PIONEER

Their Lives

ALLEN ROBERTS

nable to resist the opportunity of Allen D. Roberts received a B.A. degree in engaging in the popular sport of Art and Design from lambasting Mormon life and University in 1973 and is currently culture, an architectural working on his master's degrees in correspondent for the Western Architect and architecture and history at the University Building News (14 July 1890) delivered an of . Men is currently the unjustifiably cruel and biased evaluation Architectural Historian for the State of what wasessentially Mormon architecture: Utah, and is working on a preservation policy for historic buildings owned by the Whatever may be said of attractions of LDSChurd.1. , in many respects it must be acknowledged that architecturally 68 SUNSTONE

the place is woefully behind the age, problems and the complex solutions they and the weather-beaten and ambling demand. But the architect of today would adobes present an appearance that feel no more comfortable in the shoes of does not accord with the ideas of the pioneer architect. "Builderlarchitect" is modem civilization. Only to the a more appropriate term for the antiquarian in his studies and multi-disciplined designer who usually researches of primitive inhabitation of designed and built his structures and many can they be of interest. personally worked out every problem. There were few professionally trained Even after 43 years of constant architects in 19th-century America. A development and refining of the select few aristocrats received school architectural profession in the Mormon training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Corridor, the myth of a spiritually and Paris, but most architects were materially impoverished people living in semi-skilled draftsmen - usually rustic adobe buildings under the rule of carpenters, masons, or contractors -who despotic leadership which suppressed also possessed artistic sensitivity and individual expression still persisted drawing skills. Texts for these self-made among the uninformed. Yet in fad there designers were limited to a few carpenter's were probably few western cities in the and builder's guides and house pattern region better prepared to execute books. From these the builderlarchitect architectural designs of the finest quality would select his favorite Greek or Gothic than Salt Lakecity in its pioneers days. To Revival comice details, window and door be sure, the predominant style of building types, moulding and stair patterns, etc. for the first f;?wdecades consisted of Strict formulas depending on rules of vernacular forms and indigenous proportion and scale, symmetry and other materials, but skilled architects and principles of art were religiously adhered builders were sent to many of the major to by the better designers to insure that settlements at an early date, causing a their plans and elevations were endowed rapid development of building technology with the proper correctness, order, and and a consequent urban imagery unity. Most plans for major buildings were expressing contemporary ideology. well drawn, considering the primitive The contribution of early Mormon drafting implements available, but usually architects and their arclhtecture has never included little more than exterior been adequately explored. Because of the elevations, floor plans, and a structural , Tabernacle, Beehive transverse section. There were a few notes and Lion houses, Salt Lake Theatre, and on the plans, but a list of specifications Council Hall, we know of the fine written out in longhand, and cost accomplishments of pioneer architects estimates, would be provided if the owner Truman 0.Angell, William H. Folsom, requested them. and Henry Grow, but outside of these Many Mormon architects in pioneer Utah men, little is known of Utah's early were well acquainted with styles of eastern designers. It is the purpose of this article to and midwestem America and Europe, illuminate a part of our architedural past especially Great Britain. Several had by identifying several of Utah's early worked on the temples in Kirtland and designers and discussing their significant Nauvoo. two ambitious structures which works. proved that Mormon designers had, if The Role of Architects in the Mid-19th given adequate technology, the ability to Century aeate and execute splendid designs. Lagging building technology was the The typical amhitect of 1850 would obstacle which prevented other western undoubtedly feel lost in the office of a architects from developing monumental modem architect, with all its complicated architecture of the type that had grown up catalogs, drafting machinery, in the East. A comparable intermountain paperwork and, most of all, grand design city, Denver, Colorado, did not develop its SUNSTONE 69

natural resources during its formative There was no attemptby either the Church years as rapidly as Salt Lake did and or architects themselves to develop a consequently its pre-railroad architecture distinct "Mormon" style; thus, except for was less impressive than Salt Lake's. The ubiquitous vernacular styling we find no limitations resulting from primitive pronounced regional "high style and technology were removed at an early date little real uniqueness in mid-19th century for Mormon architects. Mainly because of Utah architecture. Designs came from the Church'sdesiretoestablish a permanent Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City in the Midwest; Boston, Philadelphia, and New ir and beautiful Kingdom of God, the development of a building industry was a York in the East; and Denver and San top priority in new Mormon settlements. Francisco in the West. Even Public works programs in most cities ethnic-dominatedtowns such as Midway, guaranteed a continual supply of Spring City, and Millard used American competent aaftsmen for major plans, forms, and detailing almost construction projects and rapidly entirely. A major desire seems to have exploited natural resources - i.e., day for been to divest Utah of its early image as a adobes and brick, lime for mortar and desert land of scattered villages with log plaster, iron for nails and machinery, trees andadobe cabins. While not attempting to for structural lumber and decorative trim, create a uniquely Mormon style, iiis - - giving architects the materials they apparent that the Church and its architect needed to erect fine buildings. The members had a general consciousness of advantages of well-planned cities, architectural reputation. Many superb cooperative employment programs, and bt-lildingsserved to reflect the Church's the inherent skills of aaftsmen who came presence, strength, taste, and awareness from many parts of the world were of fashionable styles of the day. utilized by Mormon architects to produce Let us turn now to specific architects, their structures which frankly amazed many lives and works. ~e&usethey are already objective travelers who observed the well known and have been the subject of territory's progress through its numerous articles, Truman 0. Angell, architech tral maturation. William H. Folsom, and Henry Grow will While the relationship of Church and not be discussed at length. Rather, four lesser known,even totally forgotten, architect was symbiotic, the Church did architects whose works were important to not go so far as to deaee that certain styles be followed (with the possibleexception of the development of pioneer architecture throughout early Mormondom will be the temples) in its buildings. Good considered. workmanship, use of the best materials, and practical designs were encouraged, but architects were at liberty to express themselves individually, provided their Obed Taylor designs were not above the ability of (died July30,1881), Salt Lake City builders to execute them. The limitations imposed on design were few and many On 25 July 1855, Elder George P Smith critical writers who predicted the temple received a letter from San Francisco which would never be completed or the great gives us our initial aquaintance with clear-spanning tabernacle roof would Obed Taylor: "I am at present stopping never stand were fortunately with a brother Obed Taylor whom Brother disappointed. Excessive designs and those Parley (P. Pratt) baptized last spring. He which too strongly suggested a was a Canada acquaintance of my wife relationship to the apostate Pturgy of Martha, rejoices in the tmth, and is Catholicism or other iconoclastic of pagan extremely arduous to gather."' For some religions were avoided in favor or reason Taylor did not "gather'' to Zion 1 relatively simple and straightforward untilabout 1871. His death on 30 July 1881 ': ': ' forms. came while the architect was at the height of a bright career which, unfortunately,

SUNSTONE 71 ended after only ten years of practice in brick, but the front and mof featud Utah. During those ten years Obed Taybr marvelous Itabnate cast iron. produced many of the state's finest and Perhaps receiving impetus fnom Richard best-known stnrchms. Taylor was for M. Upjohn's @or Eist National Bank several years the partner of WhH. (1871) on South State Street, Folsom and Folsom. This talented team designed the Taylor produced the largestiron front ever Deseret National Bank (1873,the original erected in the territory. Due to its modubr Z.C.M.I. with its famous cast-iron and precast system, several additions were storefront (1876), and the Feramon Little made to the old front wihtdisturbing ~iden~.2Taylor's independent works the effectiveness of the original design. were no less impressive: Ogden's The Deseret National Bank and the Z.C.M.I. and First National Bank Block Z.C.M.I. Building in Ogden were similar (1881),3 the late Salt Lake 18th Ward in appearance, both calling upona classical meeting house,' the Salt Lake Assembly decorative vocabulary for the main Hall, and the large Coal* Tabernacle. ornamental ele~nents.~Both buildings Nothing is known of Taylor's architectural were three storiestall, occupied corner lots, background in Canada and San Frandsco. and had clipped comers with the main He was a quiet, retkingman by nature and entries facing the street comers at 45 left no account of his early degree angles. The two banks had heavily accomplishments, but was probably well molded belt courses between the ground experienced in the Victorian and cast iron and second floors and featured extensive modes which dominated late 19th- cornices with dentils and paired brackets. century dtecturein San Francisco. Decorative parapets for theimdption Armed with this knowledge, Taylor plaques sat atop the buildings over the capably planned the 100 x 318-foot entries. The entries of the two structures thee-story Z.C.M.I. building.6The walls were almost identical, with their of the building were of ordinary rock and segmentally arched pediments and

C!bed Taybr's design for Ogden's ZCMI was Obed Taylor's exterior design of the mammoth realizedafkrhis death in 1881. The-buildingstands, ZCMI(1881) store in Ogden was simikr to that of the though remodeled on the ground floor by J. C. earlier Deseret National Bank (1875). in S.L.C. Penny company.

Obed Taylor and William H. Fobom were partners banded Corinthian columns. The absence in the design of the 1876 ZCMl cast iron fiumt. Qias of Greek pediments over the windows of Morris was the builder. front has been Ogden's Z.C.M.I. seems to be the major disassembled and replaced on the facade of the new difference in designs of the banks. ZCMI Center. 72 SUNSTONE

During the late 1870s Obed Taylor was the Wer.The rehtively unalted called by the Church to be one of its struchw measures 68 fe&in width and supervising awhitects under Tnunan 0. 120~inkngUl,andis130feetto~eaop Angell. As a consequence, Taylor was ofthetowerwhichrisesfnnnthecenterof given the opportunity of designing the thebddhg. Theroofhas5angaMesI Assembly Hall on . Built of each surmounid with ornamentalspines. the granik rock not used in the temple, the Eight octagonal buttresses and eight magnificent late Gothic Revival hall was squarepilastersalso~hi?ndsome begun in 1877 and completed and VictdGothic pinnacles. The masses dedicated in 1882. Henry Grow, designer and decorative elements are wonderfully of the Tabernacle roof truss system, was cornbinedto create one ofthe most'striking- buildings for worship in the country. Complementary to the exterior is Taylor's awe-inspiring auditorium- a massive Open with a long, sweeping gallery along three walls and pulpits, choir seats, and organ after the same general design as the Tabemade. The plaster "andexquisib~onoe served to flame scenes of the Chds temples and depictions of Christ which wexe painted on the ding. These symbolic scenes have since been covered. The Salt Lake Assembly Hall was considered so successfula design that it was used as the model for a similar and evenmore impressive edifice, the Coalvine Tabernade (1879-83).Thomas L. Allen of Coalville was appointed to design a plan The Salt Lake Assembly Hall (1877-82) on Temple new tabemdein 1878.'we Square became the probtype hr the later Coam made hati011s to show the (!hmmit ~abemacte. Stake building) committee and church

A' h-:?

Interior of the Sa!t LaKe Assembly Hall. SUNSTONE 73

A rare photo of the CoalviUe Tabc;:.;Ae interior before the addition of another floor through the chapel at the level of the gallery in 1941. This disrespectful modification sealed the fate of the architectural gem, which was razed during thenight in 1971. officials. Church architect Truman 0. Angell and master builder Obed Taylor I reviewed and approved the plans."8 This account seems to indicate that Allen conceived and drew the plans independently of Taylor. It is unlikely, however, that Allen, with his limited architecture background, developed the I design alone. The two tabernacles are so 1 similar in concept and detailing that they I obviously were inspired from the same I source. It is probable that T. L. Allen visited with Taylor in the preliminary planning stages of the Coalville Tabernacle and, using the Assembly Hall as a guide, modified its plans for the newer Salt Lake Ei~hteenth- Ward Meeting- House. Thii severalof abed ~~~l~f~best works were recently demolished structure was designed by Obed Taylor in 1880 and initiated the brief trend of completed after his death in 1881.9In single attentuated Gothic-spired churches in Utah. to the and Ogden A group of think so highly of the building Z.C.M.I. already mentioned, the Salt Lake that the" have arraneed- for its reconstruction next to 18th Ward meetinghouse was also the restored Council Hall on North State Street 74 SUNSTONE ampleted in 1882. A small (31 x 62 feet) reflected an earlier Taylor masterpke. It is building, it was nevertheless significant for lamentable that Taylor came to Utah initiating the late Gothic Revival Temtory so late and left so soon, for the meetinghouse style which became legacy of rich architecture he left is too prevalent in larger Mormon communities thinly spread to receive the appdtion it in the mid-1880s. The 18th Ward chapel is due. was the fhst regular Mormon meetinghouse to have a tall, engaged tower with a Gothic-styled steeple. Gothic William Nicol Fife pointed windows and stepped buttresses (lml-lwl,, had been used in earlier buildings but %b were not included with the central tower ~11~N. ~ifewas the first professional and the New England meetinghouse plan dtein Weber County. AS the major ma Ta~lofsdesi?In. The building was form giver, Fife produced such notable also important historically as the home wdsas the orim adenTabem& ward med"gh0use forthe prophets of the (1856), Ogden Central School (1880), and Church, all of whom have lived in the 18th th, Weber cod~~~s~ (lam-76). 10 Yet, Ward. It is unfortunate that this important Eemany other Mormon wte,his edifice was destroyed in favor of four design -r was due to a parking stalls and a small patch of ~SS.series of important adcalls. Indian concerned (3urch members, neighbors, fighter, city marshall, colonel, personal and the State of Utah have recently united friend of U. S. ~-tand mpSheridan, on a project which will attempt to missionary, polygamist, colonist, and mnstruct the chapel next to the old explorer, Fife was an extraordinary man of ~0LlndlHall. If imitation is tidy a form of wide rnperien@ as well as a skillful flattery, then Obed Taylor may have been flattered that the 21st Ward, built over two decades after the 18th Ward chapel, copied A native of Scotland, William N. Fie was his design almost exactly, just as Coalville born at Kincardine, Perthshire, on 16

The Feramorz Little mansion - i~nitativeof the October 1831.11 William received a good more elaborate "Gardo House" designed by education and at age fifteen was admitted Taylor's partner, William M. Folsom. to college, at the same time being SUNSTONE 75

apprenticed as an dtedand builder for Springs. l3 Returning from 'The Move" in a period of seven years. At the conclusion 1858, Fife next entered into a building of his apprenticeshrp he found contract to put up government buildingsat employment in Glasgow with the firm of J. Camp Floyd. He profited handsomely Naim and Sons, builders, with whom he from his contract and returned to Ogden in remained for nine months before fitting 1859 to build a tannery for West and out for Melbourne, Australia, to go into the Hamrnond and stables for WeIls, Fargo building business with his uncle, Thomas and Company. In 1860 Fife went to Salt Fife. He never made it to Australia. Lake City where he helped to finish the Instead, he chanced to take lodging en Seventy's Hall and a store for William route in a house which proved to be the Jennings. He also built the Chauncy W. Mormon conference house. There he met West residence in Ogden in 1860. Alexander F. McDonald, Cyrus H. In April 1862 Mr. Fife was appointed aty Wheelock, and other missionaries from marshal of Ogden. While marshal, Fife Utah, and was converted to their faith. The single-handedly captured two dangerous course of his life now completely changed. go armed robbers and rrceived $1,000 He had no more desire to to Australia, reward. After being re-elected for several 1 but set his mind upon emigrating to Utah.12 succeeding terms, he served as Weber County coroner, pound keeper, president William N. Fife arrived in Salt Lake City 20 of the local dramatic association, and October 1853, and was immediately member of the Weber StakeHigh Council. employed by President Heber C. Kimball He continued to be active and prominent who put him in charge of hi building in military matters and organized the first business. Fife was paid $5 a day and company of militia in Ogden Valley in worked for Kimball for eighteen months, 1862. In 1866 he was made Colonel of laboring on numerous houses and public Infantry by Ulysses S. Grant. In 1868 he buildings. In the fall of 1856, President took a contract to build several miles of the Brigham Young called Fife and his young Central Pa&c railroad between family to move to Ogden and build a Promontory and Ogden and was Marshal tabernacle in that city. Put under contract, of the Day when the iron horse made its Fife took on a partner, architect Walter advent into Ogden. A tireless man, Thompson, and also contracted with William N. Fife acted as a school trustee Chauncy W. West and Albem Allen. Fife and did everything in his power to had complete charge of the project, improve and advance his community. however, and did the design work and When smallpox was brought into Ogden much of the carpentry himself. The in May 1870, Fife personally disinfected tabernacle was finished in three years and every afflicted house, built a speaalshelter after completion looked much like the old for the sick near isolated Brick Creek, and adobe tabernacle built in Salt Lake City in provided the 89 victims with food, 1851. During construction Fife fell from a supplies, and mediane for three scaffold sixty feet above ground and months. l5 miraculously recovered after a blessing. In 1873, after an active civic and The fall did not interrupt his work nearly professional life, Mr. Fife went on a as much as his participation in the Echo successful mission to his native Glasgow, Canyon Indian War and other military Scotland. He retumed in 1874 and was activities. Mr. Fife had proven his abilities architect of most of Ogden's important as a military leader in the prevhs Indian buildings constructed through 1880. One troubles of 1853, and had risen from of these, the Central School, was corporal to second lieutenant, to first considered the hestschool buildmg in the lieutenant and to aptain. He went with Territory at the time, and still stands as the the Weber and Box Elder militia to head off present Elk's Club Building. Colonel Alexander, who was endeavoring Nervous restlessness seemed to to enter Salt Lake City by way of Soda characterize William N. Fife. In November Ill- 76 SUNSTONE

William Nicol Fife designed the unusually refined Weml County Courthouse (1871-76) in Ogden. 1880 he left Ogden with a view of exploring Arizona and Mexico in behalf of President . After many interesting adventures, he settled near Lobley's logging amp where, during his absence, his first wife Diana was killed by a hostile Mexican. In 1887 Fife assisted Erastus Snow in exploring parts of Mexico and subsequently sent one of his families to reside there. Fife and the remainder of his famdy returned to Ogden where William died in 1914 at the age of 83.16 It is difficult to comprehend how a man so preoccupied by other weighty concerns could find the time to refine his architectmd skills to such a depeof perfection. Fife's works axe those one would expect from a master who had devoted his entire life to the pursuit of architectural excellence. The Central Born 16 Aupt1857in Ogden, W. W. Fife School and County Court House are was perhaps Utah's btnative born mature designs and exhibit a skillful architect of significance. At age 13 he went knowledge of phnning, proporlion, scale, to work for his father to learn the trade of unity, variety, balance, andharrnony. The builder and architect. A partner at age 15, forms and massing of Fife's building are the enterprising son assumed charge of formally arranged but are pleasing. The the drafting department at age 17 and soon Classical detailing is rich and appropriate after took over the entire architectural without being gaudy. Fife's works, though business after his father retired to pursue relatively few in number, were of high other goals. Fisfirm was by far the quality and rank him with Angen and largest in Ogden at the time and Folsom as one of the premier architects of subscribed to all of the important pioneer Utah. architectural publications of the day: Amerian Architecture, lnhd Architect, Archited and Builder, and the architect's William Wilson Fife and builder's edition of The Scientific (1857-18971,Ogden Amerian. 17 These popular magazines furthered the young architect's education W. W. Fife, the eldest son of pioneer after his father left the firm, and architect William Nicol Fi,was tmined by introduced him to developing American and was partner with his father. He styles. ultimately became Utah's most important architect outside of Salt Lake City. It may The Romanesque Revival created mainly have been difficult to live in the shadow of through the efforts of Henry Hobsen such an illustriousman as Colonel Fife, but Richardson in the eastern United States, son William seemed equal to the task. was particularly appealing to Fife. His Sharing in many of his father's building earlier works had followed various experiences, W. W. determined at an early classical lines, culminating in the exquisite a& to follow the architechu;ll pmfession- WndEmpire Ogden City Hall (1888-89). as his father had done. This proved to be a In the 1880s his Perry's Block, the wise decision as W. W. benefitted greatly Scowcroft Block, and the Utah Territorial from the close contact and special training Reform School showed his mastery of he received from his very accomplished commercial styles, but by 1890 Fife had father. fully embraced Richardsonian Romanesque. The WoodmanseeNnion 78 SUNSTONE

The Scowmft Mock (18W) still stands in The completed Utah ban &Trust Company Ogden in much the same fondition as depicted building in %den, designed in 1990 by W. W. Fie. in the architect's rendered elevation.

W. W. Fife's French Second Empire masterpie, example of this particular svle in Utah. Ogden City Hall (1888-89) was unequaled as an SUNSTONE 79

Block (1890)- Ogden's equivalent to Salt Lake's Comtitution Building -Utah Loan and Trust Co. (1891), and Ogden High School were Romanesque structures excelled by only Salt Lake's City and County Building (1894), which had been designed by out-of-state architects Bud & Proudfoot. Richard K. A. Kletting, designer of the State Capitol, was also fond of Richardson's triumphs in the east and dabbled briefly in designs featuring large Roman arches and rusticated stone, but as one trainedin the art of fine stone cutting, Kletting could not divorce himself from the smooth stonework he so admired. It was therefore left to W. W. Fife to lead out in the development of this mapr American amhi&hmd trend in the intermountain West. Fife's Romanesque- styled buildings became models for many other architects in the +on. A list of Only E.L.T. Hamson was born in Barking, Fife's major works would be too extensive Essex, England, 27 March 1830. He was for this account,ls but it would be accurate educated as an dectand became very to assert that to him goes the greatest credit proficient in the profession. Converted to for giving Ogden its metropolitan Mormonism as a youth in the 1840s by appearance. Apostle Orson Pratt, Harrison advad quickly in the Church as is reflected by this Like his father, William Nicol, W. W. was involved in numerous adventures series of responsible assignments: in Arizona andMexico.19Hewas with his Head of the church book store and father at the time his mother was killed in businessoffice inLondon; contributor to 1882 and devoted his time and talents to the Millennia1 Star, the British organ for the Church whenever called upon. W. W. Mormonism; church emigration agent died in his fortieth year, pmceeding his in Liverpoot and president of the father in death by seventeen years.m It is London Missionary Confe~nce. truly unfortunate that such a bn'lliant In England Harrison became a friend of designer was taken at the zenith of his , later editor of the prolific career.=' Millennia1 Star, and co-publishef with Harrison of the Peep 0' Day, the intermountain West's first published Elias Lacy Thomas magazine. As a result of frequent long discussions on Church doctrine and policy (E.L.T.) Harrison by the two intellectuals, Harrison (1830-1900), !hit Lake City concluded that the Church should move away from its strong authoritarian and Of all the historic Mormon architects, institutionalized orientation in favor of E.L.T. Harrison was the most more individualized, "univ4stic" controversial. Best known for his religion.23His deepening skepticism leadership in the apostate "New caused Harrison to seek sympathizers Movement," Harrison's struggles with the with his movement for Church reform. Eli Church and assertion of the rights of 8. Kelsey, William H. Sheannan, and individual expression were also reflected William S. Godbe, along with Tullidge, in his architecture. SUNSTONE were early allies who united with Hamson for conspira~y.~'The loss of Harrison was to throw off the "suppressive Church ~egrettedby many of the faithful but was control.' yoke. After the demise of Peep 0 justified by Hanison's continued Day, the Utah Magazine, Monnon Tribune, association with the New Movement andsalt Lake Tribune followed as organs for which, unable to sustain itself through what became known as the Godbeite recruitment of new members, Movement or New M0vernent.2~ disintegrated in the 1870s. In 1868 Harrison and Godbe, one of the Despite his difficulties with the Church, territory's ten wealthiest men, traveled to E.L.T. Hanison was highly respected by New York on a "business tip" and the Mormon community as a skillful participated in numerous seances through I intermediary Charles Foster, a renowned spiritualist.25Armed with newly revealed truths, Godbe and Harrison printed revelations which, though r&m vague than their sermons and editorials, exposed the extent of their apostasy. 'The two leaders substituteda pantheistic for a personal God, rejected the Cl-dstian atonement, denied the literal resurrection, refused saiptural authority, and declared the notion of Satan dead and buried."26 The Godbeites' opposition eventually moved from passive editorialism to more active, though largely secret, rebellion which ultimately resulted in the 1869 excommunication of Hamson and Godbe The Salt Lake Theatre

The Salt Lake Theatre interior was superlative in its excommunicated far conspiracy during his lavish richness and marked a high point in pioneer leadership in the Godbeite "New Movement." architecture, designed by E. L. T. Hamson, later SUNSTONE 81 architect. His profession, in fact, -gave highly decorative in the best of Harrison an o'utlet to physically co>timporary English styling. The demonstrate his disdain for the Chds richness of the theatre was unpadelledin program of social austerity and simplicity. any other struche of the ter&xy and Harrison wjected the idea that foreign represented the zenith of ~~1 influences and flamboyancy and accomplishment during the pioneer era. exhavagance in life style were inherently destructive to either Church or individual Harrison's designs were wen remhred and were not considered excessive at first. His progress. His architecturalworks clearly contributions went beyond those of his reflected a commitment to the best of private practice. Harrison was apparently "high styles," styles which emphasized the first pioneer to teach formal classes in ornamental and picturesque qualities of architecture. AnadintheDeseret News design. Because competent architects were demand, reveals the depth of his w~rking in great and because Harrison knowledge of the building craft: was capable of giving the primitive city a richness, a refined and finished appearan- which struggiing early settlers, hmigrants, and gentile visitors alike could relate to and appreciate, 'I CIASBEStn tcmch the *ncnmmr) %edno!u kr Harrison was given important rrratue~duftr~,l.ol.lirrmKMI, rrold A- nor,SWwn Balllol, ha f rl s u ammissions and was encouraged in his Import semual o~:llns01 (be prto*lplm ol AnLMer. t-rtll k Leld emTmedw end ~~IJTLvnin work. -7(s*drloCL to the-8 =In# et8be14thwS : rmtr e.m, bma*, N. Upon arriving from England in 1861, hBYP-Oo, .ILLS pl mNk lW +h-13 swts tr u 66 Hkkion wGimmediately charged with ON r.lr L .rrano. .. .. E T. EASUMX* 'hULI.. designing theinterior ofthe new Salt Lake Yddemw-mmlmlloa Ptl* QOIW. .I m w.Q Theatre, one of Brigham Young's favorite rUhcn(UI- sl58 projects. Being a native of London, the Englishman incorporated design motifs In 1863 Harrison was also one of the from buildings he had been familiar with, organizers and teachers in the Deseret and purportedly used the famous Dnvy Academy of Ar€,a short-lived and Lane Theatre in his hometown as a prematuw orghtionsupported by a modeL28While the two structures were range of artists induding Charles R not very similar, the Salt Lakel'heahewas Savage, Daniel Weggehnd, George M.

E.L.T. Hamson designed several buildings for the The Godbeit Pitts Company store was oneof the first Walker Brothers, including Walker's Store and the prominent commerical structures in Salt Lake City. old Walker Brothers Bank. 82 SUNSTONE

Ottinger, and WiIliam H. Fols~m.~~ home.31 It was pioneer vernacular as to All of Hanison's achievements basic materials, house pattern book as to as overall notwithstanding, being cut off from the plan, and Victorian to effect. The Church changed the members view of him Godbe house perhaps reflected what and affeded his architectural career. might havebeenhad the basic Church been "enlightened" to higher and more Members were directed not to associate worthy aspirations as envisioned by the with apostates either as friends or in New Movement. One writer has described business dealings. Brigham Young had the movement as being "supernatural and once exclaimed, "I want to make a wall so Gothic," the Godbe house most perfectly thick and so high around the territory that characterized those qualities. it would be impossible for the gentiles to get over or through it." Hamson had tried For most of Hanison's nearly forty years of to put holes in the adobe curtain but in so practice in Utah the spirited architect doing found himself cast outside the wall. designed independently. However, as the Fortunately for Harrison there were "building boom devebped in 1889, E.L.T. adequate clients among the gentiles, saw the need to take on a partner to assist apostates, and condescending Mormons with the grouying work load. In 1890 H. W. to support the architect's career. Nichols, originidly a merchant of groceries and fruit, and later a Although there is no direct evidence to support the idea, it is thought that the builderlarchitect, joined forces with Hanison. Together the firm designed such Walker Brothers gave Harrison the notable structures as the Central Block for commission for their famous bank. J.K. Market Stylstidy it is similar to the Godbe-Pitts and MH. Walker, the Block for H. W. Lawrence (another Godbeit Co. building, a known Harrison design. The Walker Brothers were disenchanted dissenter), the Phipps Block, Whittemore Hotel, T.C. Armstrong, Block, Tribune Mormons who, as friends of Godbe and Jr., Block, Ellerbedc Block, and many others.32 Hanison, financially supported the pair's They also submitted three designs for the various publications. Dye to their close Chamber of Commerce building relationship and the absence of other competition which was won by Richard K. non-~o~ondesigners at the time, it is A. Kletting. The partnership was likely that Hanison obtained the Walker dissolved after the end of the "boom" in Brothers job. The Walker Brothers Bank 1893 and both architects nxstablished and Godbe-Pitts Co. store were, along independent practices. Other significant with WiIliam Paul's Eagle Emporium, the works by Harrison included the Grand most prominent commercial structures in early Salt Lake City. All three buildings Opera House and Alta Block and the Sarah Daft Block. were quite classical in their designs and depended on symmetry, Roman-arched As an independent or as a partner, and bays on the upper floors, pilasters, Greek through the rages of changing styles and pedimental parapet walls, and Greek and building trends, Harrison always Roman ornamental vocalularies. maintained a highly decorative, Harrison's designs were striking and, in a expressionisticphilosophy. One glowing city of largely one-story adobe and frame account credits C.I.T.Harrison with being structures, comparatively monumental. "the pioneer of architectural pqsin Salt Lake City": The one buildmg that best symbolized the philosophy of the New Movement was Arriving in that city in the days of pole fences Hanison's design for the William S. and sdotre strudum, architecture was Godbe residence, built in the mid-1880s. yet m unappiied atf, and a knuwledge of its The unbelievably elaborate Gothic principles a somewhat us& acquisition. Revival house was essentially a one-and-a- half story U-shaped adobe William S. Godberesidence(c. 1886) with Codbeon building enhanced by intricate wood front stairs, designed by E.L.T. Hamson for his carving on the entire surface of the partner in the "New Movement."

SUNSTONE

7he owlk ofsalt Lake thaater were, howeuw, - just about at that tiinegobtg up, and he $mid fernporny htamgenml employment handsome There were obviously many pioneers of in designing its fine prosmiurn, architecture, but E.L.T. Hanison surely s8Pge-bms, &galleries, which fantures, stands as one of the most significant. Not associattd eel% thegemrally ample proporti~~ls content with the slow and mediocre ofofb;ilding, kue.gainedforit development of Utah's architecture, hereputation ofkingone ofthe hadsomat on the Harrison continually attempted to thaateps mtikt.l%~gress in advane the standards of his profession k, dwelling-houses ?z@?na in &at city zm and of ait of life's pursuits gdy. wmn~win-efa~of building maW, rn ammum brick king EhL.T.Hatrison died of paralysis in 1900, fa a long time u?z&Md&. Under these three years ahretiring from the active diffiarlt cirarnsfmraps the only buiZdings practice of his ormpathn.j4A Mormon legitimately attitled to the title of villa kik~penned his obituary and described a residem were deslgnad by hkf.When man "ofhigh character, small stature, the manurnof brick at last aonrmenaed, massive head, a bEgin active and heart itfeIltohilotdodasignnndsupedsethe tender. . . not a bitter oppaent,''3~ eredion ofthefirst buddin@ unitmg the undomyan appprktesummary ofa faatslm of stomand offioe buildings in one dedicated Met and fine architect. structure, as in the lnse ofthe ''EWwk," wrd'Tribune" bbh;also ofinhducing the The story of Utah's lesser known pioneer first buitdings in which St. Louis and architectsdoesnotendhere.Thisbried Phl?adeSflhhQbriCk,nndmwtta,wlereeopr study not only suffices to dbpell the myth usad, rcs in thecmeoft)wLarge"Union"and of addtwhdprimitivism in early Utah "Alta" blab. A demde or two aftep the histoxy, but it suggests that a braader base erectiar ofthe &ah-,the seamd thahicnl of~rnandscpertiseexistedthanis building in Salt Lake City -the Walker commonly believed. Moreover, the lives of Gmd Opera-house - uns pkrced under hk Obed Taplot, WWillkm Nicok Fife, William supemision, wety detail (&d@ng thoseof Wilson Fife, slnd E.L. HaRison reflect the its highly omamenial in*), being hchathgand often difficult symoiosis furnkhd by hinrsdf. Thesa buildings that evolved between aesthetics, familiatked the public mind with mdem pragmatism, and neligion on the frontier. styb, and rrmade ptblethe class of ~enmern~xtiunesthatmustbeadded buWngs nao bajg introduaed. Hkppihj, a to this initial lis- and hapefully the dam is IMW optred wide to architerhrtv in future wig see the creation of a mo~ Utah,and it no lazger n& the savices of complete history. SUNSTONE 85

' 5:222 (letter quotes from Bishop J. L. newspaper artide - source unknown. Heywood to Elder George A. Smith). >OTheOgden Shdard, Sept. 1,1897. James A. Little, "Biographical Sketch of Feramorz Little," 1890.Taylor is speafically credted with the 21 Various Ogden City directories from 1878 through design (see Alice MerriU Home's Devotees and their 1897list Fifeas "carpenter,""contractor and builder" Shrines, p. 22). and "architect" respectively. At the timeof his death In 1897,Fife waslisted as an architect (Polk'sOgden Wilton R. Hunter, Beneath Ben Lomond's Peak: A Gty Busmess D~rectoryfor 1897-8).Three years History of WeberCounty, Deseret Newspress, 1945, p. 365. pnor to his death Fife hadbeen stricken with paralysis - a result of shock received upon learning Deseret NmWeekly, July 26,1882 of the death of his mother. Other losses of close Charles W. Penrose, "What Mormons Believe," family members were accompanied by serious Deseret News, 1901. strokes which eventually deprived the architect of "In the Shadow of Moroni," Set&bnsfrom muehof his sight, and his motality. Nevertheless, he Magaztnes. SLC, date unknown, p. 34. had nearly finished the deslgn for the George Tribe 'Summit Stake Manuscript History, LDS Church Block when he suffered a fatalstroke while eahng Archives. dinner. 'George B. Pratt, Ogdm City, Utah, Rcures~peand ~2 and 26 Ronald Walker, "The Commencement of Desoiptive, Art Pubfishing Company, Neenah, the Godbeite Protest: Another View," Utah Wismns~n,1889, pp. 116-117. Histonml Quarterly, Vol. 42 (Summer, 1974).

Deseret News, July 30, 1881. 23 "A Real Keptesentahve of theMost H~gh," Millenial Star 20:641-644(see, e.g., E.L.T. lo MiltonR. Hunter, Beneath Ben Lomnd's Peak: A History of WekCo., Deseret News Press, 1945, pp. Hamson's) 364-65. 24Ed~ardW. Tullidge, History of Salt Lake Ctty, Star Pnnting Co., Salt Lake City, 1886, pp. 400-01. fl Frank Ellwood Esshom, Pionem & Promtnent Men of Utah, Utah Pioneers Book Publishing Co., SLC 2Wffieret News, May 22,1900. 1913, 381,870. p. 22 and 26 Ronald Walker, "The Commencement of "Orson F. Whitney,Historyof UtOh, Vol. IV, George the GodbelteProtest: Another View," Utah Q. Cannon & Sons Co., SLC, 1904. Histonml Quarterly, Vol. 42 (Summer, 1974)

13journalHistory, Col. WiliamNicolFie, lifesketch, 27 Hubert Howe Bancroft, H~stoyof Ufah, History Ckt. 21,1914, pp. 3,5. PuMishers, SanFranasco, 1889, p. 647. I??rpmement Em, Vol. 18 No. 3 (Jan ., 1915), p. 280. =Salt Lake Trtbune, Oct. 3, 1948. 15 "Utahn, 74, Tens of Thrilling Early Days," Deseret News, Feb 5,1862. newspaper artide - source unknown. Paul L. Anderson, "WiUiarn Hamson Folsom: Ib The Ogden Standard, Oct. 22,1914. Pioneer Architect," Utah Historical Quarterly, Vol. 43, No. 3 (Summer, 1975), p. 249. l7 Hanly and Litteral, Utah, Her Citis, Towns, and Rmurm, W. B. Conkley Co., Chicago, 1904, pp. -'I Bancroft, Htstory QI Utah, p. 647. 153-4,170-71,177,182 (lists works and indudes 31 Western Architect and Building News, Sept. 1889. several photos and architect's drawings of Fife's bu~l~ngs). 32SLIltLake ("Christmas") Hemld, December25 1890.

In Mlton R. Hunter, Beneath Ben Lomond's l'tnk: A j3 "Picturesque Salt Lake City" (photo book), Salt Htstonj of WebCo., Deseret News Press, 1945, pp. Lake Oty, 1889, pp. 50-51. 364-65,(partial List of works). 34 Vanous Salt Lake City directories. Harrison was '9 "Utahn, 74, Tells of Thrilling Early Days." listed as an architect from 1867 through 18%.