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John C. Sharp House

Jacob Barlow

John C. Sharp House

Completed in 1883, the Sharp House, home of John C. Sharp, a prominent church leader and rancher in the Vernon area for many years, is both historically and architecturally significant. It is historically significant for its association with Sharp who, as bishop of the Vernon Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for twenty-five years, was instrumental in the religious and civic affairs of the community during that time. Additionally this large, elaborate brick house is the only house remaining in the community which represents the financial success of many of the early ranchers and farmers, most of whom left the area as soon as they could afford to. Also located on the property are a c. 1888 timber frame barn and a c. 1888 brick milk house, which further document the significance of the Sharp House and property as a well-preserved example of a successful nineteenth century farmstead in the Vernon area. Architecturally the Sharp House is significant as one of few extant examples in Utah of a common house type, the Italianate box with a side passage plan. There are eleven documented extant examples of this type in the state.’ Nine of the eleven houses are in Salt Lake City. The Sharp House is one of only two examples that is located in a rural area. There was great variation in the local expression of the style, ranging from vernacular to high style forms. Utah’s Italianate, following a national trend for such houses, is found in three distinct forms: the large cross-wing house; the two story box; and the one story cottage. A great majority of Utah’s Italianate houses were the two story box type with a side passage, built as affordable middle class houses. The attenuated verticality of the box form and the low pitched hip roof with overhanging eaves provided the basic form to which additional elements of the style could be added if funds were available. The characteristic elements of the style include: rectangular massing and side hall plan; a low hip roof with overhanging eaves; a wide cornice with decorative brackets; projecting bays; long, narrow windows; and other elements of classical ornamentation. All of these elements were incorporated in the Sharp House. The Sharp House is distinctive, however, in that its box form has been expanded to include a square bay on the north side and a three part, tent roofed bay on the south side, effectively documenting the flexibility of the form of one of Utah’s standardized house types. Of the eleven extant examples of the two story Italianate box in Utah, five have been listed in the National Register, and one has been determined eligible for listing in the National Register. 2 Other examples of the Italianate style listed in the National Register include: the Charles R. Savage House, 80 D Street (cross-wing type), and the Howe C. Wallace House, 474 Second Avenue (cottage type), in the Avenues Historic District, Salt Lake City; the Lewis S. Hills House, 126 South 200 West, Salt Lake City (cross-wing type); and the David McDonald House, 4659 Highland Drive, Salt Lake City (cross-wing type).

The John C. Sharp House is located in Vernon, Utah and was added to the National Register of Historic Places (#84002424) on July 13, 1984.

John C. Sharp was born on the Kaw River, Kansas, May 28, 1850 to Joseph and Jeannette Sharp, who were en route to Salt Lake City, where they arrived August 28 that same year. His father was a well-known freighter across the plains and the owner of a large amount of livestock. John, after attending public schools in Salt Lake City, married Sarah Bethula Palmer on February 12, 1872. Soon after he moved to Vernon, Tooele County, about 60 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, where he engaged in ranching and farming in addition to serving as the first postmaster for several years. He remained in Vernon for twenty-eight years, ranching and farming, but during that time purchased interest in several major business firms in Salt Lake City.

In 1875 John Sharp was chosen to preside over the Vernon Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and in 1877 when the branch had grown and was organized into a ward, he was chosen as its bishop, a position he held until 1900. As bishop, he directed the religious affairs of the predominantly LDS community and was instrumental in completing the substantial brick chapel in 1892. He also served as Sunday School President in the ward for fifteen years.

Sarah Bethula Palmer Sharp was born in Pennsylvania, January 30, 1851 and came to Salt Lake City with her parents in 1861. In addition to her numerous activities in the LDS church, “Sula” sang in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and played the organ at the Salt Lake Theatre.

Historian Edward Tullidge, writing in 1888, made the following observations on Vernon while visiting the town. “The place contains only one hundred people. They have done but little in making pleasant homes, but are wealthy in cattle, horses and sheep, there being 40,000 of the latter owned in the place, John C. Sharp…is making a striking contrast with his surroundings in the way of a fine homestead, on which is nearing completion a brick residence in elegance and solidity of construction next to none in the county. Doubtless the beneficial effect of his example will be seen in the future in his ward.”3 Construction of the house began in 1883, but was not completed until 1888, the date on the stone plaque set in the facade.4 It is not known where in Vernon the Sharps lived before this house was built. The house, which is located at the southern edge of town, originally faced the road into town, but that road has since been re-routed approximately one hundred yards behind the house to the east. The small brick building located at the rear of the house was built at about the same time as the house and served as the mail room for John Sharp, who was postmaster for several years.5 Beneath this building is a cellar in which the milk was stored

Tullidge’s assumption that the Sharp House would set an example for other houses in Vernon proved to be overly optimistic. No other houses of either the scale or quality of Sharp’s were constructed, primarily because most of the ranchers and farmers, as they became wealthy, moved to other cities instead of building new, larger homes in Vernon, and left the task of establishing a sense of permanence and community structure to those who remained, primarily the settlers of Scandinavian origin.’ John Sharp was one of the few, if not the only one, of the wealthy ranchers who remained, and his construction of this fine, large home illustrates his commitment to making the town his permanent home.

In 1900, however, the Sharps too moved from their ranch in Vernon to Salt Lake City after having relocated most of their sheep herds to ranches in Idaho. John’s business investments in Salt Lake City had apparently grown to the point where he felt it necessary to live in the city and manage them, or perhaps his return to the city was a form of semi-retirement for him after almost three decades of ranch life. From 1900 until his death in 1921, John Sharp lived at 26 E Street (demolished) in Salt Lake City, during which time he continued to be active in business and church affairs. At the time of his death he was serving as director of Deseret National Bank, Beneficial Life Insurance Company, Intermountain Casket Company, and Standard Furniture Company. He also served for twelve years as a member of the Board of Trustees of Utah Agricultural College and for many years as president of the State Board of Sheep Commissioners.

Vol lowing is a list of the 11 documented extant examples of the Italianate Box house in Utah and the status of each house with regard to listing in the National Register.

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