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VanFleet Hotel

88 East State Street, Farmington, Utah

Originally built by Thomas and Electa Hunt in the 1860s, the VanFleet Hotel was probably first used as a residence. Located next to a Wells Fargo stagecoach stop and county courthouse on what was once the highway connecting Salt Lake City and Ogden, it was at the center of commerce and government in the city and county. This location made the building well suited for a public function and it was apparently used as a hotel after the 1870s.

Hyrum VanFleet purchased the hotel in 1908 during an era when the city was enjoying a period of wealth and expansion fostered by the Farmington Commercial Club. After a fire in January 1913 nearly destroyed the structure, VanFleet undertook a major renovation which resulted in the doubling of its size. The hotel became known as the “Honeymoon Hotel” because many couples who married in the courthouse would spend their honeymoon here. The VanFleet family lived in and operated the hotel for more than four decades until 1953 when they converted the building into apartment space. In 1995, after years of vacancy, the building was rehabilitated by Drs. P. Berrett Packer and Scott W. Corry for dental offices.