Alfred Harper built this house in 1876 of honeycombed limestone quarried from nearby American Fork Canyon. It is said that he traded his homegrown vegetables and flowers for the rock. Before the building was completed, Harper had to leave his family and home to serve a three-year mission in New Zealand for the LDS church. On his return he finished the house and planted vines he’d brought from New Zealand. The vines eventually grew to surround the building.
Locals called it “The Big House,” and it became a gathering place for community and church activities.
One of the most notable features of the property was a well, complete with bucket and dipper, that passers-by were welcome to use to quench their thirst. Church-goers, children, and even the occasional tramp made good use of the clear, cold water.
In 1987, the Harper House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the nation’s official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. The register recognizes the accomplishments of all peoples who have contributed to the history and heritage of the United States.
Located at 277 East 300 North in Provo is the John J. and Emily Craner House.
Constructed in or around 1906, this one-and-a-half story Victorian style home is build of light yellow brick and has a rubble stone foundation. The structure is a central black form with a projecting gabled bay on the front and each side. A single story kitchen extends from the back of the house.
The original owners of this home, John J. and Emily Craner, sold the house to J. Marinus Jensen in 1912. Jensen was the first principal of Provo’s Maeser School, and was later principal of the Franklin School. At the time he purchased the home, he was and English professor at Brigham Young University. He is perhaps best remembered as the author of History of Provo Utah, issued in 1924. It was the city’s first published history.
Joseph Jensen (JJ) Keeler, a grandson of the Jensens, was born in this home in 1913. He became a prominent musician, studying organ in Germany and England before forming the organ department at BYU, which he led for 40 years. Keeler and Jensen collaborated on several pieces of music. One latter-day saint hymn, “Men Are That They Might Have Joy,” features words by Jensen and music by Keeler.
One of the oldest homes in Utah, the Johnson/Hansen at 485 E 400 S in Provo is a historic property consists of a c.1870 log cabin, c.1876 brick house, and c. 1938 garage. Niels and Josephine Johnson lived in the log cabin while they were building the Victorian Eclectic style brick house.
The property was sold c.1937 to Ray Hansen who placed the log cabin between the brick house and a “modern” garage. He used the cabin as his gunsmith shop for half a century. Hansen was simultaneously preserving the community’s pioneer heritage and acknowledging the realities of a more contemporary lifestyle. Because most original dwellings were replaced and removed as property was developed, the Johnson/Hansen historic property is one of the few enduring examples illustrating the evolution of Utah housing.
Located at 190 South 200 West in Springville is the William H. and Sarah D. Meneray House, it is a Late Victorian house built in c.1885. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
The c.1885 William H. and Sarah D. Meneray House is significant in the broad patterns of Springville history as an example of the larger, more substantially constructed homes built in Springville during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As detailed in the “Historic Resources of Springville City” Multiple Property Submittal, these buildings reflect the growing prosperity and sophistication that the arrival of the transcontinental railroad (in 1869) and other links to communities outside Utah brought to Springville. The first owners of the home, William Meneray, an employee of the Packard Brothers General Store and Sarah D. Meneray, the daughter one of Springville’s most successful businessmen, were able to build a home commensurate with their station in the community. In contrast to Springville’s early buildings, which were simple, utilitarian buildings most often constructed of locally produced materials, the Meneray house was constructed of fired brick, with a combination of Classical and Victorian Eclectic stylistic features. Contact with the outside world brought awareness of popular architectural styles, such as the new eclectic Victorian styles exhibited on the Meneray House, to Springville. Buildings such as the Meneray House were the result of such awareness.
For a number of years around the turn of the century, William H. Meneray was connected with the Packard Brothers & Co. general store, which was managed by his father-in-law Milan Packard. William also may have been involved in mining for a time, and is said to have been a railroad man and pharmacist of nineteenth century Springville. He was married to Sarah D. Packard, daughter of Milan Packard, one of the most prominent men in Springville at the time. William’s varied occupations can be explained somewhat by his business connections with his father-in-law. In addition to his mercantile, Milan Packard had interests in wagon freighting, mining, and railroad contracting, among other ventures.
In 1927, the Menerays sold 190 South 200 West to their son, W.H. Meneray, Jr. Historical records reveal little of the younger Meneray, other than that he was employed as a railroad conductor c.1911. He and his wife, Myrtle, sold the home in 1941 to Jesse Oliver Reynolds and his wife, Ella.
Born in Springville in 1875, Jesse Reynolds was a son of Joseph D. and Elizabeth Taylor Reynolds. A prominent Springville merchant, he began his career working for the H.T. Reynolds Co. store (operated by his brother, H.T. Reynolds, Sr.) as manager of one of its departments. In 1925, he established his own clothing store, J.O. Reynolds Co., at 290 South Main Street in Springville. Jesse operated the business until retiring In 1941. At that time he and Ella bought 190 South 200 West, which they subsequently remodeled into two apartments (c.1930). In this renovation, the one-story Victorian porch was replaced with the two-story classical pedimented porch seen on the house today. This resulted in giving the house a more classical, though eclectic, feel. While operating 190 South 200 West as a rental property, Jesse and Ella Reynolds continued to reside at their own home at 190 South 200 East in Springville, which they had purchased in 1902.
Jesse died in 1946. In 1960, Ella sold 190 South 200 West to Francis H. Bradley, a foreman for Thorne Construction, and his wife, Violet. They evidently rented out 190 South 200 West while residing nearby at 250 West 200 South. City directories show 190 South 200 West as occupied by tenants Russell A. Williams and David L. Gabbitas c.1965, and Linda K. Pearson and Jim Winters c. 1977. Violet Bradley sold the house to Reed K. and Deanna T. Jessee in 1983, who had resided in the home for a few years before purchasing it. The Jessees have renovated the house, turning it back into a single family home.
Located at 518 North 100 East in Lehi, Utah is the John Y. and Emerette C. Smith House, built in 1903. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
It was home during 1903 to 1911 of John Y. Smith, “a significant businessman, civic leader, and Utah State Senator”.
At 388 North 200 East in Lehi, Utah is the Thomas and Mary Webb House, built of fired brick in 1903. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
Built in 1907 or 1896 (I’ve seen different sources). It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
It was home of James Gardner, whose experience sugar refining from sugar cane in Hawaii, who first successfully boiled sugar from sugar beets in Utah in 1891, working for the Utah Sugar Company.
Located at 80 West 400 North in Lehi is the Samuel I. and Olena J. Goodwin House, built in 1907. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
The Dr. Elmo and Rhea Eddington House at 617 North 100 East in Lehi, Utah was built in 1932. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1998.
According to its NRHP nomination, it is “one of only 42 Period Revival buildings” in Lehi, in a study.
The Thomas R. Cutler Mansion at 150 E. State St. in Lehi, Utah, United States, was built in 1900. It was possibly designed by architect Walter Ware. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
It is “historically significant as the home of Thomas R. Cutler, a prominent Utah businessman” and “[a]rchitecturally, the house is significant as one of a very limited number of Colonial Revival boxes in Utah, and as the only documented extant example of the type in a small town in Utah.”
