Car 19

Built in the early 1900’s, this building originally served as a candy and sporting goods store.  By the 1940’s it was known as the Orange Blossom Confectionery, and was a popular gathering place during the wartime years.  Ice cream and soda water were served in the front, and alcoholic beverages and dancing were provided in the rear.

A change in ownership in the 1950’s resulted in a new restaurant which operated for only a brief tenure.  The building was then vacant for many years, except for a small notions shop occupying the north section.

In the late 1960’s, when Park City’s transition from a mining town to a ski town was beginning to congeal, the late Bob Murphy urged renovation of the historic Main Street buildings.   This structure was one of the earliest efforts, and was remodeled to accommodate a bar and restaurant.  The basement was cleared of decades of debris and dirt to expose to stonework which is part of the lower restaurant’s decor today.

Compared to the typical, very simple mining town architecture of early Park City, this Victorian commercial structure is unusual in its elaborate detailing.  The stamped metal front was readily available by mail order catalog at the turn of the century.  The pressed metal detailing on this building is Main Street’s last example of this once common facade treatment.  Remodeling undertaken in the late 1970’s emphasized the Victorian detailing, and added the wooden canopy which is a dominant feature of the building today.

Located on historic Park City Main Street in Park City, Utah.