Dr. Hugh & Vern Rowe Home

This home is one of three houses built by David Eccles for three of his children as a wedding gift for marrying in the LDS Temple. Built in 1911-12 and designed by Leslie Hodgson, this house was intended for Mr. Eccles’ daughter, Veda Savage. She apparently lived there briefly before moving to Salt Lake City. The deed was transferred to Dr. Hugh Rowe in 1912. Dr. Rowe was born in Canada in 1868. He graduated in veterinary surgery and medicine, and first practiced in Iowa and Nebraska. He came to Ogden in 1900 as a quarantine inspector for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and soon launched a career as a civic and business organizer. He organized the Western Federal Livestock Co. and he was first President of the Ogden Chamber of Commerce, which he helped to organize. In 1917, he married Vern Tavey of Ogden. They were prominent in social, financial, and civic activities in Ogden and lived at this location for about 30 years. The ghost of Grace Spargo, who died in childbirth while living in the house briefly. is said to haunt the house.*

2555 Eccles Avenue in Eccles Avenue Historic District and in the Ogden’s Central Bench Historic District in Ogden, Utah

Marriner & Dorthea Browning Home

Built in 1914, this traditional Prairie Style home is a premier example of the work of Ogden architect Eber Piers. Marriner Adams Browning was born in 1890 and died in 1966. l le was the son of Matthew S. Browning (brother of John Moses Browning, the gun inventor). His uncle invented the guns and his fathter, Matt, handled the finances. He worked with these two men for 10 years in all business ventures and so it was natural for him to continue the business after their deaths. In 1928, Mr. Browning along with Marriner Eccles (David Eccles’ son) pooled the Eccles and Browning bank interests to form the First Security Bank Corporation. Mr. Browning married Dorothea Bigelow in 1912 and they had two sons. Mrs. Browning was a daughter of Archie P. Bigelow, former President of the Ogden State Bank and builder of the Bigelow/Ben Lomond Hotel. Mrs. Browning was the first of two women drivers in Ogden and was extremely interested in mechanics, which brought her together with her husband whom she used to watch making guns when she was just 12 years old.*

2565 Eccles Avenue in Eccles Avenue Historic District and in the Ogden’s Central Bench Historic District in Ogden, Utah

John & Louisa Houtz Home

This home was built in 1910 and designed by Leslie Hodgson for John Shannon Houtz. Mr. Houtz was the vice-president of Commercial National Bank. Born in Schmoken, Pa., in 1833, he came to Utah in 1848. His business ventures included sheep, freight, livery, and as subcontractors on the transcontinental railroad. His wife, Louisa Curtis Houtz was born in Cottonwood, Utah in 1853. The Houtz’ had 5 children. The home with its centrally placed hip dormer reveals an American Four-Square style of architecture, but the exterior is dominated by a wide variety of Prairie School and Arts and Crafts architectural features.*

2522 Eccles Avenue in Eccles Avenue Historic District and in the Ogden’s Central Bench Historic District in Ogden, Utah

Green/Shearman Home

Built in 1914, this home was built for Virginia Houtz Green by her parents who lived in the house to the north on Eccles Avenue. The home was occupied by the Greens for one year. They divorced and then rented the house. William Shearman married Wilhelmine Keisel Shearman in 1915 and they began renting the home in 1918. Mr. Shearman died in 1941 and Mrs. Sherman continued to live in the house until her death in 1955. Mrs. Shearman bought the home from Mrs. Green in 1949 after living there for 30 years. The Shearmans made generous contributions to the Boy Scouts of America, donating the site for Camp Kiesel on the Ogden River and to other Boy Scout programs. Mrs. Shearman was the daughter of Fred Kiesel, one of the early settlers to Utah and a Mayor. The house was distinguished by being the only private residence with a private elevator in Ogden at that time.*

2532 Eccles Avenue in Eccles Avenue Historic District and in the Ogden’s Central Bench Historic District in Ogden, Utah

Edmund & Martha Wattis Home

This home was designed for Edmund Orson Wattis by Eber Piers and built in 1914. It is a premier example of the Prairie School Style of architecture. Edmund Orson Wattis was born in 1855 in Uintah and worked on the first transcontinental railroad. In 1901, he became director the Utah Construction Company, the major contracting firm in the West. Utah Construction was involved in the building of numerous dams among which was Boulder Dam in Nevada, Guernsey Dam in Wyoming and American Falls Dam in Idaho Mr. Wattis married Martha Ann Bybee and had 7 children. Mrs. Wattis was active in social and civic affairs, the most notable being the Red Cross Community Chest, Eastern Star and the Utah Federation. In 1944, Henry Benning, who was President of Amalgamated Sugar Company bought the home. Known as ”Mr. Sugar”, Mr. Benning was instrumental in the expansion and reorganization of Amalgamated Sugar. He lived in the home with his wife, Edna A. Eaton Benning and son Arthur.*

2540 Eccles Avenue in Eccles Avenue Historic District and in the Ogden’s Central Bench Historic District in Ogden, Utah

Patrick & Mary Healy Home

Built in 1920 and designed by Howard Hewitt of California, this home was built for Patrick Healy, Jr. Mr. Healy was born in Ogden, the President of Commercial National Bank (Commercial Security Bank) and also as Vice President of Murphy Wholesale Grocery Co. He retired in 1928 and died in 1947. He married Mary Sodwick in Geinell, Iowa in 1903. Mrs. Healy continued to live in the house until she sold the house to H.Q. Holley in 1960. The design of this home is Old English (cottage style) architecture. The house has a high pitched roof punctuated by a series of dormer windows successfully contrasted with a stucco base to form an attitude of restful domesticity. The rounded arches, the tapered brick chimney, and a canopied entrance are remindful of an era of English Art Nouveau.*

2580 Eccles Avenue in Eccles Avenue Historic District and in the Ogden’s Central Bench Historic District in Ogden, Utah

Leroy & Myrtle Eccles Home (Weber Club)

This home was built at a cost of more than $100,000 in 1917 for LeRoy & Myrtle Eccles. Leslie Hodgson was the architect of this premier example of residential Italian Renaissance. LeRoy Eccles was powerful in the sugar industry and was vice-president and general manager of the Amalgamated Sugar Company. He was also involved with the Ogden, Logan & Idaho Railroad, the Sumpter Valley Railroad Company, the Empire Copper Company, and served as President and Director for the First National Bank and Ogden Savings Bank. The home was later sold after business reversals to E.G. Harness in 1928. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Harness was in the nursery business. He died in 1956 at the age of 96; Mrs. Harness died in 1942. A nephew, William C. Harness, owned the house after their deaths. In 1959, the home was sold to the Weber Club (a private club), at which time significant remodeling and improvements were made. Kier Corporation purchased the building in 1982 and remodeled it, pulling back much of the elegance of the original mansion. The building has been used as a restaurant, meeting rooms, wedding reception center, etc.*

2509 Eccles Avenue in Eccles Avenue Historic District and in the Ogden’s Central Bench Historic District in Ogden, Utah

Canse/Weeks Home

The Canse/Weeks Home is a highly stylized American Foursquare built in 1910. The original owner of this house was J.M. Canse, who came to Ogden to be manager for the Eccles Lumber Company. The home was purchased from Mr. Canse in 1919 by Otis Weeks, who came to Ogden from Denver with his family. Otis Weeks graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1895 with a degree in civil Engineering, and later became the Engineer for the Salt Lake Division of the Southern Pacific Railroad (from 1913 until his retirement in 1940). Mrs. Weeks was extensively involved in community activities and was instrumental in establishing the Ogden YWCA. She also had an intense love of nature and beauty, which she expressed in her painting and weaving. Mrs. Weeks lived in the home until 1956.

2529 Eccles Avenue in Eccles Avenue Historic District and in the Ogden’s Central Bench Historic District in Ogden, Utah

Wright/Morrell Home

In 1911, this home was built for Mr. & Mrs. William Wright. The three homes (the Rowe, Larkin. and Morrell Homes) were originally built for three of the children of David Eccles. In 1918, the house and property was purchased by Dr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Morrell. (It is interesting to note that brother and sister (David and Bertha Eccles) married brother and sister (Julia Wright Eccles and William Wright) Dr. Morrell was a physician and surgeon in Ogden. He was head of the medical dispensary at the Defense Depot Ogden and served as surgeon for both the Union and Pacific Railroads. He was a member of the Utah Board of Health and the Utah Board of Medical Examiners, and was President of the Utah State Medical Society.*

2533 Eccles Avenue in Eccles Avenue Historic District and in the Ogden’s Central Bench Historic District in Ogden, Utah

Royal & Cleone Eccles Home

Designed by Eber Piers, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright at the Chicago School of Design, and built in 1920 by Whitmeyr Construction, this home is of a classical Prairie Style. The dark brick, low-pitched gabled roof, ceiling height and windows are premier examples of this style. Born in Ogden in 1884, Royal Eccles, the son of the prominent David & Bertha Eccles, was educated in the Ogden City public schools, University of Michigan Law School and then served a mission for the LDS Church in Germany and Austria in 1909. In 1912 he took up the active practice of law. In 1920 he became the Chief Executive Officer of the Oregon Lumber Company. In 1930 he sold his corporate interests and retired to devote time to his personal affairs. He married Cleone Rich in the Salt Lake Temple, August 22. 1918. They had six children, two sons and four daughters. Royal Eccles died in 1963 and Cleone Eccles died in 1973.*

2508 Jackson Avenue in Eccles Avenue Historic District and in the Ogden’s Central Bench Historic District in Ogden, Utah