Sandy Co-op

This two-story, one-part commercial block building was constructed in 1889.  The second story brick addition dates from c. 1890.  Both were built during Sandy’s first major period of development known as the “Mining, Smelting, and Small Farm Era, 1871-c1910”.  The “Sandy Co-op” sign panel was located below the corbelled brick cornice was alternating rows of dog tooth coursing.  The relatively simple design and bilateral symmetry of the building is expressive of the aesthetics employed on commercial structures in Sandy.  It is important as the only two-story commercial block building remaining from the City’s original commercial district.

The Sandy Co-op Mercantile and Manufacturing Co. occupied the building until 1908 when it changed hands several times before being purchased and used by the Knights of Pythias between 1912-1943.  The main floor was reportedly used for the sale of general merchandise and the upper floor as a meeting and dance hall.  The building was converted to serve as Sandy City’s fire station between 1949-1984.  In 1988, it was restored to house the Sandy City Museum.

The land was originally owned by La Grande Young and sold to Wells Clark in 1886. Sandy Co-op purchased it in 1888. The building was constructed in 1890 with a co-op merchantile store on the bottom floor and a social hall on the top floor. Dances and other social events were held weekly as the main social gatherings. The bottom level was used by a variety of occupants including Jenkins Funeral Parlor from 1908 until 1912. During this time period a huge advertisement for “Bull Durham” was painted on the outside south wall. Located across the street was a Utah Southern Railroad Station. The old building survived the vibration of a great many trains during Sandy’s coming of age. In 1912, Mingo Lodge No. 6 Knights of Pythias purchased the building to be used as a lodge hall and rental for other social functions. It was referred to as the “K.P. Lodge” during this time period. In 1939 Sandy City purchased the building as an interim fire station until a new facility was built in 1984 at another location. The building’s architecture dates from 1890 and is of a non-reinforced masonry construction “low fired brick on a quartzite-granite foundation”.

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CMI Co-op Building 1890-1908 Official outlet of ZCMI (Zion’s Co-operative Mercantile Institution), “America’s First Department Store”. This building housed the “Sandy Co-op” which was part of the ZCMI co-operative system servicing more than 150 communities in the intermountain area with retail commodities and services beginning in 1868.