The Mortuary

This two-story frame structure was built just after the 1898 fire which burned most of the buildings on Main Street. Among the first occupants was the Salvation Army, which moved in in 1900. By 1902 it was the funeral parlor of Bill Fennemore, whose sign was a miniature casket.

When the Daly West Mine explosion of 1902 claimed the lives of 32 men, morticians from Salt Lake City were called to help with the emergency. Jacob Franklin Richardson, one of those who answered the call for aid, purchased the business from Fennemore, and later built a one-story addition to the south of this building. George Archer bought out Richardson in 1921, and from Archer it passed to Joseph Olpin.

This was the only local mortuary until the late 1960s, when the Olpins relocated to a newer building. This structure then served as an interior design showcase, a real estate office, and a sportswear store. The addition which for many years housed a children’s ski shop, was demolished in 1983.

This is a typical example of the vernacular commercial style of Park City buildings in he (sic) early 1900s. It features a bracketed wood cornice on the upper facade, and two entryways flanking two large display windows. The building has had only minor alterations since it was constructed.

Located on historic Park City Main Street in Park City, Utah.

Car 19

Built in the early 1900’s, this building originally served as a candy and sporting goods store.  By the 1940’s it was known as the Orange Blossom Confectionery, and was a popular gathering place during the wartime years.  Ice cream and soda water were served in the front, and alcoholic beverages and dancing were provided in the rear.

A change in ownership in the 1950’s resulted in a new restaurant which operated for only a brief tenure.  The building was then vacant for many years, except for a small notions shop occupying the north section.

In the late 1960’s, when Park City’s transition from a mining town to a ski town was beginning to congeal, the late Bob Murphy urged renovation of the historic Main Street buildings.   This structure was one of the earliest efforts, and was remodeled to accommodate a bar and restaurant.  The basement was cleared of decades of debris and dirt to expose to stonework which is part of the lower restaurant’s decor today.

Compared to the typical, very simple mining town architecture of early Park City, this Victorian commercial structure is unusual in its elaborate detailing.  The stamped metal front was readily available by mail order catalog at the turn of the century.  The pressed metal detailing on this building is Main Street’s last example of this once common facade treatment.  Remodeling undertaken in the late 1970’s emphasized the Victorian detailing, and added the wooden canopy which is a dominant feature of the building today.

Located on historic Park City Main Street in Park City, Utah.

Frank Andrew Building

Frank Andrew was a prominent Park City merchant who established a hardware and house furnishings emporium in 1892. After his place of business was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1898, Andrew built this structure in the fall of that year. Reflecting a trend to make buildings less vulnerable to fire, this building was constructed of stone with a brick facade.

Andrew’s business, which dealt in both new and used furniture, occupied the entire premises. Originally the entry was located on the south end, with a four-sectioned display window to the north of it. Andrew’s name was shown on the upper part of the front facade, and is still visible today.

Presently the building has a central, recessed entry flanked by display windows, a typical configuration in Victorian mining town commercial structures. The interior has been divided to accommodate two separate businesses at ground level, and has for many years housed a hair salon and ice cream parlor. The basement was also remodeled to serve as a bar and, more recently, a restaurant.

Located on historic Park City Main Street in Park City, Utah.

Star Meat & Grocery

built for $1000 shortly after the 1898 fire, this is a false front, one story commercial structure very typical of mining town architecture of its day.  The southern section was built first; the northern section was added twenty years later.  One of the Main Street’s first electric signs was installed here in 1903.

Original proprietor George Smith moved here from Heber City to open a butcher shop in this building.  Until that time Park City’s groceries, meat and produce were supplied by Heber merchants.  Smith, who later became mayor, formed a partnership with Alonzo Brim, and this the Smith & Brim meat market was established.  When Smith died, his employee George Hoover bought the business, painted a star over the Smith & Brim sign, and renamed the market “Star Meat & Grocery”.

Subsequent owners Waldo Thompson and Wendell Paulsen continued the business until the 1950’s, when the doors were closed and the building vacated.  In 1963 Ed and Roslyn Grose purchased the building and for nearly two decades displayed and sold antiques and Park City memorabilia.  In 1982 new owners founded the fine art and folk craft gallery occupying the building at present.

Located on historic Park City Main Street in Park City, Utah.