Tenth East Senior Center

The 10th East Senior Center at 237 S 1000 E SLC has been in the news recently and it can be easy to overlook. With its low profile and clean modern lines this mid-century building is an architectural gem.

The 10th East Senior Center at 237 S 1000 East

When it opened in 1963, it was the first facility in Salt Lake County designed and built specifically for seniors. The building reflected a shift in how people understood aging, family situations, and community support.

The center’s origins date to 1954, when a small group of seniors formed the Silver Crest Club. Along with other senior groups, they met in the former Jaycee Boys and Girls Club building on this site.

After that building was condemned in 1960 planning for the new senior center began. Other locations were considered, including a controversial site within Liberty Park, but ultimately, the decision was to rebuild on the original site.

The building was designed by architects Burtch W. Beall Jr. and Paul L. Lemoine, with George S. Nicholatus serving as project manager, identified as the [short lived] Burtch W. Beal Jr., Lemoine & Nicholatus, architectural firm.

Beall, Lemoine, and Nicholatus were each influential in shaping Salt Lake City’s mid-century built environment and civic landscape.

Beall often gets the most attention as he was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and taught courses at the UofU. His works include the Medial Student Housing Towers at 90 S 2030 E (recently demolished); Shaw Student Union at Westminster College; and the Trinity Presbyterian Church in Ogden.

Lemoine designed the Irving Heights Apts at 1963 S 1200 E; the Glendale Plaza shopping center at 1200 S 1300 W (significantly altered, now Dual Immersion Academy); Utah Auto Association (AAA) at 560 E 500 S; and others.

Nicholatus’s civic service included arts, planning, health, and charitable organizations. He was involved with the construction of the original Salt Palace and Abravanel Hall.

A product of Salt Lake City’s Mid-Century Modern peak, the building was shaped by leading architects and civic figures and has functioned as a community hub for more than six decades (and longer if you consider the pre 1963 history... read more about that here).