulating qualities of their modern thermal counterparts. Wood frame buildings must be painted often to keep up their appearance, and wood floors seem much colder on a winter's morning than a carpeted floor. Facilities manager, Jim Berlin notes that, "A good working relationship with architects, designers, and suppliers, and past experience all come into play when addressing the needs of historic buildings. The board of trustees members and the administration all support efforts to maintain and improve our historic campus."

Upgrading technology systems in historic buildings presents some very real challenges, the biggest problem being the wiring that is required to get the systems operating. The thick walls and the inability to access the interior of the solid masonry walls prove to be the biggest obstacles. All technology requires a power source, and most buildings of this time period do not have numerous outlets available. New power sources and wiring must be installed. Creating a computer network is particularly challenging, because "category five" cable must be installed throughout all the buildings on the network.

Matt Landsparger, director of technology at Wasatch, feels there is light at the end of the tunnel. The school recently matched a grant

( u p p e r l e f t ) The 1891 jensen House, located east of the C L I I - I - ~ Icatnpus, ~~ has served as faculry hous~tigsll-ice 1954, wherl IC was donated t o the school. ( u p p e r r i g h t ) A ~ e i n ~ i a noft the school's eal ly h s t o t y simply t o o heavy t o move our of the way.

IS

st11 n use-pet haps because

IC IS

( l o w e r ) Wasatch Acaderny I S located n the hear r; o f Mt. Pleasant (populaton 2.800), the hub o f nolchet-n Sanpete County. B o t h t l i e campus and the town's Ma111 S t ~ e e t are , been l ~ s t e do n [he N a ~ ~ o n R a le g ~ s r eo~f H ~ s t o l - cPlaces in designated h~sr;orc dlstt ~ c t s havng the late 1970s.

tlie E.E. Ford F o u ~ l d ~ l t i ot no coniplete a $130,00~pl-oject t t ~ t makes \\r~satcllo n e oi r11e vel-! f e n wireless carnpuses ~ Jrhe I ~~~estel-n ANSEL ADAMS CONNECTION U.S. \\'irelcs~ l ~ e t w \ l o ~ - l <nlalies ~ n ~ t h ~ n g s e ~ s ~ eo rn ehe cornputel net\vol.lis, S ~ 111g T time and r n o ~ l by ~ ~ elllnitiat~ng : the need ro pull cnblc t o the clasil-oonls and ol.itces. Landspal-gc~-notes that the ilinal cost of wlr-eless technolog\. 1s 'I i,tt or1 the steep stde] q p r - s m a t e l j '$50: peldccess point, c o % s r i n ~d 3GO-foot r-athuc, b u t the costs t-hit a l c e l i ~ ~ v ~ imore ~ ~ t e111211 d rnal\e up the ddterence. \irlth mileless, cl~ereis a dlrast~cdeci-cdse in set-up time, man-houri, and also the elirn_u?c~t.ion of tbe a c n ~ a lcost ot the csble. T h e prohienis tnhcieilt mirli rrhe old h u i l i l i ~ l ~are s snsmounr-able and, nit11 w~reless~echnology,will \ o o r ~be 11~71l-ex;ste1lt. hll things considered, \L2as~tchAc,iderriy iecls ~ t Irn<lgc s is enhatlccd b j the fact tl.ldt it is housed in historic l~uildings.Anti altl2~)~1gl~ tlie school 1s loc,ited in a remote corner of tlie interm mount,^^^^ \e,t, iirst-time visl~ol-sare often sut-priicd t o find t l ~ l the t C ~ I I T I ~ Lhas I ~ tlIe kel o f '1 N e x ~F-ngla~ldprep school. T h a t is ,in '~mbiencethat call only be acllieved over t i ~ n cdrld n ill, the c~t-efulcu1tiva~io1-1 and ~naintendnceo t f3r. Aadarn~~ r~fleding an his education at Wasoteh ~ m d e m yFmls , that it pmparad him well t-13 rnes3f the academic sad c%PXF cthalthe rcbool's historic leg,icy. 8 fi-0111

LAUREL B R O W N IS ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENCY AT WASATCH ACADEMY.

lenges ha faced after gr'-~duatiâ&#x201A;ŹkL His fafathor also appar~ntryhad warm feelings far the school and tha sducatign Ttprovfded his s o n ,

Picture Your Child At A Great School Is !our child getting [lie right a~iiountof~lructureand. nurture to succeect i n rcliool" Il'nor,con\~del.\V>isal-ch Academy. Founded in 1875. we are an independent secorldary school (gr;~des9-12) located less than a two-Ilour drive from S a l ~Lake City in the heart of tlie pastoral Ss~ipereValley.

Our \mall class \ires, ru~al settlng aticl d~verre student body (17 states and I4 foreign countl-ies) omer an excellent environ~nc~itfor your child to succeed. Working w~thonly 160 s1~1dents.ouroutstandIng f;tcult> can take the lime to I-call!. get to k n o \ ~your child. Our small-town eniirolin~ent provides Pew diitractions, while offering the ~iaturalal~ractionof a healthy. h13h desel-t lifestyle. Runners love the vaned lcl-rklin of our 5.800-foot alt~tude and our s n o w h ( ~ a ~ - d ~ nteam a i\ cansistenrly one of tlie strongest in the West. Wasatch Academy ol'lirt-\ a broad cu~~iculum that includes AP prep courses: eateniive offering? in Enylish. history, and vlbual arts courses; field-based ph~losophy,rel~g~on and art hisrory: 11pe~-ior~ning and I;~borato~y sciences: cornputel programming and graph~cscaul-$el. Exceplional students may li)llow an honol-s cull-iculum and earn an honors cliploma.

Our Intet'Active GradeBnok makes crealive u.ie of the Internet to keep you in ~ child's acadetn~cprogress on a daily basis fiom thecomfort of your touch W I I your

ou.11 home or office. We are also a totally wireless campus, w h ~ c halloas your ch~ldto e-mall or do InLerliet I-eaearch fiotn any location w~thoutneed~ng a plug.

I!nlike many other boarding 5chools. the duties of our res~de~itialstaff and faculty do not overlap.

Teacher5 teach and dorm parents prov~deproper supervision. assurinp you that you1- child is In good hands around the clock.

Wasatch is comm~tted to leaching all students how to succeed independently with self-di\c~pline. time-management and learning strategies, Virtually all Wasatch Academy graduates go on k? college each year.

All student\ are assigned a Ihculty advisor. The advisor closely follow.; the cludent's academic pl-ogl-ess. being a ~ o o dlistenel. offcling suggestions and cou~lsehngwhen appropriate. and by jusl being there for the sludenr. A close relationsh~pbetween parents and the adv~sorwill enhance the student's experience at Wasarch.

If Wasatch Academy \ounds like a gleat learnins experience for your child, call us today al (800) 634-4690, ext. 115, to receive your personal admission packet.

0u1-picture isnr complete without you.

AMMw ( 8 0 0 ) 6 3 4 - 4 6 9 0 EXT. 115

WMATCH ACADEMY FOUNDED 1875

M T . P L E A S A N T , (IT

ArcusStoneO is a patented limestone coating, developed in ~IEuropein the 1960's primarily ifor restoring Historic Structures.

,

Ideal for Commercial and Residential projects and Renovations.

Capitol Preservation Board:

001 AIA Utl

Honor r 4

tect Richard KlettingUs pattern

WPb

- - most significant symbol of democracy in Utah. and establish The design guide,$?qcognize the Capitol Blm na as the t i n -.-. r - h Pether structures t o md t on the campus in harmony with the d~gnlty a &sip. and classical deslgn j , , A i r ~ r..-.,. *Au - - PI prind61esused to design the Capitolpsign guidelines have also been created to deflne + tho nracmr\,ntinn a& restoration ~ roft the Capitol Building, Consideration for life safety, exltlng, and other building systems upgrades, of stone, windows, and other major building A L -2 , flnishes w

U..V"

-

r.

,

f

A*.-

mx'

.

The Master Plan implementation has been separated into phases that project to the +ar 2022. State statute requires an annual update of the plan, taking another look 20 years into the future. This legislation ensures that the Utah State Capitol Master Plan will be a living document to guide the future of Utah's Capitol according to current need while keeping the vision of the original designers.

.,

f !I

P-5

Phases One and Two of the Master Plan, including the construction of the east and west extension buildings, are now under way to facilitate the reservation of the Capitol Building and increase

3

3D/lnternational Houston, Texas 7 1 3.871.7251

ajc architects salt lake city, utah 80 1.466.8818

MGB+A Salt Lake City, Utah 801.364.9696

A.

Tenth Ward Square, located at 400 South and 800 East, IS anchored by the 1873 meetrnghouse (rnlddle). Utah's oldest continuously used LDS chapel It and the 1887 school (rlght) The bulldlngs were rehabllltated In 2000,

I

IS

flanked by the 1909 chapel (left)

f you had walked through the streets of the Sdlt Lake Tenth Ward in the late nineteenth crntul y you mqht have agreed w ~ t hone 1878 ob5erver who stated the Tenth Ward is the "ward o f industry " On every corner you would see hard-work~ngfamilies producing good\ dnd servlces Thomas Spclrs and Sons black5rnithing, Isaac Laney maklng molasses and elder, and Elizabeth Cheshire braidlng straw hats for her d a u ~ h t e rMary Ann's mllllnery chop If you took the same stroll toddy,

you would w e l~ttleev~denceof those pioneer ~ n d u s t r ~ ebut s , you would see a lesacy of t h e ~ rproduct~vitybus~necses,Instltutlon\. dnd res~dencesside by side In a d~verseand v~brantcommunity You would also see scores of llistoric bulldings intact and functioning thanks ro ltidustr~oustwentieth-century preservatlonlsts

B.

The picturesque residence of Salt Lake Brewery ownel-s Aaron Keysel-/Matthew Cullen was featured In an 1890

publication about Salt Lalte Clty The c 1879 home, recently returned [o single-famlly use,ls located at 941 E.500 South, lust west of the brewery site.

D.

A complex of rna~ntenancebarns for [he cltyk electr~c streetcar system l-eplaced the Umh Expos~tronbulldlng In the southwest corner of the 10thWard In 1908-1910.

C.

Congregatlonal Church bulldlngs occupied the northeast corner of 500 South and 700 East from 1880 until the 1950s.The 1905 Phllllp's Congregatlonal Church, shown above In 1950, has been converted Into buslness use U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

39

0

rganized as one of Salt Lake City's first nineteen wards of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) 011 February 22, 1849, the Tenth Ward's boundaries were 300 South to 600 South, and 600 East to the foothills. With the establishment of the Fort Douglas military reserve in 1862, the eastern border became 1300 East. These ecclesiastical boundaries of the Tenth Ward remained until 1902, when it was divided.

Despite changes in ward boundaries, the heart of the neighborhood has been the Tenth Ward Square, a complex of churchowned buildings located just south of 400 South o n 800 East. This was the site of the ward's first schoolhouse and meetinghouse, both built of adobe in the early 1850s. In 1873, a Greek Revivalstyle brick meetinghouse replaced the adobe building. By the turn of the century, the Tenth Ward Square site also accommodated a co-op store and a lumber company (both demolished). A t the northeast corner of the block, the Tenth District School, a Victorian-style, two-story brick schoolhouse was built in 1887.

This building was a public school until the Wcbster School was built across the street in 1897. The largest structure in the square is the Gothic Revival brick chapel designed and built by Ashton Brothers, a Salt Lake construction company, in 1909. The three extant buildings-meetinghouse, school, and chapel-are connected by a series of passages o n the north end. In 2000, the LDS Church completed a three-year, three-million-dollar restoration of the buildings. The 1873 building is the oldest surviving meetinghouse still used by an LDS congregation.

Although the LDS population once dominatcd the Tenth Ward neighborhood, there has been diversity from the beginning. In 1880 the Congregational Church established a school (known as the Tenth Ward o r Pilgrim School) o n the corner of 500 South and 700 East. An adobe church was built o n the site to house the Phillips Congregational Church in 1885-1886. The adobe structure was later replaced by a 1905 eclectic brick and stucco structure. By the late 1950s, the Phillips congregation was merged with another church, and the building was sold and converted to commercial use. Today the Richills Office Supply Company is housed in the vinc-covered building at 479 South 700 East.

Across from the old Congregational church is Trolley Square, one of the first major adaptive reuse restoration projects in Salt Lake City. Originally this southwest block of the Tenth Ward

neighborhood was devoted to public space and farmed jointly by ward members. Between 1865 and 1902, the block functioned as the first site of the state fair. The property was eventually deeded to the Utah Light and Railway Company in 1907. Between 1908 and 1910 the company built a complex of Mission-style car barns and repair shops to house its electric trolleys. Eventually, gas buses and individual automobiles replaced the streetcars, and by the 1960s the buildings were vacant and dilapidated. Developers successfully rehabilitated the car barns for retail space, and in the summer of 1972, Trolley Square officially opened for business.

Trolley Square's labyrinth of shops and restaurants continues to impress and delight visitors today.

Transportation has been a major theme of the Tenth Ward from the beginning. Its northern border, Third South, was originally called Emigration Street for the number of immigrant wagon trains traveling from Emigration Canyon toward campsites in downtown Salt Lake City. Completed in 1882, the Jordan and Salt Lake Canal cut a diagonal path through the ward. The canal was designed t o float granite blocks from Little Cottonwood Canyon to the Salt Lake Temple construction site, but it proved too shallow to be practical. For Inany the . years, . canal was used as an irrigation ditch before being completely buried in the early twentieth century. The diagonal path of Grand Street is the only reminder of this ill-fated experiment. Also short-lived were the two narrow-gauge railroads that ran through the Tenth Ward. Both the Fort Douglas Railway (1885-1900) and the Emigration Canyon Railroad (1907-1917) were originally designed to transport stone from area quarries.

A n early landscape feature of Salt Lake City is the "parking" o r grass medians found down the center of several streets.

Created in 1908 and inspired b y the City Beautiful movement, the mcdians were planted with lawn, trees, and a few flowerbeds.

Within the Tenth Ward, only the medians o n 600 and 800 East remain. These green spaces were created at the same time improvements were being made to the streetcar system. Today the newly opened TRAX light-rail line from downtown to the University of Utah is reminiscent of the neighborhood streetcar system, which, by 1910, ran along 400 South and 700, 900, and 1300 East, proving that at least in the Tenth Ward history does repeat itself.

The transit system allowed the area residents ready access to (left) James Fennernore, photographer on one of John Wesley Powell's Colorado River expeditions, had this home built at 1250 E. 500 South n 1892. The architect was Richard K.A. Kletting,who later deslgned the State CapitolLThe house still loola much d the county assessor's ofice took this photograph in the 1930s. as it d ~ when

(below) Well-known Utah architect Alberto 0.Treganza deslgned and bulk t h ~ s Arts & Craks style house for h~mselfand h ~ sfamily at 1 135 E. 600 South.

50

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

More than any other eastside residential neighborhood, the 10th Ward has been home t o a number of large indusrries (clockwise f r o m upper left): The 1905 Troy Laundry (demolished); Salt Lal<e Brew~ngCompany (est. In 187 1 ;only one segment remains);rhe city's streetcar headquarters and shops (1908-1910: 1917 photo).

Small "shotgun" houses on East Place (425 5.900 East) were reportedly built for brewery workers (top), while the nicer homes on nearby Fletcher Court were occupied by the supel-visors (bottom).

work in other communities, but the Tenth Ward always had plenty of opportunities for employ~rlentclose to home. The Tenth Ward Square is a good example of the evolution of industry in the neighborhood. Just west of the meetinghouse, the Tenth Ward established an early planing mill and lumber company. The site was also used by the Robinson Brothers Shoe Factory. After a fire destroyed the factory in 1907, the Palace Laundry operated on the site. At the same time, the Vienna Bakery opened; a portion of the building can still be seen mid-block above the Continental Baking Company (currently Wonder Bread) plant that engulfed the bakery in the 1950s.

By far the largest employer in the neighborhood was the Salt Lake Brewing Company.

Established in 1871 by Aaron Keyser and Jacob Moritz, it became over the course of four decades a large complex of interconnected buildings o n both sides of 1000 East near 400 South. In 1905, Jacob Moritz stated that the brewery was the "largest and most up-to-date plant West of the Missouri River." Today only an L-shaped remnant of the complex survives at 462 S. 1000 East: the bottling works (1902-1904) and the office building (1905), though excavation for the TRAX line in the summer of 2001 uncovered evidence of the tunnels connecting the complex. Aaron Keyser's house near his brewery, at 941 E. 500 South, is a c.1879 brick and stucco cross-wing and one of the first non-Mormon homes to be built in the area. The house, still in use as a residence, was recently renovated and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

The Tenth Ward was not all work and no play. Two families, the Fullers and the Swaners, built pleasure gardens in the area. The Tenth Ward was known for its dramatic productions, and the famous actress Maude Adams made her stage debut as a babe in her mother's arms in the Tenth Ward meetinghouse. The reputation of the Tenth Ward Band was such that it played at two of the most important events in Utah in the nineteenth century: the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 and Brigham Young's funeral cortege in 1877.

The most important and lasting resource of the neighborhood is the homes, where several generations have lived and worked. It took the ward only two decades to change from a dusty neighborhood of log and adobe cabins to orderly streets of brick and frame houses of the second-generation Utahns and their new immigrant neighbors. Notable examples of these early homes include the George and Eliza Baddley house, an 1870 adobe central-passage house at 974 E. 300 South, and the early brick homes of the Keddington family at 835 and 837 E. 500 South (c.1880~).The Victorian era is represented by a tract of three frame "painted ladies" at 833, 835, and 837 E. 600 South built by architect Frank H. Perkins in 1891. A unique example is the flat-roofed, heavy masonry residence at 511 S. 900 East, the result of a 1902-1903 collaboration between Swedish architect, John A. Headlund, and the home's first owner, Andrew P. Mickelson, a contractor and mason. O f course, the less prominent residents of the community were housed in more modest dwellings. For example, frame "shotgun" cottages were built on East Place and Windsor

UTAH

PRESERVATION

41

42

UTAH

P R E S E R V A T I O N

W e preserve these for you

Methon~tolEng~neering Electritol Engineering Tethnology Design * lighting Design Theohe Design. Atousticol Eng~neer~ng

800-678-7077 www.spdesign.com

FFKR Architecture / Planning / Interior Design Salt Lake City, Utah

801.521.61 86

www.ffkr.com

I

Behind his home at 452 S. 800 East,Thomas B. Ch~ldcreated a unique sculpture garden that reflected his devotion both t o his religion and t o the budding crafts. Child was a retired masonry contractor and long-time bishop of the LDS loth Ward. He worked on the project from 1945 until his death in 1963. Gilgal Garden, accessed by a public path at 749 E. 500 South. was acquired by the city in 2000.

Nauvoo Temple Reconstruction The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

UTAH

PRESERVATION

13

PHOTO COnTeST

E

ntries in this year's contest were photos of either religious

buildings o r cemeteries.Though these may not be the only

types o f older "sacred places" in Utah, they are the most obvious and the ones that fit most easily into the contest

description.

Religious structures-churches, cathedrals, synagogues, and temples-are some o f the largest and most elaborate buildings in Utah.

Their architecture befits their purposethe worshipping of deity.

Their soaring pinnacles, ornate symbolism, and quality craftsmanship create an atmosphere o f respect and reverence. Religious buildings are clearly special places, sacred places.

Cemeteries are also places of repose and reflection, where the issues o f mortality and life's purpose are condensed into small patches o f earth and summarized in stone, some with writing and some without.The large monument t o German prisoners of war who died at Fort Douglas tells a clear, though incomplete. story o f what transpired. Other cemetery markers are more enigmatic.The stone sculpture of a young angel, unaccompanied by name o r dates and seemingly abandoned in the snow of Eureka's cemetery, evokes a palpable sense of loneliness and extinguished youth.The unmarked natural stone slab in the Washaltie Cemetery triggers thoughts about the Shoshone band that was almost annihilated in the 1863 Bear River Massacre; this cemetery harbors the remains o f some of the survivors and their descendents.

This year's contestants submitted 260 photographs of sacred places throughout Utah. Fifteen were selected as "winners" and are shown o n the following pages. Judging was based on overall photo quality-subiect, lighting, and composition-but other factors were also considered, such as originality of the subject o r view and geographical diversity.

Special mention should be made of t w o groups of contestants, both from Park City. One was a Girl Scout troop and the other a group o f junior high school students. A scout leader and a teacher took the initiative t o have their young charges participate in the contest, perhaps as a way t o improve their photography skills as well as t o encourage them t o start noticing the built environment around them. Many o f the images submitted by these t w o groups were superb.Two o f the student entries-photos by Mandy Littlewood and Whitney Williams-were even selected as winners.

Utah Preservation expresses thanks t o all who participated and congratulations t o the winning photographers.

St. George LDS Temple Jim McClintic,WestValley

64

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

City

Holy Trinity Creek Orthodox Chur Salt Lake City Ann Marie Hinckley, Salt Lake City

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

15

Logan LDS Temple Brad Peterson, Providence

First Presbyterian Church Salt Lake City Robert Young, Sa t Lake Caty

46

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

Eureka Cemetery Kathie Marsh, South Jordan

First Presbyterian Church Salt Lake City Mandy Littlewood, Park City

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

17

I

Washakie Cemetery Box Elder County Delose Conner, Laytan

r'-----

Cathedral of the Madeleine Salt Lake City Mike Gaba, Salt Lake C ~ t y

Echo Church Gary

50

U T A U

P R E S E R V A T I O N

Hy& R&

-

Scofield Cemetery Cathy O'Bryant. Payson

Grantsville First Ward LDS Chapel Bany FormaTooele

UTAH

PRESERVATION

47

Fort Douglas Cemetery Salt Lake City Robert Barberio, Magna

Salt Lake LDSTemple Richard Lindsey, Payson

UTAH

P R E S E R V A T I O N

51

W O R K I N G

V A C A T I O N S

I N

H I S T O R Y

you intrigued by American Indian ruins, frontier cabins, military sites, or old mining areas? Do you sometimes regret not having followed the career path of an archaeologist or historian? The U.S. Forest Service's "Passport in Time" (PIT) program gives you a chance t o scratch your antiquarian itch.

For more than 20 years, national forests throughout the country, including several in Utah, have offered the public a chance to join professional historians and archaeologists working on heritage site projects. Some projects involve well-known sites that are simply in need of stabilization or repair. Most,

North Cottonwood Ranger Station Restoration

however, deal with virtually undiscovered

by Joseph Gallagher, architectural conservator, Manti-La Sal National Forest

sites. The army of PIT volunteers provides some of the labor needed t o unravel their histories.

PIT provides the public an opportunity t o enjoy another dimension of their national forests, beyond just recreation or scenery.

And it allows them t o learn from professionals how t o do what archaeologists and historians do, from the exciting t o the mundane tasks. In the process, participants develop a greater appreciation for the sites and a deeper awareness of the challenges of preserving them for future generations.

PIT volunteers come from all walks of life, every age group, and all parts of the globe, but they share a common interest in the past-and not just a glossed over, tidy version of the past. A PIT project is usually a hands-on, gritty affair-a ClubMed vacation it ain't. Yet many of the volunteers find it addictive and keep coming back for more.

52

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

he two-room North Cottonwood Ranger Station has a character that fits the landscape and the terrain so well that it is easy to miss in its remote canyon setting in southeastern Utah. Constructed in 1912, when the Forest Service was new in this region, it represents the first wave of agency buildings.

Its construction is colored with a bit of local lore. The story runs that the forest supervisor aid the father of a woman he had taken a liking to $5 a day to build the station, ~ r o v i d i n gthe father with a strong motivation to stay on the job in this remote location, while allowing the supervisor to follow his own motivations in town with the man's daughter. Time ran out for the supervisor and he was forced out of town.

Time had also run out for the North Cottonwood Station when the Moab/Monticello Ranger District of the Manti-La Sal National Forest decided to

(top and above) When restoratron crews started work on the dilapidated guard statlon in 1997 they had a vision of returning it t o its 19 12 condition. (opposite left) PIT crews helped turn back the clock on the structure.

rescue the structure in 1997. When I first saw the building, the roof had partially fallen in and rivulets of ink and brown mud had run down the interior plaster walls. One room had had all the laster removed, probably before the early 1980s when the Forest stopped using it on a regular basis. The masonry chimney was

missing, parts of the walls had collapsed, and the doors and windows were in total disrepair. Nonetheless the building had potential.

Sponsorship of the work came from the nearby Dugout Ranch and The Nature Conservancy, in cooperation with the National Forest Foundation. Volunteers came in abundance, mostly through the PIT program. Over the past four years, the immediate threats to the building have been thwarted, though the work is not yet finished.

The work has been daunting and the needed skills numerous. Several experts donated their services as part of the team effort. Sara Chase volunteered to analyze plaster, mortar and finishes, and teach repair

techniques. Rory Brennan mixed endless batches of plaster to teach us how to replace what was missing and reattach loose sections. Paul Tubiolo quarried and set dozens of lineal feet of sandstone, while structural engineer Gray Wrangelin built hoists and floors. Special tools were needed for the fine grape-vine joints tooled into thc mortar and expertly used by more Passport volunteers.

Carpenters from Moab and Monticello helped with the roof, while the National Guard, driving 8x8 vehicles, transported vast quantities of materials and supplies to the site.

Whether it was quarrying stone from the cliff above, analyzing paint finishes, replicating historic plaster, working diligently from old photographs to replicate the original chimney, or hewing lintels and installing ceiling joists, PIT volunteers did it all.

Under expert supervision and with the encouragement and dedication of the forest staff, the North Cottonwood Station has been returned to better times. After the remaining work is completed this year, this wonderful sandstone cabin will be put back into use for those who have come to know it well and those who have yet to discover this little piece of the national forest.

The Nat~onalGuard proved t o be a valuable partner, deployrng large vehrcles to haul mater~alsto the remote slte in southeastern Utah.

The lentire building needed extensilils work: mf walls, fl-r, wfndews and ddors.

(left and above) PIT volunteers learned the proper techn~quesfor match~ngand repornting mortar. If the new mortar 1s too "hard" (i.e., has too much Portland cement) ~tcan damage the stone.

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

53

"PASSPORT IN TIME" Ranch Reha,b and Archaeologica~lDixovery

By Byr~g~n &wPe,fbes h w b d t prngmm mnagP1E;and Cfdy J&J*)$ ~ ~ ~ = h m J q i ae ca ~ ; I h o r ' &hhy e ~ ~ ilJ&ti@naI:FmsZ he hictol-ic Swett Ranch, located near Flaming Got-ge Resert-oil-, needs some tender lolring care. Its \ . ~ r i o u sbuildings are made of: untreated, roush-sawn 1u111be1- that is deteriordti17g ~ I - U I I I?-eds-s of exposure ~t the 7,000-foot elerstion. It was ,I s\.orking r'xnch from about 1910 until 1968, ~v11ei1it came illto U.S. goTrerili-nent o m ~ ~ i e r ~ lIJiste.cl ~ i p . on the National Re,''T~ster of Historic Places, it is now a historic interpretive site o n the Ashley Nritio~lalForest.

O v e r the years, we've conducted six PIT projects at the ranch t o stabilize and upgrade the ~trucuures-~ndwe're not finished y et. Although the S e p t e ~ ~ b e11 r th tr'xgedy marred last year's project, nre were able t o recoilstruct thc roof of the con7 barn, with consiciei-able l ~ e l pfro111 the Forest Service fire and river crews. T h e steep roof pitch pro\rideci son7e it1terel;ting challenges for workers. Pe~rticipnntsbraced the sides of the building t o p1-e\en.t the ~ ~ 1 1 1 fsr o m col1,xpsing outward, then stripped the roof and replaced the w o o d ill the original construction style using rough-sawn, uncredted l~lmbeu.\Xrith just 3 couple >-ears of weathering, the repair should be ~ ~ n n o t i c e a b l Pretious e. prcsjects

A deterrnlned PIT ct-ew replaced the entlt-e r o o f o f the la(-ge c o w bat n ar: the h ~ s t o r l cSwett Ranch neat- Flamrng Gorge

54

U T A H

D R E S E R V A T I O N

Swetc Ramh cow barn after r o d replacement

at the ranch have restored o r stabilized seven other roofs, stabilized two porches, remodeled part of a visitor contact station, constructed a replica outhouse, and created a foot bridge to provide access to the blacksmith shop.

As separate PIT projects, we also tackled two archaeological surveys and a test excavation at a prehistoric site during 2001. The first survey was conducted near Browne Lake at the 8,300-foot elevation in meadows interspersed with pine forest.

Here we recorded prehistoric sites from the Late Archaic and Fremont periods (3,000 years ago and 2,000-700 years ago, respectively). We're still sorting through the data to interpret o u r findings.

Participants were able to stay at a nearby Forest Service campground in vehicular comfort-a luxury not always enjoyed on PIT projects.

O u r second survey was conducted in Painter Basin, a remote area in the High Uintas between 11,000- and 12,000-foot elevation. Here participants enjoyed a less pampered experience. Although Forest

In the h ~ g hcountry near Klng's Peak, PIT volunteers documented a century-old sheepherders' salt storage cabln.

Service employees transported much of the food by packhorse, volunteers hiked the 12.5 miles into the area carrying their own camp gear. Camped near Kings Peak, Utah's highest peak, the crew encountered daily rainstorms and cold nights. Despite the challenging weather, they recorded prehistoric sites from the Late Archaic and possibly the Fremont period, as well as two historic cabins used to store salt by turn-of-the-century sheepherders.

The test excavation involved an archaeological site, 42Da1005, that had been identified previously from scant surface features. We needed more detailed information to better understand its nature and importance. The site is in a saddle on a dry, sandy ridge at an elevation of about 7,000 feet, overlooking Sheep Creek Bay and the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The test excavations exposed various features, including Fremont hearths and Late Archaic roasting pits and slab-lined basins.

These findings appear to indicate that the site was used for short visits to harvest plants and fashion quartzite bifaces.

Participants o n this project dined and slept in cool comfort at the Summit Spring Guard Station overlooking a mountain meadow a few miles southwest of the site.

Evenings were enlivened by horseshoe pitching, archaeological discussion, fireside activities, a flint-knapping demonstration by one volunteer, atlatl throwing contests, and nightly visits by a pair of moose.

Workers traveled to the excavation site daily along a treacherous sandy track using four-wheel drive vehicles. Site 42Da1005 supplied brutal heat, biting gnats, and the occasional stealthy cactus as daily antidotes to boredom.

Since 1993, PIT projects o n the Ashley have produced somc very meaningful results for both the forest and participants alike. And that's what the program is all about.

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

55

"PASSPORT IN TIME"

The Strawberry Valley "Tin War" Project 6y Charmaine Thompson, P~erjtagexpecia!i5tz Uirita &a t~analFarest

A

remarkable event happened in Strawberry Valley in the summer of 1888. For one of the first times in its history, the U.S. Army was on training maneuvers! More than 700 infantry, cavalry, and artillery soldiers from Fort Douglas in Salt Lake City, Fort Duchesne in the Uintah Basin, and Fort Bridger in southwestern Wyoming came to this mountain valley southeast of Heber City to practice being soldiers. For those who participated, it was a grand outing, and they called it the sham (artificial) battle, or "The Tin War." The spectacle of billowing artillery and massed infantry also attracted Salt Lake City photographer Charles W. Carter. His record of this four-week long event has given us a rare opportunity to compare the

56

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

artifacts found on the ground today with the Army activities visible in photos from over a hundred years ago.

This research strategy requires work on a scale that mimics the original maneuvers. It is possible only because of an extraordinary group of PIT volunteers.

More than 113 individuals have volunteered at least a day on the project; more than half of these have donated at least a week. Thirteen people have donated between five and eight weeks of their time.

All in all, more than 7,500 hours have been spent in the field and laboratory. That translates into 3.6 years of work!

Many volunteers are from the Trails West Artifact Society, a metal detecting club from Ogden. Others are from the Utah Civil War Association and the Army

of the West (Second Cavalry) military reenacting organizations from Northern Utah.

Still others come from the Utah Statewide Archaeological Society. Many discovered archaeology for the first time in Strawberry Valley.

During eight annual one-week field projects over a ten-year period, volunteers with metal detectors found artifacts over much of the sixty-acre Army campsite.

Other volunteers mapped the artifacts' locations and collected about 20,000 objects for more detailed identification. These humble tin can fragments, nails, pocket knives, broken bottles, and other discarded or lost artifacts are the clues from which we are recreating the soldiers' experience.

We also excavated some of the few buried features that the soldiers left during

&eh lhkd ~ t a ywe f ~ ~ x a&%'dti, mea'~~ m 1&~ e i t . ~h ~o a & d &e b r ~ c 4 u d a s~f $:gusm ba9taas md &twded h~tp af any area on the sin. A si~&z d g t g d mwk t $ ~pit h c o r n ~ e dluge

SQP$I&:~~ &a p m h ~ b bw for mch .~5&~r. +&a o@icers5m a azea m d ~ 1dHerme st=ae,rwP& petof~8sioacfok SZOY~Z] md a wider

2ughl:~g m c w e d s&cao em ane side md d s ~ md a B~J. &C oh&. Howmr%u d k e ME back 3: more relaxed. A1bough forbiddm a t the fa~ts,we faand broken beer b ~ ~$GOE~C& l a aver math of the

aums'$cr 05 m s d d f m m ~UEQ;BP.J un&r lqeatiom Crf; cerah e d s t d ma65 arm, &my ob the %a rma~tors, wksa are m c ~ d a mbmkms af maMe, fc,phacd &a$ g m b b w p s i l k 4 for i h e s ~ l & e r sso they would conceal &<ir fEcic ~ o b A. fcw sqidiers w ~ r probob1y e YET =my ro lose h e burtong in rhe dugt ~f &E

3b1~berryVaUey. Mozt af&;e GeId work on thk praject i i

u n f a c ~ ,swc&ng out hraric records, axd n d ~ * chapters far a find report rn rlie projstcr.

They make this work possible, aod in dekp so keep an i r n p ~ mthapm t of U&S d t q Msmq dive.

"PASSPORT IN ~ ' 1 'Tie Hack" History and A~ham1ogy ~kmEkElcL3bmfim JrB&3*

q$Hmag bvkimw3olRr luiintilhnarflM

I-om Jul,. 31 ro August 3, 2001, eight 13assport I n Tirue (PIT) volulltecls located 'xnd 1-ecosdecl tic hack sires within the Edse Fork of the Blaclr's Eoi-11 riler \allelr on rhe Norrll Slope of the Uintn hlount'xins, near the ICY) orning border. "Tie haclic~-\"xver-e Illen x l ~ ofelled trees ,111d " liackcd" them into I-sill-oad ties t o support the t r ~ c hburlding that n7as t,iliacross Utah arlci \Vyorr~ing.After ing the tie h a c l i ~ r sabandoned the al-ea, the! would leave behind cabins, dci~ns, and u t i facts that n-c now record '1s hisrol-ic sites.

The IqT group cnrnpcd ~ t .he East Fork Blacl;'~ Foi-lc Guard Station, a beautiful spot llcG1r o u r project I ~ c a t i o n .A\ volunteer Mel Bashore noted, "Tliesc's nothing like waling u p ,rind w , ~ l l i ~t no ~ J ~ O U~\;ol-li ~ site-now that's cc)illmute 1 enjoj ! " O u r volu~lteei-sincluded, a ~ n o n g V a n c o u ~er with his t w o dogs, tnro 12Teal-- old b o y (talk ahout energy!), ~ n d former \Yrasatc1i-Cache d e p u t y forest: supuvisr.~~xvlio now lihes in \'ermomt. The

58

UTAil

P R E S E R V A T I O N

diversity o t this gloup was a faccor in w l ~ d r n u d e the week s o interesting. Everybody added new dimension to our project.

Volunteer dutle5 wet-e varied: hiliing, w a d i ~ i gt l ' l r o ~ l ~rivers, h locating dnd idenut)ing cii-tif-acts,sketching the site ,-is well AS artifact\, n~easurilzg,and ing. \Yye alsc:, had to suffcr through 1~701<1ug 'it gorgeous scenery and petting o u r two ~ n a s c o tclogs. K'e h,id A very pi-nducrive ureeli. I l ~ l - i n gthat time, we located and recorded seven tie hncli sites r i t h i n the Fast F o r k E l a ~ l r ' s F o r k drainage, in ~ d d i t i o nr.o a large rehi historic site. These sites 'ire fascinating sitice the)- are a part of n Iarger rie hack cj-stem thCxt see111s to nt'pex in almost every d r ~ i n ~ t g011 c the E1l~nston-hIountai~1 View D i s t r i ~ r .

T h e I c)lunteers expressed hotv much the). enjo?/ed this PIT project and rlie PIT p ~ - i > g r ~ n~ol it , or11y because they disco! er more about the l i ~ s t o i?nd r ~ ,irchaeology of the segio~z,but ~ l s ohonr mucl? they l e ~ r n nbout the Forest Ser-Iice in $enel-al. Otlicr Forest Servicc employees m ~ o ~ join ~ l d us CI

The PIT a-ew drscovered and dut~fullyrecmded a stone hrface (above), though cheo- rnaln objective was to document the h~storlccab~nsarld athel- stl-urtuves hu~ltby "'tfe hackers" ( b l o w right%Whether 1& for work or vacanon, a weel< spent Pn rhe Nor'rh Slope hbs Inore than i t s $hare of scnnlc rewards (helow left).

d u r i ~ i gthe d,~!, or sit ~t our carllpfire ar night. Thl-oczgh t h e ~ l l we ledrned more about the area in gerieral as \yell AS forest issues such as grazing dnd .cvilderness 111,znagement. They even shat-ed cigs o n ~ v h e r e the bcst hunting dnd fishing areas al-e u1i the forest.

W O R K I N G

V A C A T I O N S

Making new fr~ends,enloylng beautrful bacltcountry, learnlng new th~ngs,and help~ngd~scover"real hlstory" are part of the PIT experience. Author Karen Bashore and her husband, Mel (lower rlght and upper r~ght,~respect~vely), have part~c~pated on the

tie hack project for three years

PIT-A Participmt's Parqwcth &flKm-

A

mrodrJirrmsnd~MtlheBl~m~

hh! The smell of pine borne on the chill night wind. You snuggle deeper into your sleeping bag. The light from the moon penetrates the thin tent walls. Very near an owl hoots, then yips followed by howls of nearby coyotes.

And in the background the stcady sounds of clear water bubbling over rocks seeking a lower elevation.

This is a far cry froni the soui~dsand smclls of last night's bedtime. Cars, trucks, fire-engine sirens and the smell of KFC and Burger King as the usual fare. Where am I? I'm o n a Passport I11 Time project.

After work I picked up my husband at the TRAX station in Sal1dy and we drove u p 1-80 to Fort Bridges. Dodging rainstorms,

we stopped to eat at the local dincr then drove back into the North Slope of the Ui11ta range.

What is a PIT project? Well, if you've seen the movie "City Sli~kers,"it's kind of like that. T ~ k ecity dwellers and put them into wilder~iessareas and ask them to be archaeologists, surveyors, detectives, mapmakers, artists, photographers, and so forth.

This is the third year we've workcd o n this particular project. We are surveying thc "tie hack" si tcs -cabins, commissaries, and other rernliant structures -,110ng the whole N o r t h SIopc. Each ycar we've worked in a different drainage. The story that is unfolding is a littlc-known tale of

I N

H I S T O R Y

the "advance teamJ' of transcontinental railroad builders.

As PIT volunteers, it is our job to make site maps and document artifacts. I n plain English, this means picking u p small pieces of old stuff and writing down what you think it is. Then you draw squares on grid paper and use a compass to makc arrows point north. You also learn a lot of scientific phrases that you call impress your friends with, like "lithic scatter." We liappened to run across a prehistoric site on this summer's trip. We are always looking down and one of the members of the group found an arrow tip-I mean, biface projectile.

You meet great people from all over the country on these projects. There is Scott, who worked for the railroad in the northwest, with his little dogs Pigweed and Arfa Mae. There is Steve, who brings a different grandchild every year and comes from Vermont, and he can out-hike anyone. Val, a college student, brought her eleven-yearo l ~ brotlier. i The11 there is Me1 tlic librarian and Karen the museum director, w h o showed u p in a '67 red Malibu. What d o all the volunteers have in common? Curiosity and a11 adve~lturousspirit.

The Forest Service professionals have this group orgailized in no time, drawing o n individual strengths and experience. The two eleven-year-olds become "pin flag'' boys. Their job is to look for and flag artifacts with their sharp young eyes. Steve leads out and finds the sites. Scott uses the GPS to nisi-k the locatioil and does the site maps. Ann, Jen, and Val are filling out papers describiiig what is found. Me1 is measuring cabins and drawing sites and artifacts to scale. Karen is photographing and painting. All this information goes back to the Forest Service for interpretation. And in the meantime, a bunch of city slickers are having tlie time of their lives. 2

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

59

Look no further.

You love Utah Preservation Magazine. You love your membership in the Utah State Historical Society. Give a gift membership in USHS and you will make someone very, very happy-especially whenever Utah Preservation, Utah Historical Quarterly, Beehive History, or the newsletter shows up in the mailbox!

But there's more: Your gift will help preserve history for future generations. And that will make many people happy indeed.

Give a gift membership to USHS. Call (801)5 3 3 - 3 5 0 0 . Or visit history.utah.gov.

T

RADITIONAL BUILDING SKILLS INSTITUTE TBSI at Snow College teaches the use of traditional building skills in new construction and in preserving and restoring historic buildings. Expert craftsmen, dedicated to the art of traditional building skills, teach the three-day, hands-on workshops. Students leave these classes with in-depth knowledge thus benefiting restoraton efforts throughout the state.

"The workshops have been incredibly helpful and informative. Everything is hands-on so ...

Workshop offerings include: Stained Glass Restoration Log Cabin Restoration Decorative & Flat Plaster Blacksmithing Faux Painting

+ Phone (435) 283-7575

Architectural Wood Carving Masonry Restoration Wood Furniture Malung Stonework Millwork/Wood Preservation

... you are applying skills as you learn them. The workshops are excellent!"

Ted Henderson

-+Fax (435) 283-6913 -

--

+ www.snow.edu/tbsi

When Payne Gymnasium was built in 1928, no one would have imagined that this small college gym would one day play such a prominent role in Utah athletic history. In 1979 it took on a new role as practice court and home base for the NBA's Utah Jazz. It was a charmed un~on-while it lasted.

Now, a few years removed from the Jazz's departure, the building is being threatened with demolition and the Jazz have faded from title contention.

Tom Nissalke, the Jazz's first head coach In Utah immediately follow~ngtheir move from New Orleans in 1979, had a team that was short a few aces.

He well remembers those early days when the team practiced at the Murray Sports Mall, the old Deseret Gym, and even Highland H ~ g h School. "At least w e didn't have to practice at a Mormon stake center like w e did when I coached the ABA's (Amer~canBasketball Association) Utah Stars," he says.

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

63

Swamp to High Desert

F

rank Layden, long-time general manager (1979-99) and head coach (1981-88) for the Jazz, reflects on their early ragtag operation. "The first year the Jazz came here, 1979, we weren't sure we were even going to come. It was a sort of sneaking-out-of-New-Orleans-atnight type of thing." Jazz owners wanted a change of venue, a chance to rebuild their team. With little money, few connections in a new city, and no official practice site, the Jazz organization finally settled in at Westminster, a marriage that lasted nearly 20 years.

Nissalke, long-time friend of Westminster athletic director Tom Steinke, and Frank Layden eventually coordinated a deal with the college to let the Jazz use Payne Gym part time. "Frank did a great job putting the Jazz on the map. H e was the guy that pursued the relationship between the Jazz and Westminster," says Steinke, a 36-year employee of the private college.

of having the Jazz around. "The school was struggling financially, and he saw the visibility Westminster would receive. It was free advertising for the school. Every time a report went out nationally on the wires, or TV people would come in here to interview our players, or us, or other teams-those reports came out of 'Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah."'

Shoestring Budgets "When the Jazz came to Westminster we were on the ropes: image, financially, all kinds of things," explains Westminster College's executive vice president and treasurer Stephen R. Morgan.

"Community confidence was at an all-time low. When the Jazz came to us they were a fairly new NBA franchise trying to make it, and it seemed like they were on a shoestring budget, too." All the Jazz had to offer were free tickets.

"I remember Frank Layden saying, 'We don't have any cash,'" Morgan continues. "What appealed to us was a couple

basketball arenas of today that seat 15 to 20 thousand with extravagant accommodations, Payne Gym is a relic of 'old school' gyms, seating just over one thousand. In the multi-million dollar business that has become college basketball, Payne hearkens back to an era when colleges promoted basketball as simple entertainment. 'In 1929, when Westminster opened Payne with a game against West High School (in their inaugural season), there were no NBA scouts, TV contracts, or Nike swooshes on uniforms.

Payne's original structure, designed by well-known Utah architect Walter E. Ware, was so small Steinke says, "Gosh, you could shoot a lay-up down there at one end of the gym and your hind end would hit the heater as you came down!" In those early days, Westminster couldn't get teams to play them at home. "We had never played a home game here at Payne Gym until the renovation. We had to play home games at Highland, East, and South high schools, although we practiced here. You could play a zone

"What I enjoyed most about the facility was the quaintness of it all;

the old gym on the old campus, the setting....It felt homey" - Jerry

Payne Gym "was certainly not a memorable place early on," Nissalke says.

"The school was not what it is now either . . . any memories I have are of the inadequacies. The gym was a reflection of the entire financial condition of the school."

Despite Westminster's reputation, the school was scrapping for funds.

With Westminster dropping basketball and the rest of its collegiate athletic programs in 1978 for financial reasons, it was a school without a team. By default-and adoption-the Jazz became Westminster's team.

According to Layden, simply put, the visibility the Jazz brought Westminster helped save the college from potentially folding. At the same time, Westminster helped the transient Jazz find a niche, a place they could hang their sweaty towels and call home. At the time, explains Layden, Westminster president James "Pete" Peterson saw the advantage

64

UTAH

P R E S E R V A T I O N

of things: one, we had a way of getting our gym taken care of; and two, we liked the idea of the exposure they would give to us.

Now, I'm not going to say all of our success came because of the Jazz, but our growth together, I think, has been an interesting phenomenon; because, as they grew and matured and had success as a basketball team, so did Westminster as a college."

Cracker Box Gym

N

ot everyone waxes sentimental thinking about the rustic amenities of Payne Gym: an old building, close-to-the-sidelines seating, squeaky floorboards, and older locker and shower facilities. There are some positives, though: a fully equipped fitness room in the basement, Collegiate Gothic style architecture outside, quaint campus atmosphere, and an incredibly soft floor.

Compared to the behemoth college

Sloan, Utah Jazz Head Coach

defense in Payne and it would be like playing a three-quarter or full court press!"

The early gym, which ran north/south, was only 84 fcet long by 50 feet wideregular size for a junior high school. The 1968 addition, however, reoriented the floor to an eastlwest direction and expanded it to 94 feet long (still 50 feet wide), standard college and NBA dimensions.

According to Tom Stcinke, Westminster's former athletic director, men's basketball coach (1966-78),and now a volunteer assistant coach, the secret to Payne's soft floor is in the sub-flooring.

Steinke witnessed the 1968 renovation, put in two years after he was hired.

He describes the sub-flooring as maple wood laid over two-by-fours spaced every 18 inches. Unlike most modern basketball floors-wood directly on concretePayne's floor provides a "soft," "springy," "spongy" sensation.

Jazz Notes

K

arl Malone (1985-), the NBA's second all-time scorer, sees both perspectives.

"Payne Gym is where I got broke in as a rookie. It's where I got my start. I love the soft floor, and as an athlete it's nice to work out on a floor that's not hard on your body." O n the other hand, Malone doesn't think nostalgia about Payne should override change. "I don't know if I would be sad to see it go, if it was progress. It is an old gym. If they need to upgrade, then that's their deal."

"Most guys playing for the Jazz when I was there came from small schools," says Mark Eaton (1982-94), two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, "so it was comfortable; it was not like a big arena." Eaton, an unremarkable player for UCLA before he was drafted by the Jazz, had assumed he would continue his career as an auto mechanic, not as a pro basketball giant. He admits he would feel a definite loss if Payne Gym were torn down, that it's a big part of Westminster College and Salt Lake City history Eaton describes Payne Gym as the Jazz's administrative home base, a venue for players, coaches, and Jazz personnel alike to hold meetings and spend time together.

Thurl Bailey who played eight seasons with the Jazz (1983-90,1999-2000), remembers those early years: "Overall, I thought it was a nice place to practice. It was centrally located right off the freeway, and even though it was at a college it felt like it was ours.

Westminster painted the place and fixed it all up and made it nice for us." When asked if he would be sad to see Payne Gym go, Bailey paused. "If it was going for a reason," he said reflectively. "Payne Gym is like the old Salt Palace. I played a lot of games in there, and when the Salt Palace was imploded a lot of memories went with it."

For a guy with bad joints, Payne's soft maple court was a godsend. m Iliked the floor because it was suspended in mid-air," reflects Jeff Hornacek (1994-2000), a sweetshooting small forward traded to the Jazz by the 76ers. "It had a lot of spring in it, and it was great for people with bad knees." Hornacek retired early because of a bad knee.

"The floor is spongy. It may be the softest floor I've ever played on," says John Stockton (1984-), the NBA's all-time assists and steals leader. Those who know Stockton know he's been able to play so long for two main reasons: one, he takes incredibly good care of his body; and two, all those years practicing on Payne Gym's 'magic' floor saved him from injury.

One could say Stockton owes his healthy career to a "Payne-free" practice facility.

Westminster Perspective

j

M

estminster administrators and coaches acknowledge Payne's 1999 $250,000 renovation and its Jazz history, but they still view the facility as outdated. They 1 w b elieve more students will attend Westminster if exercise facilities are modernized. g Tom Steinke will be sad to see Payne go but firmly believes Westminster needs something 4 different. "This college needs a new facility We're growing and students are very much into physical fitness now. Good facilities attract students. This building is not going to attract i anybody. Besides, with the research I've done on it, I don't think Payne Gym has any f historical significance."

Historic preservationists and others would differ on that latter point. And successful j conversions of old gyms into recreation centers at both Utah State University and the University of Utah provide a model that Westminster could follow. It is often more work to remodel a building and bring it up to code, but a demolished piece of sports history can never be restored.

Westminster looks to build a new facility kitty-corner to present-day Payne, to be called the Westminster College Health and Wellness Center. It will house the nursing school and (top) A youthtul mark taton U a n center) ana coacn rrank health sciences department, along with three full-court gyms, an indoor lap pool and hot tub, Layden in the early 1980s,Eaton has vivid memories of showing indoor track, weight room, locker rooms, and aerobic work-out space. A science center will up at Payne Gym in 1982 for his first training camp with the Jazz.He learned pretty quickly that he wasn't in NBA cond~tion. eventually replace Payne on its present site if current building plans materialize.

Pure Basketball

A

ttending a basketball game at Payne Gym is like stepping back into time. All seats are right on top of the floor (there are no bad seats), the floor squeaks when players run on it (or walk), little kids run out on the court at halftime to practice their jumpers, one policeman patrols the entire venue, and, like a theater-in-the-round,

d

(middle) The famously soft floor, shown here in the early 1970s, after i t was expanded t o meet NBA and college standards.

(bottom) Coaches Jerry Sloanand Frank Laydensaccompanied on the bench by long-t~rnelazztrainer Don Sparks (Sparky) in 1988, have fond memories of their many years at Gymnasium.

U T A H

PRESERVATION

65

fans are so close to the action that players can suddenly end up sweating right on top of them.

Stephen R. Morgan, Westminster's executive vice presidcnt and treasurer, explains: "Westminstcr is an undiscovered surprise in Salt Lake City. I watched a basketball game recently against Carroll College from Montana, and you want to talk about laying out everything on the floor-triple overtime-and I thought, It doesn't come any better than this. That's what's fun about a school like ours: it has the feel of a high school, yet the basketball is quite a bit better. What's missing is all the fanfare. I mean, we can barely cook popcorn in there-it's just pure basketball."

The 'old school' gym is precisely what Jazz coaches enjoyed. "I have a lot of memories in that gym," says Jerry Sloan, a Jazz scout (1983-84), assistant coach (1984-88), and long-time head coach (198%). "It's a great floor for professional athletes who spend a lot of time on the hardwood. For some reason, it's softer on their knees and legs," referring to the incredibly giving gym floor surface. "But what 1 enjoyed most about the facility was the quaintness of it all; the old gym on the old campus, the setting. And the students at Westminster hardly knew w e were thcre. It felt homey."

Famous Sightings

Y

ou never could tell who would show u p at Westminster Collegc's Payne Gym over the years. ABA and N B A teams would occasionally practice there when the Salt Palace and Dclta Center were unavailable. Arguably, there havc been more N B A players that have practiced at Payne Gym than at any other college in Utah.

"I'll never forget when the Jazz were playing in the NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls," recalls Westminster's Morgan. "It was a very busy week because we had our commencement, and we had more press on our campus than you could imagine. I remember the Bulls' bus pulling in, and then a limousine pulling in behind that. And I rcmember Dennis Rodman getting out of this limo with Madonna. It was just amusing." Besides bumping into Michael Jordan and the Bulls on campus, Morgan also remembers seeing Magic Johnson and the Lakers.

66

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

Coach Steinke remembers the 1979 N C A A National Championship game in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah, with Larry Bird's Indiana State matchcd up against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. Bird's team practiced at Payne (and lost the title game). Bird, in his rookie season with the Boston Celtics (1979-go), would later play the last half of his rookie year with forlncr Jazz legend Pete Maravich (first-ever Jazzman, 1974 to J a n u a ~ y17, 1980).

Hall-of-famer Rick Barry practiced in Payne Gym in the early 1970s with the ABA's New York Nets. In 1996, Barry along with Bird, (and Stockton, Malone, and Maravich) were named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Lucky Hardwood

T

e Utah Jazz lease at Payne Gym ended in May 1999, when the tcam nloved to the new, state-of-the-art Franklin-Covey practice facility in West Valley City, which features top-of-the-line weight and cardiovascular equipment, private locker rooms, comfortable gym and training rooms, and staff offices.

Russell Bezette, Executive P.O. Box 668 ' ~Verkin,Utan 84745

This claborate practice sitc is surely beyond the vision of basketball's 1892 founder, Dr. James Naismith. Naismith, a 'sports purist' and early Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) coach, believed basketball should be uscd to train young men for the game of life.

Despite Karl Malone winning his second MVP in 1999, the Jazz faltered in the playoffs that year, losing the conference semifinals in six games to the Portland Trail Blazers.

When was the last time the Jazz played in the NBA Finals? In 1998. Thc last full year of thc Payne Gymnasium arrangcmcnt. Coincidence? Superstitious?

Ironically, in 1999 Westminster spcnt $250,000 renovating Payne for its new women's and returning mcn's basketball programs, knowing they would soon tear it down. They made bathrooms ADA (Americans with Disability Act) accessible, painted the entire gym, serviced mechanical systems, resurfaced thc floor, rcmodeled the fitness room and showers, changed out exercise equipment, updated carpet, and added another coach's office.

Perhaps Westminster College should reevaluate Payne Gym's future, despite its quirks. Regardless of its eventual fate, Jazz players, coaches, basketball fans, Westminster alumni, and Utahns should ncver forgct the venuc-behind-the-scencs that helped put the Jazz-and 'that private college'-on the map.

Who has home court advantagc now? D T R A V I S K . M A N N I N G IS A F R E E L A N C E W R I T E R A N D T E A C H E R LIVING IN SALT L A K E

CITY.

-635-2260

*

P R E S L 6 3 " A T I O N

*

P R O F I L E

*

PETERSON*

*RO. Box 510548 Salt Lake City Utah 84151-0548 phuna: (go/)

524-0151

muhi$: (801) 232-flt68

fa: (801) 366-9?8! email: dp-an&coQworldnet.att.ngt

Y

Peterson & Co. las waessfully completed onsewation, restoratron, and decorative pmjeck tn Inaddimontafreld

pro'ectr'

the Salt Lake m d l o has produced designs for carpets, wall covering, art glass and various arehiictural details in wood misrsd vmair &W a & m p ~ w m ~ r * & ~&W~IIQ

-.a

how thls tradadttional trade can be re-mtegmted into a w t to "modern" context from tomb painting in E m-modern distressing and patinatlng In the '9h, this trade has evolved and ruru~ved,so it Is prqx4Mmus to think of it as dead; we just need to continually mdefine the relevance of decorative painting to mntemporary design in imtitutiond comme~ial, and residential ce**.w Pete&on and hk staff Bf trademen arerruhently at work on decorativeand mural pr~jectsarouhd Wcarntry, presewing exishng historid warks as well as installingW o&.

and vation projacts bnelude

"My focus on prerewat~onhas expanded out of n w 6 ~ 1 t y to include preserwtion of the craft, as well as sunface."

and *& with an emphais on painted

says P e t m , "It is a perpetual leamin$pmcessthat I find both thllenging and hurnbltng, and I hape smne day Ke

Petemn recently returned from the International Presewat~on Trades Conference In Harrisburg, Penrisylvanv, where he was an lnuited presenter. "My preentatlon was on finding and exposing Or@nal pint layers, colours, ahd decorative schemes. Many people there, presenters and attendees alike. seemed to have pet projects rdated to my topic." says Peterson. "I consulted with sevefal people restoring railroad engines and dub car 1ntm.06 house museums, and even circus wagons."

Daniel Peteson & Conlpany I& currently preparing for "Showcase 2002." a stud10 event to which arch~WcB, desrgnm, and relatd professionals will be invited to see "what we've done, what we're doing, and most

U?hH PRESERVATIQN

&?

the Athletes Village during the Winter Garner.Some of the fi ;roric buildings were fully rehabiiitsted in time for the Olympics, others were rimply made able.There efforts will hopefully help trigger the restoration of the remaining historic structures a t the fonThe Univerrirf of Utah took over this, the oldest section of the fort in the early 1990s.

THE STARS OF THE SUCCESSFUL 1 0 0 1 WINTER OLYMPICS I N SALT LAKE CITY WERE

ceminlythe athletes.Stmng supporting performances were also contributed by the Olympic organizers,thwsands of volunteers,government agencies,businesses,and the state-of-the-art competition venues.

Utah's historic structures also played a meaningful role in the Winter Games. Some historic buildings, such =Temple Square.were frequent backdrops for relevision commenet o n OIher

structures were directly involved in Olympic activities, including Fort Doug!as,

which encompassed the Athletes' Village, and the HeberValiey Railmad, which wanspotted specawn to cross-coumry ski wents.he Aka Club served as home base for the French delegation.The venerable Devereaux Mansion, adjacent t o both the Delta Center, where figure skating w e n u were held, and the medals plaza, hosted several dozen of the state's business recruiunent receptions. The Salt Lake City and County Building and historic districts in Park City,Ogden,and Pmvo hosted nighdy celebrarions for thousands of revelers throughout the 1 ?-day event Some continued in use through the Paralympics as well.

It is really net surprising that historic structures p b e d such a visible mle in Ueh's center-sgge appearance in fmnt of the world. Historic buildings have chancter and aesthetic charm that transcend language and culture.They also cwvey a sense of place and a history that is unique to the a-The

media undersrandthose values. which is precisely why

they chose so many historic backdrops for their bmadcasrs and photographs.

The following profiles feature some of the buildings that either were restored w serve an Olympic purpore or simply"got dressed up" for thebiggest event in Utah's hiitory.Some may have had only minor association with the Olympics. though given their location t h q were part of the daily Olympic scene.Whatevw the motivation for the rehab, these fine examples of Utah's historic archimure are now virtually guaranteed to be around for decades beyond the ZOO2 limelight

V

1'

4rib

A O R ~ ~ M [ f i 7 ~ .*fi R @ U @ ~ S I Owner: ~nihrsity d Utah I Relrb M i t m d g ~oqdltokrn SimanrentArchw

Gaqw$~@$~(mj&or; l%pls@?

Con~metlw 'I <i.;

I

M&Hlork: Rmoral of ufssy~npthetEeaddldons, full exterior and interior qpNlded~mra*n, md u r n m d o n

: of* gqpat4hle m r (w) wins oo 14*8 pr the ja~imyl I

I

r Bandstand (c. 1~ 9 0 ~ 1 2 I), 0 0Fmrf Douglas Owner: University of Utah ReconstructionArchitect: Brixen & Christopher Architects

a

I

mMnw from th.parWng m a Use: @lynpics--.Dlning hall fRr SLOG W. ~&-5wpks-.~e8$in~ ~ a c i e~ n dcc9nkmrkce cemeE

General Contmctor: Bud Bailey Construction Rehab Work: Reconstruct origlnal bandstand using hfstaric photos as a guide (the original bandscarid had been replaced in 19 17 after a fire).

Usee Cemrnonial and performance space.

r n e a t e r <roa2h

I

D U W ~ ~ G '''

I;

Owner: University of Utah RehabWhIMjSA Archkecks General c~~W~UZCE ~ i t r ~ ca m i i eanstpuc t~~

.

I

-,

I

It, .

. I

1 ,

t

i

!A2

,I:

i +

~dirah W O FF ~ U I ~exterior mil intertor

I

qpgradedrestoration.

6 ~ p i ~ - L a w - s c m e n @wingof 0Iympic L b a d etitions [&la t l k d d ) . Post-Olympics-MoviesI medL prenmtat~onr, live performances. etc. as part ot the eyemu c o ~ k p w cenmr, USE:

con I

--

I

4 Chapel (1

8M),Fmrt Douglas

Owner: Universk$ ofUtah I

1

General Contmctors Big D Cunstruction

I

f ~ e h aWQ* b @bllext;ei.i~tand Ir@dor~ p g m d ~ ~ ~ o n .

I

;

General Contractor: L~veElConstruction

I ! I

, '

'1 I

'

.

*

?I

.(

I1

'Owner: The B ~ y e Company r

Rehab Architest:

Gillies StmniQ iBi.ems Smith Architects Geneid Contmcto~:Okland Canstmetian

GMd. hall and exterior refurbished,including seismic nterior mmodeling sf wings to

I

Guvernor's Mami011 Restmation

Salt lake City

Walker Mansion

I

Pmvo Libmy at Academy Square Ra-

!hW.ake&

Salt Lake Gty

-

B

Brcadwa Lofts

Dakota Lofts

Salt Lake City

Exaa Replicas of Historic

MJSA ---

--

Thermal Storm Sash Units

Windqws & Woodwmk P Window

b

HistoricWoodep

(New,Usecf,Antique, Salvagd)

j W~ndowRestomtian

I

L

I

8 Weatherstripping

!New CustomWindow I

& Door Hardware

Manufacturing

i Storm Window@and Screens 1

B

Fast Turnaround

B

Guaranteed Satisfaction

American HeritageN Wlndow Rcbanilder~ ~

72

UTAH

P R E S E R V A T I O N 1

*

1

W

1

I

~

~

McCunewm sdtaakeGlty ARCHlfBCTURE a INTERIOR DESIGN

3S7wPlsrpontAwmm M I W p C n y , w 8 4 1 0 1 TdB01 3MSICI F&i%I 3645147

-

-.

IRONICALLY, THESE COLUMNS NEED YOUR SUPPORT.

They've beautified their community for nearly a century. N o t t o mention holding up the roof overhead.

But

without

the

Utah

Heritage

Foundation, many of our great buildings, along

I LI - --J- ---9 bICaN WEST!

Elm-

I

I-*

with their unique architectural details, could be torn down. That's why the UHF was created: t o preserve and protect Utah's architectural heritage. And we're succeeding. Membership in the Utah Heritage Foundation starts at just $35 per

A "real ~ \ M d wOrMnB Cattle m6h MM6~whW3 stln 40 me um& of cwbm

andQII&can choose@ Rarsolrrata, q a y rim, stwwach and

~~~

year. So please join us. Call 80 1-533-0858 or visit www,utahheritagefoundation.com.

'kooms, hot tub, weight facility, billiards room, tennis court, conference rooms, gift shop and ice cream parlor.

There's something for everyone! Ranch vacations *,,thentic drives . ~ ~reunions ~ j l ~

.

youM/yoong adult conferences Business retreats Conventions Club gatherings/getawaYs

a LOWV Sam d ~ i s m OsFCm 10274 South Eastdell Drlw Sandy, Ulah 80082 Phone: (801) 733-61538 Fax: (801) 912-2080 E-mail: Inlo@rocknrnnch.m Wab slle: www.mcknrnnoh.com

1

C

.I

&;:

7

R...

'"I

Lllir

The third-floor tower offers a place for quiet refleaion-and inspiring vistas.

Finely appointed parlors are a Catholic-school tradition.

Last, the community was very supportive of the restoration projects. Community collaboration is especially important for school buildings, since they serve such an integral role in a neighborhood. The decision to save and restore the historic structures rather than building new ones generated a significant amount of interest, involvement, and investment from the whole community.

clear the condition of the building needed attention. "It was in a bad state of repair," remarked Monsignor John Sullivan, pastor to St. Ann Church and the school's administrator since 1982.

Once the parish council learned the school could be renovated for the less than building new, the decision to save the building was unanimous. According to Sullivan, while the council had known they would have to make a decision eventually, they had dreaded having to confront the possibility of tearing down the building.

Principal Kathleen Hood has a long history with the school; a student at the school from the second through the eighth grades and a teacher when the restoration process began, she has been the principal for the past five years. "It is a place that I love. I was a big advocate for saving the building," she says. Hood feels that the building is a perfect fit for the school's purposes, with plenty of room. "It's very unique, with a basement and three floors and is a wonderful building for the school," she commented.

Renovation of the interior was extensive, improving the overall functionality and making use of previously underutilized space on the third floor. Originally used as living space and a chapel for the nuns running the orphanage, the school had been using it as storage space. The renovation created classrooms for the seventh and eighth grades, math and science labs, and a lecture room. O n the first floor, the parlor was retained, a standard component for Catholic institutions, because "We like having the historical connection," states Sullivan. In general, the building's original interior features were preserved as much as possible. Carefully removing layers of paint restored the wainscoting in the hallways and the grand staircase to their original oak finish.

When crews went to work on replacing the leaking roof, they uncovered a minor struc-

KEARNS-St. ANN SCHOOL In September of 1999, as Kearns-St. Ann School supporters celebrated the 100th anniversary of their building, they also celebrated the completion of an extensive renovation project. Proud of the historic building, everyone associated with the school was elated to have it back in a condition that would allow it to continue to be loved and used.

The building was constructed in 1899 for use as an orphanage and served in this capacity until 1953. Jennie Judge Kearns generously donated $55,000 for the orphanage, covering the entire cost of the land and the building. Carl M. Neuhausen, architect for the well-known Cathedral of the Madeleine and the Kearns Mansion in Salt Lake City, designed the three-story eclectic Chateauesque building. In 1955, the building was converted into a parochial school, opening with grades kindergarten through fourth. Each successive year another grade was added, with the final addition of the eighth grade in 1959. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Over the years, the building had received only minor, patchwork maintenance, so by the late 1980s it was 76

UTAH

PRESERVATION

In 1939. Columbus School was in its prime, servlng neighborhood school children in the growing southeast suburbs.

t

a

E

i9

e

9

tural problem-several rafters had been charred from an earlier fire. Supports were added and the charred beams were replaced before completing the roof project. New stair towers on the ends of the building, constructed of matching red brick, not only ~rovidedneeded egress for the upper floors but also added seismic stability.

This project is remarkable not only for the length of time dedicated to the renovation-ten years-but also for the fact that school was held during the entire process. An effective relationship was formed with Cameron Construction, the company contracted to do the renovation, and a cooperative approach allowed the school to continue holding classes in the building. Often, construction crews would come in to do preparatory work during spring break then would complete the majority of work over the summer vacation.

Classrooms were shuffled around to accommodate the work, with many teachers moving classrooms multiple times.

"The faculty and staff cooperated fully during the whole restoration process-there were no complaints. They are very proud of their historic building," says Sullivan.

For Hood, "It was well worth it."

Hood remarks that extending the process over such a lengthy time allowed for the financial success of the project.

"We never went into debt. We waited until we had the funds and did one wing or one room at a time." Funding for the project was a true community effort-faculty, staff, alumni, parents, the parish, and the wider community all contributed. The McCarthey family, Jennie Kearns' descendents, was a top donor. "It means a lot to their family," notes Hood.

Annual fund raising campaigns will be targeted for a maintenance fund to keep the building in shape, notes development director Sue Shellady.

Hood and Sullivan both feel the decision to restore the building generated more financial support than if they had built new. "For so many people, any building that links us to the past and shows us a different form of architecture is of value," commented Hood. "It would have been a bad decision to tear it down," she added.

As a private school, Kearns-St. Ann has more flexibility in regard to saving its old building than the public school

system, where old schools are routinely discarded. "The parishioners did not want to see the building torn down," says Sullivan. =They were committed to its preservation and to saving a part of their history." The students also feel a sense of history with the building, notes Hood.

Although not a public school, Kearns-St. Ann still serves an important role as a center for neighborhood and community identity. Several neighborhood children do attend Kearns-St. Ann, according to Shellady. "The school draws students from all over, but we feel there is an advantage to being within a neighborhood, and we enjoy our location."

COLUMBUS SCHOOL Located around the corner from Kearns-St. Ann, the Columbus School has its own story of community support and revitalization. Designed by local architect C.S. McDonald, Columbus is one of the best examples of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in Utah.

It was constructed in 1916 at a time when the city's population was growing rapidly,

I

+ * ,

Irr

*q,

' 1

-

f

,;u

9

I

? -

4' e

*

-? .

a

% & c & .*

---

+.

TRY

fl

+

-

'--

Undersfanding the unique requirements and schedul~ngdemands of your project is paramount to ~ts overall success. Only then can we propose ~nnovot~ve solutions

Z B

'- @ CAMERON -. -

that optimize your long-term investment value

801-268-3584

U T A H

P R E S E R V A T I O N

77

including its school-age children. A July 1916 Sdlt Luke Tribune article praised the new school for economically accommodating the increased school population while still setting a high standard in school design.

Due to declining enrollment, Columbus closed as an elementary school in 1968. A program that taught technical skills to disabled children used the building from the early 1970s through the 1990s. Over time, two additions were made to the rear of the historic school-a gymnasium in 1954, and a shop area and commercial kitchen in the early 1970s.

South Salt Lake City purchased the building for $800,000 from the school district in 1995. The city had had its eye on the building for some time. City treasurer Kyle Kershaw remembers, "We were very aware of the potential of the building as an adaptive re-use project." The city saw in the Columbus School property an opportunity to create an identifiable and much needed community gathering place, including a senior center, small recreation area, and civic meeting rooms.

A feasibility study projected renovation costs on the school to be close to $5 million, a figure significantly less than that required for a new facility of comparable size. That financial news pleased the city, which was partial to saving the landmark school. "The building is distinctive and attractive to people," says Kershaw, and it represents a tangible connection to the history of the area.

Cooper Roberts Simonsen Architects (CRSA), a local firm experienced in working with historic buildings, designed a six-phase renovation approach for South Salt Lake. The tactic allowed the city to spread out the total costs of the project, working money for each phase into the city's budget as the renovation was underway.

CRSA approached the project with the intent of preserving as much of the historical fabric of the building as possible. This mainly applied to the exterior, since the interior had been heavily modified over the years. According to principal architect Allen Roberts, "Our goal was to keep the exterior consistent with the original architecture in order to maintain National Register eligibility." The original architectural drawings, which the city had acquired from the school district, proved to

78

UTAH

P R E S E R V A T I O N

A branch of the Salt Lake County Library is a new tenant in the south wing of the old Columbus School.

be a valuable resource.

The first step for the city was to annex the property into South Salt Lake-it was just outside the boundary The most immediate need in the city was for the senior center, so the initial phase of work was renovating the rear-most addition for that purpose. Renovation proceeded from the rear forward, with work beginning on the original historic building in January 2001.

The north wing of the building is now a general community center, with the original classrooms serving as a series of civic rooms. In the south wing, the city is elated to have a branch of the Salt Lake County Library as tenants. After much negotiation, the library board agreed to move the branch into the building from their old, cramped quarters at city hall.

Completed in the spring of 2002, the new space provides the library with more than three times the space as its former home.

The county library is splitting the cost of renovating the south wing with the city.

It leases the space for just one dollar per year from the city but, in exchange, has agreed to maintain full library hours for the benefit of the community. The local library people were excited about the project and took the lead to work with the architects on the design of their space.

The major issues and setbacks encountered during the renovation process were of a structural nature, not uncommon when dealing with a building of this age and design.

Following a technique used in many school buildings built on the Pacific coast at the time, hollow clay tile blocks were used for the walls of the school. Lauded for being at once light and strong, the air space within the walls was intended to make the building cooler in the summer and easy to heat in the winter. However, the renovation's first major problem presented itself when it was discovered that the tile blocks had been used not only as infill for the walls, but also in all of the load-bearing walls where there should have been brick.

"We discovered the very essence of the structure was not there," says Dave Triplett, project manager for CRSA. "Structurally, the building was extraordinarily fragile."

A significant amount of temporary shoring, used to stabilize the building, ended up becoming a permanent part of the structure.

The school's exterior received some much-needed attention during the project. The terra cotta detailing was cleaned, repaired, and preserved wherever possible. Triplett estimated that they were able to preserve nearly 90 percent of the original terra cotta. The budget didn't allow for reinstalling the original style of terra cotta roof tiles, which had been replaced with asphalt shingles in the 1980s, but a more affordable terra cotta tile was found that complements the Spanish Colonial Revival style. As one of the six phases of the project, CRSA also designed the landscaping for the school to further enhance the original architecture.

By bringing a diversity of uses to one central location, the Columbus School will . play an important role in establishing a sense of place and identity for South Salt Lake City.

The time, dedication, and vision of the city led to the success of reviving this -

-

--With

~ t sunusual Spanlsh Colonlal Revlval styllng and

prominent tower, Columbus

School has been

Decorative archltecrural

a local landmark ever slnce

detalls adorn the exterior.

~ t sconstruction In 1916

historic neighborhood school for a new corn-munity-oriented use. <

CONNECTING LIVES, BUILDING COMMUNITY

F

These two projects showcase the community-building potential of historic neighborhood school buildings, whether they continue as schools or serve new purposes. To connect with our community, we need to preserve people-oriented gathering places. Historic neighborhood schools effectively serve in this capacity, plus they exhibit craftsmanship and an attention to detail that captures our interest. We are drawn to them because they offer a sense of place and provide historical continuity within our neighborhoods.

Neighborhood schools, with their central locations, stimulate community building at another level. Children who can walk to school, rather than be driven, have a chance to form independence by creating their own experiences and making connections to their community Today, with so much attention given to "connecting" ourselves to the world through computers, the importance of connecting to our own neighborhood is often overlooked. For adults as well as children, walking provides an opportunity for us to become familiar with the people, sights, sounds, and surroundings of our neighborhoods. As we make connections, we start to care and want to make a difference. And we begin to exhibit a sense of ownership: this is my schoolmy neighborhood-my community.

,

SUSAN PETHERAM IS A PLANNER AND THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE SUGAR HOUSE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

U

R

N

I

T

U

R

E

O

A

L

L

E

R

I

E

S

A Tradition of Qwllity -/"

I1

EXCLUSIVELY AT

Fine Traditional Furnishings 2977 Highland Drive Salt Lake City, Utah (801) 487-0777 wvw.forseys.com

I

PRESERVATION MARKETPLACE

I

t Con$cientious, Experienced Craftsmen

5580 WEST BAGLEY PARK ROAD WEST JORDAN, UTAH 84088.5642

6530 South 400 West SLC, Utah 84107

I

Visit our Web site at www.rnasonry-restoration.com

I

EQOALLEN & BPJLEY STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS

II

We are pleased to announce that Allen & Bailey Engineers has p n e 3 EQE International, Inc., to form ABS Consulting.

Allen & Bailey is the oldest practicing structural cclnsulliny iii~i~ In Utah.

Founded in 1960, the company has pioneered selsn~icengineerips and h~storicrenovation in Utah.

1 I services EQE International a leading provlder of structural engineering worldwide. The firm has earned an international reputation lor

I

IS

innovative and cost-effectwe solulions for structural eng~neering challenges.

ABS Consullinq brlnqs unparalleled expertise, resources, and capabilities to the lntehountain West with 'the capacity to dellver a

1

Carpet

Re*

.

Z , dstrey

floo~.c.lt+uiuvant1 janitorial sc~i.Vices.

I

Suks q/'c~ll.floorcovering

'

I

1;

80

U T A H

PRESERVATION

,

.

3 Ld

-a 4

(801) 3943531 Mobile (801) 458-7849

'11,s;

\,,t,y,c? i r ~tllo

,\,-roqq

310Soulh Ma~nStreel, Su~le300 e Sall Lake C~tyUT 84101

I

.14 SO.? 1VOOD

I:?(; EOUAllen & Bailey Structural Engineers

Tile & GI-out m hather W-T

Selected Major RestorationlRenovation Projects: Salt Lake City & County Building Base Isolation !

Old Man, Utah State University Cathedral of the Madeleine Vernal LDS Temple Kingsbury Hall. Un~verstyof Utah Utah State Office Building LDS Capilol Hill Ward

m

51,,,,

i,,

L,

o,,,\+:untn

,t:It,,~c,

IIcl.;IrI ,;I j<\wIm\,~~.''

Sc:,ltll

loq ,It

.)C)C* CV,lSt

1 1 , ~SJt ~ L,lclq.s~

I

9 {rchitects Projects Desewe the Number One Paint in the Mountain West!

W h n m ihan 50 laaim,IPUAL-HOWEU K now the lornest retail

@landbiintheRoayMOMl l h m m h l ,.*,".l.,l.rl

~ ~

toin mjam WAL-HOWELLS af-

[o$g,h a & l n o f d h p a f

intaiwcmd~~n~and

pim*.

So chances are whsnevar you sea an espejaly niceimkiq pint pb inUhh ar any

P.O. Box 526396 Salt Lake City, Utah 84152-6396

d h a ~ ~ m h ' s a ~ p o s i i i it's fmo HAL-HIMUS slum mar

you.

To h e of you who ura wr d u c s t

a

raglnfy,~~you for your loyolty, to h,pkmBmllur Wekmweamadd toywrsucfess!

WA=PAINT

58 STORES rnNVENIEEML Y LOCaTED TOSERW YOU 22 storas in Colorado, 16 in Utah, 2 in Idaho, 6 in New Mexico, 2 In Kansas, and 10 in Texas (see the white pages for the

location nearest you)

1 i -rnrrrr rn -

-

A

i,?1

H ~ Y Pvnfilr Fjoorr o r Cabinets I

D -

-3

I I E W E D

PROTECTED

Without Dust, Fumes And ?ha Inconvenience of Sonding and Refinishing

Lid

Hardwood Floor Detailed, Cleaned in Hours, IIO+Days

%ter &laed I Ow W e l y Odor

Finishes Are

Free

I24

You can Walk on Yeur Flo4s Withi1 hum

Renew & Protect Your Vuluqble WOI Ftoon & Cclbinetr Mow 1

Sonc

-

& m i d Thbn Conventian~

L Rr!Kriishing

4 Stadium Restoration

(:ON'rRA<:'I'ORS A Mr[nbt?r uP tlre Wrsc.ern Grollp .

,

hereisllobsat gsbs

1899 S. REDWOOD ROAD SUITE A-8 SLC, UT 84104

=\

801.52 3 . S h O O l wvi'w.c;s~is-rlc:.c:obl

Rick Brodersen

-2%

Abstract Masonry Restoration

80

ABS Consulting EQElAllen & Bailey Engineers

80

AJC Architects

37

Alysa Revell Historic lnterior Design

17

American Heritage Window Rebuilders

72

Arcusstone

36

Arid Land Consultants

66

BNA Electrical Engineering and Lighting Design Cameron Construction Cooper Roberts Simonsen Architects

UTAH

PRESERVATION

77 Back Cover

Daniel Peterson & Co.

67

EMA Architects

73

FFKR Architecture

43

Forsey's Furniture Galleries

79

Gallivan's Baroque Furniture

4-5

The Grand America Hotel (Little America Hotel)

2-3

GSBS (Gillies Stransky Brems Smith) Architects

81

Geiser Grand Hotel

19

HeberValley Railroad

18

Historical Arts & Casting, Inc.

80

Honest Jon's Hills House Antique Gallery

81

Home-Tech, Inc.

81

Key Bank

82

Inside Back Cover

lnside Front Cover

KWAL-HOWELLS Paints

81

MJSAArchitecture & lnterior Design

72

MountainLand Design

I

N'Hance Wood Care

81

Retrospect Water & Light

31

Rockin-R-Ranch

73

Saraj Gallery

30

Spectrum + Bennion

43

SWCA Environmental Consultants

60

TBSl (Traditional Building Skills Institute) Snow College

61

Thomas Petersen Hammond Architects

31

Utah Heritage Foundation

73

Utah State Historical Society

61

Wasatch Academy

36

Western Waterproofing Company, Inc.

81

Wood Family Cleaning

80

TAKE THE MYSTERY OUT OF YOUR NEXT RENOVATION.

BNA CLECTRKIL #NQlNEERlNQ AND LIQHTINQ DCIlQN Hirtode Renowtion Sprclalirtr.

DESIGN WITH A PURPOSE

LEHTING DESIGN 0 THEATRCAL LIGHTING 0 POWER ENGINEERING 0 TELECOMMUNICATIONS 0 DES(GN18UIa 635 SOUTH STATE SALT LAKE C I N UT 84111 E L 801.532.2lBB

RNA FLECTRICAL ENGINEERING& LIGHTING DESIGN

...

Cooper Roberts SimollSefl Atchftects

@B

Restoration & Renovation Architecture Historic Interiors Historical Studies & Surveys Compatible, Contextual New Design Master Planning

700 North 200 West Salt Lake City, Utah 84103 ph (80 1) 355-59 15 f~ (80 1 ) 355-9885 www.crsarchitects.com