Mary Smith House

The Mary Smith House, a brick cross-wing Victorian, built c. 1883, is historically significant as one of the few houses in Draper built to accommodate a polygamous family and is the only known house in the community built specifically to comply with the 1882 Edmunds Act, which outlawed “cohabitation”. one man sharing his house with more than one wife. The Edmunds Act was one of the major steps taken by the federal government to force the Mormon Church into giving up polygamy. The house was likely built to protect Lauritz Smith, Mary’s husband, from prosecution. Mary, Lauritz’s first wife, moved into this house, while Hannah, the second wife, remained in the family home less than a quarter-mile away.

12423 South Relation Street (1565 East) in Draper, Utah

Mary Smith Home

This home was built c. 1883 for Mary Smith, the first wife of Lauritz Smith, Draper’s first blacksmith. Married in 1854, the young Danish couple arrived in Draper in 1855. Their first log home was replaced by a new brick home built c. 1865-1867 located about 1/4th mile west of this site on Pioneer Ave. and still standing. Lauritz took a 2nd wife, Hannah Jensen, in 1867.

With the passage of the Edmunds Act in 1882, it became unlawful for a man to “cohabitate”. Lauritz and his son, Joseph, built this house for Mary. This is the only known house in Draper built specifically to comply with the Edmunds Act. The home is presently owned by a descendant, Karen Smith.