A Self-Guided Tour of Historic Architecture in Provo, Utah
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HHIISSTTOORRICIC PRROOVVOO P A self-guided tour of historic architecture in Provo, Utah Design donated by Hales Creative Front cover postcard of the BY Academy Education Building courtesy Brent Ashworth Back cover photograph of the Provo City Library at Academy Square by Lee Bartlett Title page photograph of the historic Craner House (number 20 in this brochure) courtesy Stephen and Calli Hales Architectural photographs by Reed Smoot and members of the Provo City Community Development Department staff ©2002, 2016 Provo City Landmarks Commission. All rights reserved. HISTORIC ROVO P A self-guided tour of historic architecture in Provo, Utah PUBLISHED BY THE PROVO CITY LANDMARKS COMMISSION 2 HISTORIC PROVO • A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE A brief history of Provo and the development of its historic architecture Provo and the Utah Valley area had drawings provided by Truman Angell, the long been inhabited by Ute Indians LDS Church architect who also designed when Francisco Dominguez and Silvestre the Salt Lake Temple. Before much work Velez de Escalante led the first group had been completed, however, Brigham of Europeans to the area in September, Young visited the area in 1852 and sug- 1776. The two Catholic missionaries gested moving the site of the tabernacle were exploring a route from Santa Fe to about two miles east, to where Provo’s cur- Monterrey, and they made careful notes rent tabernacle park is, at the intersection The1849 fort built by Provo pioneers was located near where of their visit in the valley they called “Our Interstate 15 crosses the Provo River today. of University and Center Streets. This site Lady of Mercy of the Timpanogtotzis.” the fort for several days, he took Willard was on the outskirts of what had become The area was not explored further until Richards and Heber C. Kimball, his coun- a fairly substantial town, and it began the nineteenth century, when fur trappers selors in the Church’s First Presidency, a controversy among many of the area’s from Canada and the Eastern US came and went east to look for an appropriate residents who were used to the Mormon through looking for pelts. The French- place for the location of a custom of having their most important Canadian trapper Etienne Provost and his permanent town. They found public buildings in the city’s center. men spent some time around Utah Lake a site, two miles southeast and the Provo River before traveling north of the fort, where President into the Salt Lake Valley, where they were Young designated that a cen- Brigham Young attacked by Indians. Provost and three or ter block for the city should four of his men escaped, and returned to be created. This block was tell the story. located at the site of Provo’s current When the Mormon Pioneers were sent Pioneer Park at 500 West and Center into the area by Brigham Young in 1849, Street. Space was set aside on this block for they established a fort near where the a tabernacle and school buildings, and the streets emanating from this center defined The 1885 tabernacle with central spire, left; the 1867 tabernacle, right. river entered Utah Lake, and called it the View from Center Street looking southeast. “Provo” River after Provost. In 1850, the the city. Provo’s original Main Street was settlement was named after the river, and what is now Fifth West. Center Street has In 1867, the first tabernacle was ded- Provo City became the official name. remained the same from the beginning. icated (it stood just north of the current Brigham Young, the great Mormon Provo’s earliest permanent homes and tabernacle, and has since been demol- commercial structures were built in this ished). Because this building quickly colonizer, first visited the Provo area on became too small for the amount of use it September 14, 1849. After staying in area. The pioneers began the foundation of a tabernacle on this block, based on was receiving, a new tabernacle, which still HISTORIC PROVO • A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE 3 stands, was completed and dedicated in tiful city that would be a credit to their 1885. Provo’s development between 1890 community, families and culture. Provo’s and 1915, when many of the structures Landmarks Commission is proud to offer included in this self-guided tour were con- this self-guided tour of historic archi- structed, was influenced by a competition tecture, with hope that it will result in a between the city’s east and west sides that renewed appreciation for our heritage and occurred as a result of the tabernacle’s relo- history. cation. By 1896, Jesse Knight had become About the Landmarks Commission wealthy due to his mining ventures in the Eureka area. He moved to Provo and The Provo Landmarks Commission began advocating the development of the The Taylor Bros. Department Store building was originally built in 1890, and expanded in 1902 and 1911. was created by the Provo City Council in east side, where the new tabernacle was 1995 with passage of the City’s Historical located. He not only built his own home located on the city’s north east bound- Landmark ordinance. The commission and the homes of his family members on ary. Among Provo’s established residents consists of a group of historians, designers, the east side, but he worked to bring the in the west, the civic, reli- architects and preservationists appoint- city’s most impressive commercial struc- gious, and business lead- ed by the Mayor and approved by the tures, such as the Knight Block Building, er Thomas Nicholls Taylor Council. The commission works in asso- to the area. countered Knight’s influence by seeking to locate promi- ciation with the Community Development He was also influential as an import- Jesse Knight nent buildings on the city’s Department, and after careful study, ant financial donor in seeing that the west side. Some of Taylor’s nominates Provo historical sites that are Brigham Young Academy buildings were buildings include the Provo considered to be culturally important to Third Ward meetinghouse, the Landmarks Register. These nomina- the Taylor Mansion, and the tions are then considered before the City Taylor Bros. Department Council and either approved or denied. T. N. Taylor Store on West Center Street. Having a property listed on the Provo’s historic architecture is import- Landmarks Register provides a number ant as a tangible reminder of the efforts of benefits for the owner. For complete and sacrifices of our predecessors. Rather information, please contact the Provo than building a temporary village, they Community Development office at (801) worked under great physical and finan- 852-6400. ■ cial hardship to create a modern, beau- The Knight Block Building, 1 East Center Street, was built in 1900 as an office for Jesse Knight’s mining and business ventures. 4 HISTORIC PROVO • A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE HISTORIC CENTER OF PROVO, UTAH NORTH 14 16 T T T T 12 15 500 NOR TH 500 NORT H 13 17 18 500 EAST 100 EAS 200 EAS 300 EAS 400 EAS 500 WEST 400 WEST 300 WEST 200 WEST 100 WEST 400 NOR TH 400 NORT H 11 19 10 20 300 NOR TH 300 NORT H 9 21 7 8 22 200 NOR TH 200 NORT H 5 6 23 28 3 4 24 25 26 27 100 NOR TH 100 NORT H VENUE 31 36 38 39 2 1 29 30 32 33 34 35 37 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 WEST CENTER STREE T EAST CENTER STREET 49 50 51 52 53 54 47 55 56 57 64 65 48 100 SOUTH 100 SOUTH 58 66 67 UNIVERSITY A 59 61 68 60 200 SOUTH 200 SOUTH 69 300 SOUTH 300 SOUTH 70 62 400 SOUTH 400 SOUTH T T T T T 63 500 SOUTH 500 SOUTH 71 00 EAS 5 500 WEST 400 WEST 300 WEST 200 WEST 100 WEST 100 EAS 200 EAS 300 EAS 400 EAS HISTORIC PROVO • A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE 5 Sites listed on the Provo City Landmarks Register NORTHWEST 18 George Pope House 37 425 East Center 55 Pierpont Mansion 456 North 200 East 770 East Center 1 Provo Town Square Fred J. Moore House University & Center 19 George Passey House 38 73 North 500 East 56 Albert Taylor House 389 North 100 East 957 East Center Street 2 Provo West Co-op Lawrence Bean House 450 West Center 20 John Craner House 39 55 North 500 East 57 James E. Snyder House 277 East 300 North 984 East Center 3 Silver Row Apartments John C. Graham House 621-645 West 100 North 21 Alma Van Wagenen House 40 461 East Center 58 Recreation Center 267 North 100 East 1300 East Center 4 Provo Third Ward Charles Wright House 105 North 500 West 22 Samuel Allen House 41 505 East Center 59 Andrew Holdaway House 135 East 200 North 190 East 100 South 5 St. Francis Catholic Church Dallas H. Young House 172 North 500 West 23 Harvey Cluff House 42 517 East Center 60 Charles Loose House 174 North 100 East 383 East 200 South 6 George Taylor House Fred Taylor House 187 North 400 West 24 Christ Scientist Building 43 589 East Center 61 Maeser Elementary 105 East 100 North 150 South 500 East 7 William Roberts House Van Wagenen House 212 North 500 West 25 Isaac Sutton House 44 905 East Center 62 Johnson/Hansen House 239 East 100 North 485 East 400 South 8 Joseph Frisby House Justis Johnson House 209 North 400 West 26 Ephraim Sutton House 45 939 East Center 63 William Ray House 261 East 100 North 415 South University 9 Charles Davies House Superintendent’s Residence 388 West 300 North 27 John Twelves House 46 1079 East Center 287 East 100 North 10 Clark-Taylor House SOUTHWEST 310 North 500 West 28 Nellie C.