Summit County Courthouse

Erected in 1903-04, the Summit County Courthouse stands out both architecturally, in the Romanesque Revival style, and politically as the symbol of the county’s growth and development at the beginning of the Twentieth Century.

The Summit County Courthouse is located at 54 North Main Street in Coalville, Utah and was added to the National Register of Historic Places (#78002694) on December 15, 1978.

In the fall of 1902, Summit County voters geared for a vote concerning the removal or retention of the County Seat in Coalville, Utah. Residents of Park City, a prosperous and booming silver mining camp, contended that since the town functioned as the county’s commercial center, it should be the county seat. Coalville citizens countered by stating it was their town that supplied the foodstuffs essential to Park City’s livelihood. It was ultimately put to the vote, with Coalville victorious.

Tensions between the two towns appeared to decrease after the vote. Apparently, one of the contentions of the Coalville supporters was that the then “present” courthouse was adequate. However, in May 1903, the Summit County Commissioners, Freeman Malin, J. C. Paskett, and William H. Smith decided unanimously to erect a new county building. Editorial ppinion in The Coalville Times quickly backed the action by stating: “While there are some in the county who will object to the erection of a new building we believe the majority will be in favor of the proposition, as it is believed that this will be the means of settling the county seat questions.”

The Park Record editorial countered by asserting “What the people of this and of the county ought to do, is to get up a petition protesting against this building and force the other end to live up to its election pledges.” Despite the joust, newspaper opinion from the Park eventually conceded that, although Park City was the proper place for it, the building as planned was “most conveniently arranged and is just what Summit County has needed for a long time.. .had it not been for a few measly and narrow minded ‘chumps’ who call themselves citizens, it would have been erected [in Park City], we nevertheless are glad the commissioners have decided to build…”

Shortly after the decision was made to build, the lot of J. S. Salmon, north of the L.D.S. Stake House, was purchased for $1,500.00 with the city presenting to the County part of its property adjoining the Salmon lot. A contract was awarded to F. C. Woods & Co. , Ogden architects, to design the structure; and it was speculated that the building would be constructed of white sandstone located in Summit County since the money for the material would then be kept in the county.

Ironically, the contractors selected were E. J. Beggs, of Park City, and J. H. Salmon, Coalville. Their low bid was $19,887.00; a Colorado firm had bid lower, but withdrew from competition. Salmon also owned the stone from which the courthouse would be constructed. County commissioners had visited Park City earlier with the plans for the building to seek approval that such approval be received was undoubtedly of high importance; and as stated, approval, at least in The Park Record, was eventually voiced.

Work commenced on the courthouse in August-September 1903. The making of brick began in early September; and work continued until mid-November, when it was discontinued for the winter months. Laborers returned to the job in the spring of 1904 and completed the building, which was turned over to the Summit County Commissioners in November 1904.

The Romanesque Revival style of the structure, marked by its fortress-like appearance, renders the building a unique and prominent feature of Coal vi lie’s Main Street area.

The building continues to function as the County Courthouse. Present plans call for an addition on the Courthouse which will enable the structure to continue to function as the county offices. Plans for the addition are being prepared by Sterling R. Lyon, Ogden, Utah, and illustrate a sympathy with the texture and style of the older structure. The jail, a separate building that sits behind the courthouse and built in the same style in 1905 by T. L. Allen, will be removed in order to make way for the addition. Although the jail will be lost, the addition will ensure the preservation of the courthouse, and its continued use.

The Summit County Courthouse is built in a Romanesque Revival style, typified by a rough textured, rock-faced coursed ashlar finish. The two and one-half story rectangular structure is topped by a broad hip roof with a centrally located-cross gable, to the west, which forms the main entry. The protruding entrance bay is characterized by a segmental arched entry arcade with colonettes,, and three-arched windows openings and deep set double-hung windows with transoms on the second level.

The stepped gable at the attic level is decorated with two pairs of volute buttresses. The two round arched windows in the gable have the same pronounced archivolt trim and impost course as the three windows below. The cornice of the entrance bay is not decorated with the dentil molding used on the rest of the cornice; instead, a dentilled cornice appears above the paired arched windows.

On the south façade, a second entry is marked by a square, slightly projecting tower. An unusual pre-modern element of the tower design is the flat, three-story recession in the south tower façade, giving it a very rectilinear appearance. The four gabled dormers in the pyramidal roof of the tower are faced in matching stone.