Significant and Contributory Buildings in the Business District Federal Reserve Bank 80 East South Temple iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii •••••••••••BBBIIII lilllllllllllll! iilBllBBBBBBBBBBil ssroMamEMiiimuui^^ This bank building is a well-preserved example Gardo House of Neo-Classical Revival architecture. The style has been as popular for public buildings in the twen­ ecclesiastical and political groups. In later years it tieth century as the Neo-Classical style was in the became the residence of three mining millionaires, late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Alfred W. McCune, Isaac Trumbo, and Susanna building was constructed in 1926-1927 at a cost of Bransford Holmes, the famous Silver Queen. Dur­ $400,000 as the Salt Lake City Branch of the San ing World War I she leased the house to the Red Francisco Federal Reserve Bank. Its purpose was to Cross. In 1924 she and her husband, Edwin F. act as a reserve bank for commercial banks in south­ Holmes, sold the house back to the Mormon church ern Idaho, eastern Nevada, and Utah. To make way and moved to southern California. The Red Cross for the bank building, the famous Gardo House, vacated the building when the church planned to also known as Amelia's Palace, was demolished. convert the residence into the Latter-day Saints Albert P. Rockwood originally owned the prop­ University School of Music. Those plans never erty on which the bank now sits. In the mid 1870s, materialized, however, and in 1925 the church sold Mormon church president Brigham Young bought the house to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Fran­ it from him and commissioned Joseph Ridges, cisco. Not long afterward the mansion was de­ architect and builder of the Mormon Tabernacle molished to make way for the new Federal Reserve organ, to design and construct an official residence Bank building. for himself and his twenty-fifth wife, Amelia Fol- In 1959 the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francis­ som. As the structure rose, it was given the name co sold the building to Zion's Securities Corpora­ Amelia's Palace. tion, a holding company for the LDS church, and Following Brigham Young's death in 1877, his moved the branch bank one block south to its pres­ successor as Mormon president, John Taylor, used ent location at 120 South State. Zion's First National the house as his official residence. Taylor's succes­ Bank operated out of the building from 1959 to sor, Wilford Woodruff, did not live in the house but 1961. In 1965 Zion's Securities Corporation trans­ used it for offices and official church meetings. A ferred title back to the Corporation of the President public reception on January 2,1882, celebrated the of the LDS church and in 1966 the Church Financial completion of Amelia's Paiace, by then called Gar- Department, with A. Leroy Price as vice-president do House, named by one of Brigham Young's sons and manager, moved in. The LDS Church Finance who said the house looked like a sentinel "on Department remained at that address until 1972. In guard." During the 1880s it became a secret rendez­ 1976 the Bank of Utah assumed occupancy. vous for "underground" polygamists fleeing from The two-story building follows a rectangular federal officials and a meeting place for private plan. Pairs of thin pilasters that give the appearance 23 of columns separate square window bays. The cor­ nice is nearly flat but includes a crown molding, dentil band, and decorative frieze. The interior of the bank retains many of its original features, in­ cluding metal trim, although the present occupants have done some remodeling. The integrity of the original design has been maintained, and the bank stands as an important site on South Temple. 24 Alta Club 100 East South Temple This building was constructed between 1897 about Hale is found in the history of the Keith- and 1898 at an estimated cost of $40,000 as quarters O'Brien Building.) for the Alta Club, an organization for prominent The Alta Club was designed in the Italian Re­ Salt Lake City businessmen. The club was orga­ naissance style, which was popular with men's nized in 1884 "to present the comforts and luxuries clubs in the eastern United States at the turn of the of a home, together with the attraction to its mem­ century. Characteristics of that style were a hori­ bers of meeting each other in a pleasant and social zontal emphasis in the design, different articula­ way." The original eighty one members were main­ tions of each story, a molded belt course between ly involved in the mining industry and were all floors, arched doorways and windows, and re­ non-Mormons, and Mormons were initially ex­ cessed and arcaded balconies. An east wing was cluded from membership, a reflection of the ex­ added in 1910, almost doubling the size of the treme division that existed between Mormons and building. Since then the interior has changed little. non-Mormons in late nineteenth century Utah. Af­ Stained glass windows, gas fitted chandeliers, and ter the turn of the century, however, Mormons wall sconces are among the fine original features. were gradually admitted to the club, and for the Massive fireplaces in the library and grillroom and next several decades it was an important instru­ much of the original furniture, including hard- ment of accommodation between Salt Lake's Mor­ carved desks, wing-backed chairs, and marble mon and non-Mormon communities. sinks are still in use. The Alta Club was originally located in the Alta Block between Main and West Temple on Second South St. In 1892 it moved into the upper two floors of the Dooly Block at the southwest corner of Second South and West Temple. At its demolition in 1964 for a parking lot, it was the only building west of the Mississippi that famed American architect Louis H. Sullivan had designed. The Alta Club moved into this building on June 1, 1898. The architect of the building was Frederick A. Hale. Among the other buildings in Salt Lake City that he designed were the Salt Lake Public Library (now the Hansen Planetarium), the David Keith Residence, the Continental Bank Building, and the Keith-O'Brien Building. (Additional information 25 Salt Lake City Public Library 15 South State Now the Hansen Planetarium, this building Again the Ladies Literary Society came to the res­ was constructed in 1905 as the Salt Lake City Public cue by persuading an eccentric and retiring mining Library. From the earliest years of settlement in Salt millionaire, John Q. Packard, to donate both land Lake City, libraries were considered a necessary and capital for the construction of a public library asset to a civilized community. In 1850 the territory building. of Utah quickly accepted a federal appropriation for The combination of a crusading group of pro­ the establishment of a library and appointed Wil­ gressive upper-class women and a millionaire ea­ liam C. Staines as the territorial librarian. The ter­ ger to fulfill his obligations within the Gospel of ritorial library served as both a law library and a Wealth was a scenario common to that era of the general public library for a period of years. Even­ nation's history. While most cities have numerous tually the collection was divided. The general examples of such public munificence, however, it books were given to the library of the University of was comparatively rare in Salt Lake City, and this Deseret, while the law books remained as the Utah building is the only one of its kind left in the city. Library. The Mormon church's Seventies' Library Described at the time of its completion as "a also functioned as a public lending library for a combination of the Doric and Ionian styles of number of years. When this service faltered, sever­ architecture," the Salt Lake Public Library is a al private lending libraries sprang up in the city to three-story rectangular gabled hip-roof structure provide the only library service available to Salt with a two-story entrance pavillion. Constructed of Lake City for many years. In addition, members of oolite limestone from Sanpete County, the Beaux- the Masonic order, who were interested in educat­ Arts Classical library was designed by Hines and ing Mormons out of their "peculiar" beliefs, made LaFarge of New York City. Frederick A. Hale vigorous efforts to establish a free public lending served as the supervising local architect. At the library. It was the Ladies Literary Society, however, time of its dedication in 1905 the Salt Lake Herald that was successful in promoting a bill in the 1898 provided this description: state legislature to permit a tax levy for the support of state public libraries. Salt Lake City The library stands on State Street, just south moved to take advantage of this provision and cre­ of the Alta Club, on high ground with lawns ated a free public library by purchasing the hold­ sloping from the building in all directions. ings of the Pioneer Library owned by the Grand The building is of white oolite from Sanpete Lodge of Utah. For $1,400 the city acquired a library valley, the main entrance is in three parts open­ worth $24,000 and installed the facility in the City ing on the hallway from which rise the two and County Building. Attention was immediately broad ample stairways to the lecture hall above. Entrance to the east from this hallway leads to turned to acquiring a more permanent location. the main floor of the reading room, a commodi- 26 ous, sunny room, furnished with all modern the spiral staircases at both ends of the entrance conveniences.