The Mortensen/Nelson House, constructed c. 1885, with a c. 1898 addition, is significant under Criterion C. The style and type of construction of the earlier portion of the house is representative of the time period not only in Moroni, but also throughout Sanpete County when local architecture evolved from previously used classical/vernacular styles to the more popular national styles. This evolution was stimulated both by the arrival of the railroad to Moroni, allowing greater access to building materials, and the increasing prosperity brought to the entire county by the booming sheep industry. Earlier architecture in Moroni reflects the simplicity imposed by limited materials and meager incomes. In the Mortensen / Nelson House’s original inception as a classical hall-parlor type, great attention was paid to architectural details such as Flemish bond brickwork, high-pitched roofs, inlaid stone, bull-nose brick, and ornate cornice brackets. The Gothic Revival details combined with the classical hall-parlor form represent the evolution from early classical and Picturesque to the popular styles found outside of the territory of Utah. The addition and remodeling of the original house c. 1898 is representative of the widespread rebuilding of Sanpete Valley during the period of roughly 1890-1910. There was, in Moroni during this affluent era, a great deal of construction of new housing in the Victorian style, but the majority of the activity was seen in the remodeling of existing homes in the Victorian style. While there remain in Moroni many of the houses constructed during this time period, there are few homes left which represent the more common approach of updating existing houses to the then popular Victorian style. This home is a fine example of both the local evolution to more popular national styles and the rebuilding of the Sanpete Valley.

Related Posts:

• Moroni, Utah
• NRHP # 03000632

Else Mortensen Arnoldsen

Part of the 1870 land grant to Moroni City, this lot in block 13, plat “A” was deeded to Lars Arnoldsen in January of 1870 along with a larger lot in block 12. The lot was deeded to his first wife, Else Mortensen in November 1884 as a result of their divorce. Else Mortensen was born in 1823 in Maribo County, Denmark. At the age of 25 she married her sister’s husband, Christian Brodersen, her sister having died the previous year leaving three small children. Else had two additional children by Christian. In 1854 they became converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and as with many converts, immigrated to Utah. They crossed the plains of the United States in the Christian Christiansen handcart company in 1857.

Within a year of their arrival in Utah, Else and Christian separated and Else married Lars Arnoldsen. Lars was a native of the same county in Denmark and traveled to Utah in the same handcart company. The Lars and Else, along with Else’s two children, settled in the small town of Fountain Green in Sanpete County. Four more children were born in Fountain Green where they resided until 1865 when all the inhabitants of Fountain Green evacuated to the fort at Moroni. A fifth child was born in 1866 in Moroni.

After the fort was disbanded in 1872, the Arnoldsens remained in Moroni, having acquired (for the sum of $21.75) three acres in two town lots and seven acres of farmland. At this same time, Lars took a second wife in polygamy, Mary Ann Nielsen, by whom he had four children. According to the 1880 Federal Census of Moroni Precinct, Lars and both of his wives, with their children were all living in the same house. Only two of Else’s children were listed, however, as the oldest, Lars had left home, and two children, a son, 17, and a daughter, 15, had both died the previous year.

In 1884 Else and Lars divorced. In the settlement dated November 10th, she received (under the name of Else Mortensen) lot 1 of Block 13 and about 5 acres of farmland. This land was to revert to her three sons upon her death. After the construction of this home Else lived just six more years, dying in November of 1891 .The home was sold by her sons to Ephraim Nelson for $700 in March of 1892.

Ephraim Nelson

Ephraim Nelson, who purchased the home in 1892, was born 1865 in Moroni to Jens C. and Anne M. Nielsen. Shortly after his marriage in 1884 to Kjersten Jensen, the couple moved to Nephi to work in gristmill owned by her father. They moved several times over the next eight years, trying farming in Deseret for a time, but moved back to Nephi again to work in the gristmill.

In 1892, tired of moving from place to place, the Nelsons moved back to Moroni to go into the sheep business with Ephraim’s brother, Joseph. The Nelsons purchased the subject house from the sons of Else Mortensen.
The first seven years in this house saw the size of the Nelson family double from four children to eight. A large addition, which included a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and laundry room, was built on the back of the house and the original portion of the house was modified to unify the architecture of the building.

In the family photograph taken in front of the house in the summer of 1900, the alterations the Nelsons made to the house are more clearly visible in the shading of the newer brick infill. Two small windows in the center cross-gable on the front of the house were replaced with a door, and there appear to be alterations to the doors and windows on the main level as well, perhaps adding the raised segmental arches to match those in the addition.

Ephraim served two missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one to the Northern States in 1900, the other to California in 1905. The Nelsons also had four more children, making twelve in all. Ephraim Nelson bought a small farm in Freedom in 1905, leaving his 18-year-old son, Ray in charge of the Moroni property.

Other Homeowners

Ray Nelson purchased the house in Moroni from his father in 1918, but sold it the following year to Martin and Delena Stevens. In the early 1920s the Stevens added a large front porch and converted the side porch to living space, both of which have been removed during the current restoration. In April of 1924 Martin Stevens was gored by a bull in the corral just west of the house. He died as a result of his injuries leaving Delena to raise their small children alone. Inl964 Mrs. Stevens subdivided the lot, deeding the west half to her son, Nevert, where he built a home. The east half was also deeded to Nevert at this time, but Delena continued to live in the home until her shortly before her death in 1992. The house remained vacant for several years and the tax file on the property contains a note dated November 4, 1996. “Nevert Stevens came in. Several people have looked at, but can’t sell the residence. Will likely demolish.” The home was sold to McKay and Pamela Platt in June 2000, who are currently restoring the home.

The Jabez Faux Home is significant as an excellent example of one of the first brick pioneer homes constructed in the Sanpete Valley. It is also important as the home of one of the community’s leaders of Moroni.

Jabez Faux was born in Yorkshire, England, March 16, 1837. He learned the trade of a fitter in a machine shop before joining the Mormon Church and emigrating to Utah with the Daniel Robinson Handcart Company in 1860, Shortly after his arrival in Utah, he settled in Moroni which had been established two years earlier in 1858. In Moroni he first built a dugout then a log cabin and finally the brick home in which he lived for over fifty-five years. Mr. Faux worked as a blacksmith for a short time after his arrival in Moroni before turning his attention to farming. He was director of the Moroni Cooperative Mercantile Institution established in 1868 as part of the Mormon Church effort to maintain economic independence in light of threats from the soon to be completed transcontinental railroad and non-Mormon merchants. Because of his long association with the Moroni Co-op, the store was closed in honor of Mr. Faux during his funeral in 1923. In addition to his economic pursuits, Jabez Faux filled many church .and civic positions including Sunday School Superintendent in the Moroni Ward for twenty years, Ward Clerk, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Moroni City Library and Literary Association. After Mr. Faux f s death in 1923, the home passed to members of his family but by 1950 was abandoned and remained unoccupied until 1970 when the Wilsford Clark Family purchased and renovated the home.

The Jabez Faux home is significant architecturally as the oldest known kiln-fired brick structure in its region. History leaves no evidence of the early brick-making industry in Moroni but the brick for the Faux home was probably manufactured locally inasmuch as the railroad did not come to the area until 1874 and transporting brick by freight wagon from northern counties was impractical, especially in light of the on-going Black Hawk War. It may have been the war itself that hastened the development of kilnfired brick, a building material much superior in its permanence to the adobe and wood then being used. Due to the active Black Hawk War, most pioneers in Moroni still lived in the fort. Jabez Faux may have felt the only way to reduce the risk of living outside the fort was to construct a sturdy home of the most permanent materials possible. A brick home built in 1867-68 was a significant advancement in technology for the Sanpete Valley region and nearly corresponded with the introduction of commercial-grade brick in Utah and Salt Lake Counties in 1863-64.

At a time when most homes were at best 1 1/2 stories in height, the 2 story “I-form” Faux residence was also advanced in its structure. While the 2/2 hall-parlor plan was not uncommon by the 1870’s, houses of two full stories and segmented arches in door and window bays were rare, just being introduced. The simple paired brackets and frieze, and scalloped bargeboards may have also found their precedent for the Moroni area in the Faux home. A feature which is definitely unique is the wall construction of the first story. There are seven courses of stone up to and including the course in which the sill stones are set. The remainder of the superstructure is brick. We can only speculate as to the reason stone was discontinued in favor of brick at the sill level. Fresh from England, Jabez Faux demonstrated a desire for residential refinement at an early period of colonial development and helped bring to an end the vernacular style which had previously pervaded the entirety of pioneer architecture in Moroni. (*)

Located at 74 North State Street in Moroni, Utah and added to the National Historic Register (#76001835) on November 7, 1976.

Next door to the south, the Jabez Faux Jr home is a beautiful red brick home. I saw this old photo of it online.