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Johnson Hall–Deseret Mercantile Building

25 Monday Dec 2023

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Johnson Hall–Deseret Mercantile Building

The Johnson Hall/Deseret Mercantile Building is a complex of two buildings located at 4 West Main Street in Grantsville, Utah. Both buildings are two-part commercial-style blocks constructed of brick with Victorian Eclectic details. The older building is the Deseret Mercantile Building to the west (left), which was constructed around 1890. Johnson Hall, the larger building to the east (right), was built in 1898, with a design to adjoin and complement the older building. Together the two buildings form the best-preserved section of Grantsville’s historic Main Street. The two buildings were remodeled jointly in 1953, and also partially restored in 1982. In the past, the Deseret Mercantile Building to the west has used a separate address: 6 West Main Street. Today the two buildings share an address and are known as the Grantsville Drugstore. However, historically, they were distinct entities though occasionally referred to jointly as the Johnson Hall or the Johnson Building.

The Deseret Mercantile Building, built circa 1890, is a two-story commercial block approximately 24 by 45
feet. It was constructed of brick on a stone foundation. The yellow face brick is laid in common bond with
headers every seventh course. The building faces south and the built-up roof slopes to the rear behind a stepped parapet. The parapet is the main feature of the fa9ade. The parapet has a three-course coping. Colossal brick pilasters are located at each corner. Each pilaster has a corbelled brick cap. Between the pilasters is a corbelled cornice. The upper floor has two windows. Historic photographs indicate the original windows were one-over-one, double-hung windows in a wood sash and sill. Each had a rowlock brick hood. A string course of dentilated brick tied the two windows visually. Beneath the windows was a dogtooth soldier course. Originally signage was painted in the blank spot below the windows. The lower portion of the fa9ade has been remodeled several times. Historic photographs show a central entrance flanked by pairs of double-hung windows. All three openings had rowlock brick accents.

In the early 1950s, the storefront was remodeled with large plate glass windows and a recessed entrance. The lower portion had been covered with stucco by the mid-1970s (date unknown). During a 1982 rehabilitation, the central entrance was removed and replaced with a third storefront window. The bulkhead was rebuilt across the façade and there is currently no front entrance to the building. At the same time, the windows were replaced with one-over-one fixed framed. There is a full-width awning (circa 2000) across the storefronts. The secondary elevations are plainer. The east elevation was obliterated by the construction of Johnson Hall in 1898. The west elevation, like the façade, has stucco on the lower portion. There are two upper windows (also 1982 replacements), and a window and door (original, but not in use) on the main level. On the rear (north) elevation are two upper windows (one blocked) and a loading door at the northwest corner of the main level (also blocked). The interior has also been remodeled several times, but the essential spaces remain the same. The upper floor was originally divided into apartments (1930s) and offices. The lower floor remains fairly open as a retail space and a storeroom in the rear. Interior openings were added between the common wall of the two buildings in 1953 (south side) and 1982 (north side).

When Johnson Hall was built adjoining the Deseret Mercantile Building in 1898, the builder, James Jensen,
took care to create a visual continuity between the two buildings, making them a cohesive unit. The façade of the two-story Johnson Hall is divided into three bays by three colossal pilasters. The east pilaster of the west building also doubles as the fourth (west) pilaster of Johnson Hall. The end pilasters are identical. The central pilasters extend above the main parapet to create a brick signboard where the painted words “Johnson Hall” and “A 1898 D” are lightly visible. A castellated parapet of brick flanks the signboard. The corbelled cornice of the Deseret building extends along the façade of Johnson Hall. There are three openings on the upper floor: a central door and transom (now a circa 1980 four-panel replacement), and a pair of double-hung windows in the flanking bays. All have segmental-arched rowlock hoods, similar to the west building. The upper door originally led out to a full-width wood balcony (removed in 1953). The doors and windows on the façade were boarded-up by the 1970s, but restored in 1982. Originally, the lower portion of the façade had pairs of double-hung windows similar to the upper floor. The main entrance was a double door. The storefront was remodeled in 1953 with plate glass windows and a recessed entrance. The lower portion was covered in stucco by the 1970s. The storefront has had only minor alterations since then. There are three blue awnings (circa 1995) in
the three bays.

( This was added to the National Register of Historic Places (#05001628) on February 3, 2006 and is located at 4 West Main Street in Grantsville, Utah )

Johnson Hall measures approximately 32 feet by 71 feet. It was constructed of red brick laid in a running bond. The inner walls are adobe. The foundation is stone, but has been encapsulated in concrete except at the rear (north) elevation. The roof is a low-pitch simple gable visible only on the rear (north) elevation. The east elevation along Hale Street is divided into three wide bays by brick pilasters similar to the south elevation. The castellated parapet is not stepped. Other details of the fa9ade are continued on the east elevation, including the corbelled cornice, dentilated stringcourse, and the rowlock window hoods. Each bay includes two windows with 1982 replacement windows. The lower portion of the elevation has been covered in stucco, now painted a rust color. In 1953, windows on the lower portion of the east elevation were removed and are not visible today. There is a door opening and a concrete stoop at the north end, which is currently blocked. The north (rear) elevation has three upper windows (all blocked). On the main level is a double-wide loading door, which is currently filled-in except for a couple of square replacement windows (circa 1982). The back door (not original) and a concrete stoop are located at the east end. At the northwest corner is a brick chimneystack. This elevation has several historic anchor ties. There is a portion of the west elevation visible where Johnson Hall extends beyond the adjoining building. This elevation is blank except for one upper window. On the interior, Johnson Hall is divided between the main floor retail space and the open upper floor (originally a ballroom). The retail space has a counter to the rear. There are two storage rooms and a restroom leading off a short hall. The interior of Johnson Hall has been remodeled (circa 1950s through 1980s), but retains its historic feel.

The two buildings share a .037-acre parcel. The setback on Main Street allows only for the sidewalk space.
Benches, planters, and a trashcan are next the buildings. Along the east elevation (Hale Street) is a sidewalk and a parking strip of grass. The west elevation is almost at the property line with only a few shrubs and a wood fence near the building. There is a residence on the next parcel to the west. In the rear, the parking area is gravel. There are a few vines growing on the building and a birch tree nearby, but no other landscaping. There are no outbuildings, only a dumpster at the rear of the property. Johnson Hall and the Deseret Mercantile Building are among a handful of historic commercial buildings on Grantsville’s Main Street. The city’s historic commercial buildings are not grouped together, but distributed among the historic homes and newer buildings of the streetscape. Because of their size and historic upper-floor details, the two connected buildings are a landmark in the neighborhood. The buildings are in excellent condition and contribute to the historic resources of Grantsville.

The Johnson Hall/Deseret Mercantile Building, constructed as separate buildings in 1898 and circa 1890
respectively, and joined into a single-use building in 1953, is significant under Criteria A and C for its
association with the economic and social development of Grantsville, and a contribution to its architectural resources. The property is eligible within the Multiple Property Submission: Historic and Architectural Resources of Grantsville, Utah, 1850-1955. The historic evolution of the building spans all three of the MPS historic contexts: “Mormon Agricultural Village Period, 1867-1905,” “Impact of Technology and Transportation Period, 1905-1930,” and the “Economic Diversification Period, 1930-1955.” The original owners were three Johnson brothers (Charles A., Alex, and Leo), who between them made significant contributions to the economic development of Grantsville. The buildings served a variety of purposes, including general store, dance and social hall, bank, post office, and drugstore. The building is architecturally significant for a unity of design (although the two buildings were constructed several years apart) and rich detail in the brickwork. The building is an excellent example of Victorian Eclectic ornamentation in a turn-of-the-century commercial block. Johnson Hall was built by James Jensen, a mason and contractor, living in Grantsville. The two joined buildings are the best-preserved historic commercial blocks on Grantsville’s Main Street. The two buildings are being nominated together because of an associated history, which includes a combined design, ownership, and more recently, usage through most of the historic period. The Johnson Hall/Deseret Mercantile Building complex is a contributing historic resource in Grantsville, Utah.

James and Penninah Wrathall House

21 Thursday Dec 2023

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James and Penninah Wrathall House

The James and Penninah Wrathall House, built in 1898, is located at 5 North Center Street in Grantsville, Utah. The Wrathall House is a two-story central-block-with-projecting-bays type house. The house is constructed of brick with sandstone foundation, lintels and sills. The style and ornamentation is Queen Anne with an Eastlake style porch. The house has a wood shingle roof with the original decorative shingles on the turret roof. The house has a circa 1940s one-story frame addition at the northwest corner. The 0.84-acre lot includes two contributing outbuildings (a circa 1910 garage and a circa 1900 coop), and one non-contributing outbuilding (a circa 1980s shed). There is also a contributing structure, a circa 1950 metal Butler silo.

Though technically a central-block-with-projecting-bays type house, the footprint of the building is contained within a roughly 40 by 40 foot square. The one-story addition is located in a niche at the northwest corner and extends 12 feet to the north. The house was constructed of brick with a facing of fired red brick and an adobe brick lining on the interior. The brick is laid in a running bond with flush mortar joints. The tan-colored sandstone foundation is rough-faced ashlar blocks with concave mortar. A smooth sandstone stringcourse is above the foundation at the water table. Similarly smooth sandstone blocks provide the lintels and sills from most of the windows. The house faces Center Street to the east. The facade features an octagonal bay to the north and a projecting square turret tower to the south. The centerpiece of the fa9ade is the entrance, which features Eastlake details (spools, spindles, lathe-turned, brackets, etc.) above the main floor entrance and on the second-story porch. The concrete deck and steps, and the wrought iron rail are later additions (circa 1930s-960s).

The Wrathall House has an imposing presence. The attic space under the central truncated pyramidal roof is nearly a story-high. The roof is covered in square-butt wood shingles with a small eyebrow dormer above the main entrance. The slender turret roof is higher than the main roof by ten to twelve feet. It is covered with wood in an alternating pattern offish-scale and square-butt shingles, and is capped metal. The octagonal bay has a simple-gable roof. The bay’s gable trim combines paterae within a weave of wood and a base offishscale shingles. Other ornamentation includes both fan-shaped and scroll-shaped brackets with knobs, and a dentilated cornice. The windows are original (the smaller windows are covered in storm windows, date unknown). The larger windows are fixed frame with transoms. The horizontal mullions are notched with a centered paterae. The tall narrow windows are one-over-one, double-hung wood sash. The front door is original with Victorian carved ornamentation. The exterior wood work is painted grey with dark green accents.

The secondary elevations are less elaborate. Several of the narrow windows on these elevations have been shortened or blocked (circa 1940s to 1970s). The north elevation features a second eyebrow dormer and a leaded and colored-glass window, which lights the staircase. There are corbelled brick chimneystacks on the north and south elevations. The south and east elevations are relatively plain and not easily visible due to the mature trees near the house. The circa 1940s addition at the northwest corner is a one-story frame structure covered in shiplap siding on a concrete foundation. The addition has a concrete stoop on the east side. There are doors on the east and west elevations. The east elevation door is half-glass (with multiple panes). The window also is a multi-pane wood sash window. The west door is at grade level.

( This was added to the National Register of Historic Places (#05001629) on February 3, 2006 and is located at 5 North Center Street in Grantsville, Utah )

On the interior, the house has approximately 2,700 square feet of space divided between the two floors. The full-height attic is expansive, but the basement is only 20 percent excavated. Though a central-block house, because it has a square footprint, the interior feels more like a foursquare. The central entrance has a foyer. The semi-open stair is on the north side. It features a ball and spindle balustrade, knobs, brackets, square newel posts, and a curved rail. At the stair landing, the stained glass window glows in colors of rose and gold. With the exception of the stair rail, the woodwork in the foyer has been painted white. The interior doors are all original with hopper window transoms. The door and window casings feature fluted stiles and paterae. The room in the octagonal bay is to the north. The parlor is on the south in the projecting turret tower. The parlor is the most intact room. The oak woodwork is in excellent condition. The room features an elaborate two-tier mantel featuring columns acanthus-leave capitals, a mirror inset, and a tile surround. The tall oak pocket doors lead to a large dining room in the southwest corner of the house. The kitchen is in the northwest corner. The house has a total of thirteen rooms with four bedrooms and a bath on the second floor. The interior was painted and re-papered in the 1950s.

The Wrathall House is on the south half of a 0.84-acre rectangular parcel. A 0.12-acre portion at the corner of Main and Center Streets was divided from the main property and a one-story commercial building (circa 1970s) sits right at the corner. There is a concrete sidewalk leading from Center Street to the main entrance. A wood fence at the rear separates the house from the Main Street property. The landscaping is overgrown and the mature trees near the house obscure views of the secondary elevations. For many years, two 100-year old evergreens obstructed the façade view, but these trees were cut down recently. North of the house is a large field where the outbuildings are located. They include a contributing wood garage with a simple gable roof. This building was built circa 1900 to 1910 and originally may have been an agricultural outbuilding. South and west of this building is a contributing shed or coop (circa 1910), which is partially dilapidated. There is also a non-contributing circa 1980 wood shed. The round metal Butler silo (circa 1950) is a contributing structure. The James and Penninah Wrathall House is in good condition and contributes to the historic resources of
Grantsville, Utah.

The James and Penninah Wrathall House, built in 1898, is significant under National Register Criteria A and C for its association with the development of Grantsville and its contribution to the architectural resources of the rural Utah community. The owners, James and Penninah Wrathall were prominent second-generation members of the community. The property is eligible within the Multiple Property Submission: Historic and Architectural Resources of Grantsville, Utah, 1850-1955. The history of the house spans all of the historic contexts: “Mormon Agricultural Village Period, 1867-1905,” “Impact of Technology and Transportation Period, 1905-1930,” and the “Economic Diversification Period, 1930-1955.” The Wrathall House is architecturally significant as an unusual and well-preserved example of the Victorian style known as Queen Anne. The design shows the influence of design books, particularly in the Queen Anne and Eastlake details, but the execution by local builder, Charles Z. Schaffer, is unique. The imposing residence is a landmark at the corner of Main and Center Streets. The Wrathall House is a contributing historic resource in Grantsville, Utah.

The community of Grantsville was settled on October 10, 1850, three years after the first settlement of the Salt Lake Valley by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church or Mormon Church). After several altercations with the nomadic Native Americans who camped in the area, the Grantsville area was settled and known as Willow Creek. In 1852 a town site was surveyed and in 1853, the town was renamed Grantsville in honor of George D. Grant, who led a company of the territorial militia to protect the settlement. In April of 1890, James L. Wrathall bought Lots 1 & 2 of the Grantsville survey’s Block 3 from fellow Grantsville pioneer John Eastham (1820-1893). At the time a small Victorian cottage was located in the southeast corner of Lot 1. The Wrathall family lived in the cottage while their substantial brick home was construction. The local newspaper pinpointed the construction year in an article dated November 25, 1898, which read: “Bishop Wrathal’s [sic] fine home is nearly completed, all of the latest modern design, and shows the skill and fine machanical [sic] labor of C. Z. Schaffer, the builder.”

James Leishman Wrathall was born in Grantsville on September 22, 1860. He was the son of prominent
Grantsville pioneers, James Wrathall (1828-1896) and Mary Leishman Marston (1822-1871), English
immigrants who came to Utah in 1850. On February 2,1882, James L. Wrathall married Penninah Hunter.
Penninah Susan Hunter was born in Grantsville on January 14, 1862. She was the daughter of Edward Hunter (1821-1892) and Mary Ann Whitesides (1825-1914), who were also English immigrants. James and Penninah had ten children, with the last two born after they moved into their new house.

James Wrathall’s early life was spent herding his father’s cattle and sheep on the plains of Tooele County. He saved and invested, eventually becoming the owner of several large herds of sheep and cattle. He also acquired over 4.000 acres of farm and ranchland. He raised hay and sugar beets. He had a large fruit orchard, which included apples and other small fruits. As a prosperous rancher and farmer, he had numerous business interests: North Willow Irrigation Company, president; Richville Milling Company (flour mill in Tooele), president; Utah-Idaho Sugar Company, stockholder; Consolidated Wagon & Machine Company, stockholder; etc. James Wrathall was a member of the Grantsville City Council. He also served on the Grantsville School Board for thirteen years and on the Tooele County Board of Education for seventeen years. He held numerous leadership positions in the LDS Church, including serving as Grantsville’s bishop between 1890 and 1906. A biographical sketch of James L. Wrathall written in 1919, began: “There is no name perhaps that figures more conspicuously and honorably in connection with the business development of Grantsville and Tooele County than does the name of Wrathall. James L. Wrathall is now extensively engaged in farming in this section of the state and he is also at the head of various important business enterprises which constitute a dominant factor in the general development and progress of the district in which he lives.”

An earlier biographic sketch, noted that “He makes his home in Grantsville, where he erected, in 1898, a
beautiful home of twelve rooms. The house is a two-story brick, and modern in every respect.” According to Lisa Miller, “The Wrathall house was known as one of the most elegant residences in Grantsville. Local
citizens still remember the rosettes that adorned the ceilings in the original parlor and dining room and a grand stairway that features a beautiful stained glass window. The house is also believed to be the first residence in Grantsville to have acquired electricity.” Hazel Johnson, the youngest daughter of James and Penninah, remembers the silverware (which she had to polish every Sunday) and the napkins had the family’s initials on them.

At the age of seventy-three, James L. Wrathall gathered his family around him at home and predicted his death. He died the following day, November 29, 1932. In addition to raising ten children, Penninah Wrathall served in the Relief Society and Primary organizations of the LDS Church. She also served as the president of her local Daughters of Utah Pioneers organization. Penninah Hunter Wrathall died on November 16, 1934.

A portion of the property (Lot 2) had been deeded to a son, Morris Y. Wrathall, in 1931. After Penninah’s
death, the remainder went to Irene Wrathall Page in 1936. Irene Page was listed as living with her parents on the 1930 census enumeration. Irene was born on February 13, 1890 in Grantsville. She married George W. Page in 1918. He died in 1936. It is not known how long Irene lived in the house, but she did rent it out for a few years. In 1944, she sold the property to her sister, Hazel Wrathall Johnson. Irene Page died in Missouri on April 5, 1973. Hazel Wrathall was born on July 18, 1905, the youngest child of James and Penninah. She married Milan Johnson on November 17, 1921. Milan “Mike” C. Johnson was born on October 5, 1903, in Grantsville. They had eight children. The Johnsons remodeled the house and restored portions of the downstairs in the 1950s. They lived in the home until their deaths. He died on September 22, 1978, and she died on August 24,1993. In 1994, ownership was transferred to their daughter, Janice Johnson Sommerfeld, and her husband Sigmund Sommerfeld, who are the current owners.

The Wrathall House is architecturally significant as an imposing and unique adaptation of the Queen Anne style. The Queen Anne style was popularized by the 19th century British architect, Richard Norman Shaw. It was the most picturesque of the various Victorian Eclectic style popular in America in the late 19th century. Variations of the style were popular in Utah between 1884 and 1905. Residential examples are characterized by their asymmetrical façade, irregular plans, and variety in materials. The most common house type for Queen Anne residences was the central block with projecting bays. The Wrathall House is an unusual example: it appears as a block mass (almost a foursquare) flanked by a turret and an octagonal bay. The house includes a variety of juxtaposed materials: rough-faced and smooth stone, brick, wood shingles and other ornamentation. The Eastlake-style porch was adapted from a style book written and illustrated by English architect, Charles Locke Eastlake. Most Eastlake homes were constructed entirely of wood frame and shingle, and lacked the variety of materials of the Queen Anne style. The Eastlake style was popular in Utah between 1880 and 1900, but because Utah builders preferred brick, there are very few pure examples of the style. In Utah, as in the case of the Wrathall House, the Eastlake style is most often found on porches and decorative gable cornices in combination with Queen Anne and other Victorian Eclectic styles.

The builder of the Wrathall House was Charles Zephaniah Shaffer. 8 He was born in Pennsylvania on May 13, 1843. He was living in Grantsville at the time of his marriage to Ellen Barrus in 1895. He was listed as a
“carpenter” in a 1900 business gazetteer. Charles Z. Shaffer is also known to have built the Alex and Mary
Alice Johnson House at 5 West Main Street in Grantsville, listed on the National Register on December 13, 1995. The Johnson House was built in 1900, two years after the Wrathall House. Shaffer had probably gained confidence as a builder with his work on the Wrathall House. The Johnson House is a more exuberant expressive of the builder’s skill with extended bays and elaborate wrapping Eastlake porches, but it is also more typical than the Wrathall House. The Alex and Mary Alice Johnson House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. It is not known whether Shaffer was responsible for other Queen Anne homes in the Grantsville area.9 Charles Z. Shaffer died in Grantsville on August 29,1904.

The Lincoln Highway

15 Thursday Dec 2022

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The Lincoln Highway
America’s First Coast-to-Coast Automobile Highway

The Lincoln Highway was established in 1913 when a group of businessmen involved in the automobile industry decided to sponsor and promote a transcontinental highway for automobile traffic.

They organized the Lincoln Highway Association and dedicated their proposed highway to the memory of President Abraham Lincoln. On September 10, 1913, the route of the highway was announced, and the general public was invited to become members of the association. Contributions to help finance the improvement of the highway were solicited from businesses and private citizens.

The route that was chosen for the Lincoln Highway went from New York City to San Francisco, following the straightest line that was possible. In the beginning, the route was laid out along already existing roads, but an important part of the plan was that these roads would be improved and the route shortened wherever possible.

A major goal of the Lincoln Highway Association was to persuade local, state, and the federal government to get involved in the improvement and construction of automobile roads and highways. The Association wanted the Lincoln Highway to be a model for the building of roads throughout the United States. By 1928 they felt that for the most part they had achieved their goals, and it was decided to dissolve the association. But the Lincoln Highway lives on. Although most of the original highway has been replaced by modern roads such as US Highway 30, US 40, and Interstate 80, many sections of the Lincoln Highway are still being used today.

In western Utah, the original 1913 route of the Lincoln Highway came through the city of Grantsville, then continued west through Skull Valley, Fish Springs, Callao, and Ibapah. In 1919, construction projects at Johnson Pass in the Stansbury Mountains and on the mud flats west of Granite Peak were completed, and the route was changed to go through Tooele and Gold Hill, which shortened the route by about 50 miles. Grantsville was dropped from the route. But another change came in 1927. For several years, the state of Utah had been working on a road across the Great Salt Lake Desert to Wendover, a small town on the Nevada border. This project was completed in 1925, and two years later, the Lincoln Highway Association made the decision to incorporate this new road into its official route. Grantsville was on the Lincoln Highway again.

This is Sons of Utah Pioneers historic marker #178, located at Lincoln Park, 550 West Clark Street in Grantsville, Utah

Alex and Mary Alice Johnson House

15 Saturday Oct 2022

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Alex and Mary Alice Johnson House

The Alex and Mary Alice Johnson House is located at the corner of Main Street and Hale Street in Grantsville. It is a one-and-one-half story brick home in the Queen Anne style built in 1900. The plan of the main floor gives the impression of a cross-wing house with a square tower at the intersection of the wings. However, more substantial than a typical cross-wing, it may also be considered a modified central-block with projecting bays. The house is on a one-half acre property with three outbuildings that retain their historic integrity but do not contribute to the historic significance of the house.

The house sits on a coursed rubble foundation. The masonry consists of two types of brick. It is faced with a fired red brick and lined with adobe. The courses are laid in a running bond with 4″ projections at the corners of the octagonal bays. The lintels, sills, and water table are of sandstone. The main floor fenestration is a combination of large fixed sash windows with transoms and smaller double-hung windows. There are paired double-hung windows in each of the four gable ends and the two small dormers. The tower has round arched windows, brick voussoirs, and decorative brick-work at the imposts. The tower’s pyramidal roof is capped with a metal finial.

Probably the most striking part of the house is the decorative woodwork, which according to one source, has always been painted white. 1 The gable trim includes octagonal shingling with lozenge patternwork in the peak. Engaged pilasters with bracket “capitals” flank the windows. Similar details occur on the dormers. Dentils are found on the main cornice completely surrounding the house, as well as on the tower cornice. Corner brackets with lathe-turned spools and spindles occur at either side of the bays. The north and east porches are particularly elaborate. Each consists of lathe-turned columns and console brackets which support a spool and spindle frieze. Other decorative elements on the porches include dentils, fan-shaped brackets, pendants, and paterae. Scroll-cut woodwork is found on the balustrades and the base enclosure.

The principle elevations of the building have remained virtually unaltered since its construction. Minor alterations have been made to the rear, or south elevation, and concrete steps have been added to the east porch. A porch which spanned the length of the rear elevation was enclosed probably within a decade of the original construction. The east half of the porch was screened and the west half was fully enclosed to form a room. A doorway was cut from the main house to this room. In the 1950s, both the room and the screened porch were removed. They were replaced by a concrete porch supported by simple metal columns. Two other changes occurred in 1993: the cellar stair enclosure on the west elevation was repaired and the mid-century asphalt roof was replaced with wood shingles.

( This was added to the National Register of Historic Places (#95001433) on December 13, 1995 and is located at 5 West Main Street in Grantsville, Utah )

The interior of the house consists of several large well-lighted rooms with eleven-foot high ceilings. A small entrance foyer is at the base of the tower and contains separate doors to the dining room and parlor. The two rooms are also connected by a set of double doors. A large kitchen runs the east length of the house, with an enclosed staircase parallel to it. A second set of cellar stairs is found under the main staircase. The west side is separated into two smaller rooms: one was probably used as a bedroom, while the other was the family bathroom (the house was reportedly one of the first to have indoor plumbing in Grantsville). On the second floor there are four bedrooms, a nursery and a small office in the tower. The attic can be accessed from a trap door near the stairs.

Except for some changes in wallpaper and paint, the interior is in good historic condition. Some woodwork has been painted, however, most of the panelled doors, window casings, and other
woodwork are stained and varnished. With one exception, both interior and exterior doors have working hopper transoms and all original hardware. Decorative elements at the doors and windows include corner blocks and paterae. Most of the glass appears to be original.

The house has a full fireplace in the parlor and stove-pipe flues in the kitchen and main floor bedroom. The parlor boasts a tall mirrored mantel with Ionic columns and a carved festoon/wreath. The interior is remarkably well-preserved. In the 1950s the kitchen was partitioned to create a laundry room and new appliances were added. There was also some work done to the kitchen in the 1970s. However, the original wainscotting is still visible on two sides of the room and only the lattice at the top of the partition seems out of period. The bathroom also contains fixtures from the 1950s remodel and includes the blocked door to the missing back room. Other than paint, wallpaper and new flooring, the second floor has seen little modification since a second bathroom was added in the 1950s. The house is still heated by its original boiler and radiators.

The site has three outbuildings which were used by the original household. The small pumphouse at the rear most likely dates to the original construction and supplied water to the house. A small chicken pen has been added to the pumphouse. In the southwest corner of the property sits a large framed three-car garage, built sometime after 1910. The garage also includes a room originally used as an icehouse. A two-story frame summerhouse sits west of the house, and was probably built after the garage (around 1915-1920). The main floor of this building served as a laundry and the upper floor was used for bedrooms. This building has been partially covered with aluminum siding and is currently rented as a residence. An L-shaped asphalt driveway covers a large portion of the property, but the remainder consists of trees, lawns, and flower beds. A rock garden and fountain have been built near the east porch. Sidewalks run from the perimeter to the north and east porches. The property has a combination of picket, post, and chain-link fences.

The Alex and Mary Alice Johnson House, built in 1900, is an excellent example of the Victorian Queen Anne style. This style of architecture documents an important period of growth in Utah. The design, though executed by a local builder influenced by pattern-books, combines a remarkable unity of composition with elaborate decoration. With its prominent position on Main Street, the Johnson House is one of the most distinctive architectural landmarks of Grantsville. Both the exterior and interior details of the home have been extraordinarily well-preserved. The house meets National Register Criterion C in the area of Architecture as the most outstanding example of a Queen Anne house in the community.

Alexander Johnson began construction on the home in 1899, just after his marriage to Mary Alice Anderson. Both were natives of Grantsville, born in 1870 and 1878 respectively. His parents were Charles Johnson and Charlotte Erickson, Swedish immigrants to Grantsville in 1863. Her parents were John Anderson and Mary Ann Clark. Alex and May built their house on the property was just south and across Main Street from the Deseret Mercantile (Johnson Hall) built in 1898, where Alex was engaged in the family business with his father and brothers. During his lifetime Alex also raised sheep, cattle, and horses. A successful businessman, he served as the director of the Grantsville Deseret Bank. He and his wife Alice were both members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) and served the community in both church and civic positions.

The builder of the Johnson House was Charles Zephaniah Shaffer. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1842, listed as a carpenter in the 1900 business gazetteer, and died in 1904. Shaffer also constructed a Queen Anne home at 5 North Center Street. It is not known whether he was responsible for other Queen Anne homes in the Grantsville area. 2 The Johnson house contains all the characteristics of the style: an asymmetrical plan and façade, a variety of materials and textures, decorative shingling and brick, elaborate woodwork, and a tower.

Great care was taken in the construction of the house. According to Mildred J. Conway, a
daughter of Alex and Mary Alice, each red brick, imported from California, came individually
wrapped in paper. When completed in 1900 at a cost of $4,500, the home was one of the most elegant and modern (with its indoor plumbing) in the community. The ornate mantelpiece cost $75.

Alex and Mary Alice Johnson raised ten children in the home. In addition, they also took in Alex’s three nephews and a niece, who had been orphaned. The already spacious home was augmented by the building of the summerhouse, c.1920. The three-car garage was reportedly built for the four Model-T Fords the Johnsons acquired to transport their large family. Alex’s mother also lived with them and a room was built on the back porch for her. The home was literally at the center of community life in Grantsville. From his office at home in the second floor tower, Alex could view his mercantile business just across the street, known as Johnson Hall, and also used as at various times as the town’s bank, post office, and dance hall.

During the depression, with most of their children grown, Alex and Mary Alice took in boarders. Throughout the thirties and forties, the house was called the Lone Pine Tourist Home after the large pine tree in the front yard. Its distinctive architecture, its proximity to the Lincoln Highway, and a scarcity of housing near the Tooele Army Depot insured the lodge never lacked tenants.

Alex died in 1943 and Mary Alice in 1952. The Johnson’s daughter, Mildred J. Conway, moved into the house after her mother died. The few alterations which have made to the house were done while Mildred was the owner. She lived in the house until 1989 and died in 1991. In November of 1989, the house was sold to Grantsville natives, Gary and Janet Fawson. The Fawsons only lived in the house one month before moving to California. It was then used as a rental property. It was sold to Francis and Betty Menalis in October 1992. Betty had seen the house several years earlier and was determined to purchase it if ever it became available. She and her husband are committed to preserving and restoring the original appearance of the house, including re-roofing the house in 1993 with wood shingles. Betty has also been able to purchase some of the original furnishings and return them to the house.

Despite its use as a boarding house and a rental property, the Alex and Mary Alice Johnson house is in excellent condition and retains its historic integrity. This is due in part to its remaining in the same family for eighty-nine years, as well as the appreciation of subsequent owners of the artistic value of the architecture.

The Victorian Queen Anne style is reflective of changes that occurred in Utah near the turn of the century. The architecture in Utah was founded in American building traditions and the early builders had been, for the most part, isolated from the secular influences of much of the country and used established methods brought with them from their homes of origin. As Utah grew and became more integrated with non-Mormons, the architectural styles that were made popular through pattern books were readily available to Utah builders. The building boom of the 1880s and 1890s corresponded with the growth of the non-Mormon population in Utah and brought with it the opportunity to bring in new building traditions such as those published in the style books, popular in Utah during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. With the introduction of plan books, “the former isolation of rural areas was no longer an obstacle to building due to the widespread dissemination of information and building materials.” Plan book Victorian stylistic features were based upon the use of multiple forms and elements and were probably influential in building the uniquely stylized, eclectic, Alex and Mary Johnson residence. The Queen Anne style is one of the most picturesque of the late-nineteenth-century styles and became the most popular style of the period in America. It was popular in Utah between 1885-1905.

Grantsville First Ward Chapel

30 Thursday Jun 2022

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The Grantsville Meetinghouse constructed in 1865-66 is locally significant as one of a limited number of early LDS meetinghouses still standing that was built in the traditional style of early church buildings, based on the Greek Revival temple form, and in traditional building materials, adobe that was plastered over. It is particularly unusual among early meetinghouses in that the vestry was attached at the rear of the building and not on the front as was most common. The building served as a center for religious and community activities in the early days of Grantsville and is a reminder of the importance of the church in all aspects of pioneer life. A 1952 addition is not included in the historic register nomination.

The Grantsville First Ward Meetinghouse is located at 297 West Clark Street in Grantsville, Utah and was added to the National Register of Historic Places (#82004165) on February 11, 1982.

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In 1848, Thomas Ricks and Ira Will-is built the first structure on what is present day Clark Street in Grantsville. The building was a herd house used by the two men who were herding stock for Brigham Young and Bishop Edwin D. Wooley.

On October 10, 1850, Joseph McBride, Harrison Severe and their families arrived and established Willow Creek. In March of 1851, the families moved across the valley and resided in the settlement of Pine Canyon. The reason for this move was for protection against the Indians in the area who had been raiding cattle from the white settlers. In December of that year, McBrides, Severes, and five other families returned to establish a permanent settlement. It was at this time that the first “branch” of the IDS Church was established at Grantsville. In 1852, the townsite was surveyed by Jesse W. Fox under the direction of Colonel George W. Grant, an officer in the Nauvoo Legion. Grant had been chosed by Brigham Young to help the Saints protect themselves against the Indians in the area. In 1853, the town was renamed “Grantsville” in honor of Col. Grant.

In March, 1854, Elder Wilford Woodruff called for more volunteers to help settle the area. This call took place at a conference of the church held in the tabernacle in Salt Lake City. In 1853, a fort was begun and by fall of 1854, it was nearly completed. The fort wall had a five foot thick base that gradually narrowed to an eighteen inch thickness at the top. The wall was twelve feet high. It was during this period of time that the first meetinghouse was built. The log structure had a dirt floor and was approximately 20′ x 16′. The building served as the hub of community life. It was located in the area west of the chapel that is now Cooley Street. In 1865, plans were made for a new meetinghouse. The building was to be located within the fort walls. The building would be made of adobe bricks and the clay for these bricks came from the pits located a quarter mile north of the building.

In July of 1865, construction of the building began under the direction of Hugh Alexander Ross Gillespie, a native of Scotland who had come to Tooele in 1853. Gillespie is also responsible for building some of the structures at Camp Floyd and bad come to Utah to work on the Salt Lake City Temple. The building was completed in June of 1866 at a reported cost of $10,000. The building was 60 feet in length and 38 feet wide, with a vestry located on tbe back of the building that was 22 feet by 18 feet. The “Presiding Elder” of the Grantsville Branch at the time of construction was Thomas H. Clark.

Dedicatory services for the building were held July 14, 1866. Those attending the services included Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff, George Albert Smith, and Franklin D. Richard, with the dedicatory prayer being offered by George Q. Cannon. At these services, Brigham Young blessed the Saints and requested that there should be not dancing in the new meetinghouse. Members of the community are proud of the fact that every man who is or has been president of the LDS Church, has spoken in this building with the exception of Joseph Smith.

In 1877, the Grantsville Ward was established and William Jefferies became the first bishop of Grantsville. During these early years, the church continued to serve as the hub of the community, as did the log structures in the 1850s and early 1860s. The meetinghouse was the center of social and community life, as well as religious life. By the early part of the Twentieth century. Grantsville had grown to the point that the ward was divided and the Grantsville Second Ward was established. This took place in 1914. It was at this time that the Second Ward Meetinghouse was built on Main Street. This building was recently demolished (1980). The addition on the eastern end of the First Ward building was added in 1952 to provide classroom space. The meetinghouse was used until 1978, when a new building was built. After the move to the new building, discussion as to the use of this building took place. Plans included demolition at one point. There was also speculation about the city buying it. When the city decided not to buy the building, Tate Mortuary of Tooele purchased the building. In the future, the building will be used for viewings and funeral services.

The Grantsville Ward Meetinghouse is a one story, gable roof, rectangular structure whose style is derived from the Greek Revival temple form. It is situated gable end to the street. Classical elements include a boxed cornice with returns on the gable ends, and quoins. The pattern of the quoins is repeated around the door which is centered on the facade.

The meetinghouse was constructed of adobe, and then stuccoed. The thickness of the walls exceeds two feet. Wood shingles have been replaced by asphalt shingles on the roof. A vestry was added to the rear of meetinghouse. It has a gable roof and a cornice similar to the meetinghouse.

The façade is symmetrical, the door centered between two windows. Above the door is a medallion on which is printed, “LDS Chapel, First Ward, 1866.” All the windows on the meetinghouse and vestry are the double hung sash type, and those on the meetinghouse have a transom over them.

The main assembly room has undergone extensive remodeling. The choir loft was removed to make way for a bigger rostrum area. In 1952 a complex of classrooms and other auxiliary rooms was added to the east of the chapel, it detracts only slightly fromthe original integrity of the building and is not included as part of the nomination.

Grantsville Fort

23 Thursday Jun 2022

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Grantsville Fort

This monument marks the site of the Grantsville Fort built in1853 as protection against the Indians. The fort was thirty rods square with walls twelve feet high five feet thick at the base ad eighteen inches thick at the top. The north wall was one hundred forty three feet north of this point.

About fifty people lived inside the fort during the early settlement of the town of Grantsville, which was named in honor of George D. Grant, one of its pioneers.

This historic marker is located at the Grantsville First Ward Chapel at 297 West Clark Street in Grantsville, Utah. It was erected July 24, 1934 by the Grantsville Chapter of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers and by the Utah Pioneer Trails and Landmarks Association.

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Hilda Anderson Erickson

28 Saturday May 2022

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Hilda Anderson Erickson

Hilda Anderson Erickson, born in Ledsjö, Sweden October 11, 1859 was the last surviving immigrant pioneer. In 1866 at the age of 6 she crossed the plains with her family in the Abner Lowry Company. She married John A. Erickson in the Endowment House in 1882. Soon after the couple was called to serve an LDS mission among the Goshute Indians in Ibapah, Utah. Later the couple homesteaded the “Last Chance Ranch” with their son Perry and daughter, Amy.

A talented seamstress, tailor, and licensed obstetric, Hilda was known as the “Doctor” to many expectant mothers. After the ranch was sold Hilda opened a store in Grantsville which she operated for 21 years. She drove her own car until she was 94 and at 99 flew to Nauvoo, Ill. to be honored by the Centennial Commission of Utah. Her return flight was the first passenger jet airplane to land at the Salt Lake Airport. She passed away in Jan. 1968 at the age of 108.

Kate B. Carter in Our Pioneer Heritage said of Hilda, “Probably no woman in our state has lived a more energetic life.”

This monument to a grand lady was erected by the Sons of Utah Pioneers to honor all Utah pioneers.

Sculptor Peter M. Fillerup

Note: President James E. Faust dedicated this statue that stands in front of the Grantsville City Hall, on June 7, 1997. Hilda Anderson Erickson was the last survivor of 80,000 pioneers who crossed the plains prior to 1869 by handcart or wagon.

This is Sons of Utah Pioneers marker #69, located at 429 East Main Street in Grantsville, Utah

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Grantsville, Utah

29 Tuesday Nov 2016

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Grantsville was first known by the name Twenty Wells, due to the many sweetwater artesian springs in the area. It was first settled in 1848 as a seasonal livestock grazing site for stock owners in Salt Lake City. The first permanent settlers arrived in 1850 to establish one of Brigham Young’s more than 350 Mormon colonies throughout Utah Territory. By then, the fortified town was known as Willow Creek. Three years later, with almost 30 families living in the settlement, it was renamed Grantsville in honor of George D. Grant, the leader of a detachment of the Nauvoo Legion militia sent to control hostile Native Americans in the Tooele Valley. Grant is also known for leading a group to rescue members of the Martin Handcart Company. The later years of the decade brought many hardships to Grantsville’s citizens, including drought, grasshopper infestations, and the settlement’s temporary abandonment in advance of the arrival of Johnston’s Army. Ironically, the arrival of the army and its construction of Camp Floyd in nearby Cedar Valley ended up greatly benefiting Grantsville’s settlers as they were then able to trade with the army for many needed provisions. By the end of the next decade, the 1860s, Grantsville had become a largely self-sufficient oasis of orchards and shade trees at the edge of the Territory’s western deserts. Brigham Young himself visited Grantsville on several occasions, both officially and unofficially, and dedicated the first permanent church building in 1866. The building stands today, though it is no longer owned by the Church. The Lincoln Highway passed through the city in 1925 after it was realigned to the north, spurring business along Main Street.

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