This or That - Preservation or Demolition

Very different attitudes toward community and history between these two owners of prominent historic buildings of Salt Lake City.

Micah Christensen, the new owner of the B'nai Israel Temple building at 249 S 400 E, talks about his sense of stewardship to the community which prompted him to purchase the building and preserve it, making it the home to the new Salt Lake Art Museum (@saltlakeartmuseum). Check out some recent media coverage: Salt Lake Tribune, Fox13

Vs.

Owners Robot Butcher Shop LLC (associated with Petersen family, owners of Overland West, Inc of Ogden) are pursuing demolition of the Phillips Congregational Church, 479 S 700 E. Their real estate agent, Chad Aris of AIM Real Estate Group, told Building Salt Lake they are prioritizing profit.

Of course, it is the owner's prerogative to do what they like with their property.

It's nice that we have community members like Micah Christensen. Thank you!

New homes for Angelo Caravaglia's twin bronzes

This Angelo Caravaglia sculpture was previously located on the south side of the southwest corner of the old Ma Bell building at 205 E 200 South SLC. It is now on public display by its new owner at 460 S 400 East SLC.

One of the Angelo Caravaglia bronze sculptures from the old Mountain Bell Building has been relocated to 460 S 400 East SLC, in front of the Rencher-Anjewierden law office while the other is in the front yard of a private residence in SLC. 

Salt Lakers may recall that twin (fraternal, not identical) sculptures once adorned the brutalist Ma Bell data center building at 205 E 200 South SLC. The sculptures were created in 1971 and cast in bronze in Pietrasanta, Italy.

The sculpture that was on the south side of the southwest corner of the old Ma Bell building is now back on public display by its new owner at 460 S 400 E. Interestingly, it is now possible to view the back of the sculpture, and I have included a photo of that as well.

Sculptures in front of the Rencher-Anjewierden law office at 460 S 400 East SLC. August 2024.

Back of the Angelo Caravaglia sculpture.

 
Of note, a demolition permit has been filed with SLC to demolish the old Mountain Bell building. Back in 2022 the plan was to potentially reuse the building for a new development, but those plans have changed as there is a new owner of the building.

The sculpture that once adorned the west side of the southwest corner of the old Ma Bell building is now on display at a private home in Salt Lake City.  

This Angelo Caravaglia sculpture was previously located on the west side of the southwest corner of the old Ma Bell building at 205 E 200 South SLC. It is now on display in the front yard of a private residence in SLC.

The artist, Angelo Caravaglia, was a professor at the University of Utah. You will also likely know of his sculpture in front of the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building at 125 S State SLC. Also visit this website for more info: www.angelocaravaglia.com

Mi Casita Ghose Sign

Ghost sign, old Southeast Market building. April 30 2024.

A ghost sign on the old Southeast Market building at 422 E 900 South, SLC. This sign is for the Mi Casita Mexican Restaurant and dates to about 1992.

The building is undergoing a reconstruction but it seems like the original facade will be preserved.

The building was constructed in 1941 as the O.P. Skaggs Market (last slide, showing neon sign from 1947).

O.P. Skaggs building and sign, 1947. From Utah State Historical Society.

The building was sold by Skaggs in 1945 but kept the name for several more years, eventually becoming known as Sudbury's Foodtown, after long-time manager, turned owner, Ray F. Sudbury.

Sudbury sold the building in 1966 to William and Mae Tang, who operated it as Super Save Discount Market in the late 1960s.

Many businesses have used the space over the decades. The last ones to occupy the space were Southeast Market, Melewa Bakery, and Pho 28 (Photo 3, from Google Street View 2022).

Ghost sign, old Southeast Market building. April 30 2024.

Google Street View 2022

2023 Recap with Demolished Salt Lake Podcast

I was a guest on episodes 31 and 32 of the Demolished Salt Lake Podcast. “2023 Preservation Wins, Loses and What to Watch in 2024.”

We discussed some of the buildings we lost in 2023, the ones that were saved, and those that are in danger of demolition in 2024. We had more saves than losses this year, which was greatly needed after the past few years.

In this first of two parts, we talk about the loss of the Pink House and the Yardstick Building earlier this year. Discuss the status of the land on which some historic buildings used to stand in my “Still a Parking Lot” segment (ahem... the La France Apartments) and move on to buildings that will be demolished in 2024. Saving the best for last, we end with good news for a few of our historic buildings and areas.

We know we missed some buildings, but these are some of the standouts.

With – Wendi Pettett and Chris Jensen of Demolished Salt Lake Podcast and Adrienne White of House Genealogy

Photos of some of the highlights:

1. The Pink House (Covey House), 666 E 300 South SLC
2. Mountain Bell Building, 205 E 200 South SLC
3. Elias Harrison House, 10 N 300 West SLC
4. Cramer House, 241 Floral St SLC
5. Liberty Wells Center, 707 S 400 East SLC
6. Musser House, 2157 S Lincoln St SLC
7. 2nd Ward Assembly Hall, 483 E 700 South SLC
8. Jerald and Sandra Tanner House / Utah Lighthouse Ministries, 1350-1358 S West Temple SLC
9. Brinton House, 4880 S Highland Circle Holladay
10. Wells Ward Chapel, 1990 S 500 East SLC

Fred L Parker House slated for demolition, 320 S 400 East

House at 320 S 400 East, April 2021

This house at 320 S 400 East is also slated for demolition, along with the English Lutheran church I posted about a few days ago. Both buildings will be demolished for the new development called “TAG 324 L’Oriol Plaza Condos.”

The house was built in 1893 for Fred L. Parker (1879-1938), a lumber dealer in SLC.

Fred experienced several losses in this house. His wife Lizzie died suddenly sitting in a chair in the house in June 1894. He soon remarried a young widow, Celia, with 2 children; her teenage daughter died of infection in the house Sept 1895. Then his baby son, Marshall, died in June 1896.

In 1900 the house and 3 other nearby homes were purchased by widow Emma Hanson as investment properties for her 4 minor children. The entire Hanson family lived in this house for a decade while renting out the other properties for income. After Emma’s youngest child was grown, she sold this house to H C Edwards in 1910.

Edwards used the property as a rental and through the years it was used both as primary residence and as a rental by various other people. In 1938, Susie V Marx added an addition to the back of the house.

By the 1970s the house had been converted to an office and by the mid-1980s it was being used as a salon.

David Anthony Sargeant ran a high-end salon out of the house through the 1980s and 1990s. In Sept 1987 arsonists set fire in the basement of the house which spread to the upper stories. Sargeant rebuilt his business and the house, working with architects Max Smith and Kin Ng.

Up until a few months ago, this house was being used as an office space for STM Associates; the property was sold in Jan 2021.

Historic English Lutheran Church (former Ichiban Sushi) Slated for Demo, 336 S 400 E

English Lutheran church in 2018 when it was Ichiban Sushi Restaurant, 336 S 400 East.  From Marriott Library.

This historic church has a demolition permit into SLC for review.

The church at 336 S 400 East was built for the English Evangelical Church of the Holy Trinity, commonly known in SLC as the English Lutheran church. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were 4 Lutheran churches in SLC: Swedish, English, Danish, and German.

Plans were made to build a church for the small congregation in 1890, land was purchased in 1892, the first cornerstone laid in 1893, and church was dedicated in 1894. The church was built entirely by donations, primarily from women, and primarily from people in the Eastern U.S.

The church originally featured 10 stained glass windows, the interior was finished in cedar, the pulpit furniture made of oak, and pews were attached to the walls. The Reverend’s quarters in the rear of the church.

The English Lutheran congregations was always small, and they never were able to attain financial independence. In 1912 the English Lutheran church disbanded and was absorbed by the St John’s Evangelical Lutheran church in SLC which held bilingual services in German and English. This congregation still has its 1937 church building at 1030 S 500 East.

In 1913 the Reorganized LDS church (Josephites) purchased the church and used it until the mid-1960s, they relocated to a new building in 1967 at 2747 E 3640 S.

In 1967, the old church was renovated for adaptive reuse as an Italian restaurant. The entrance porch was added, the Reverend’s living quarters were transformed into a kitchen, the pews became benches around tables, the choir loft became a waiting area, and the baptismal font became a fountain for which the restaurant was named. Ristorante Della Fontana occupied the church between 1967-1998.

In 1998 Ichiban sushi moved into the church, relocating from their Park City location. Ichiban is notable for chef Peggi Whiting, the first woman allowed to study sushi preparation under the direction of Master Inou. Whiting added a sushi bar and other Asian accents but largely kept the church intact. Ichiban closed Oct 2017.

The old church and the house just to the north will demolished and will be replaced with 60 housing units named TAG 324 L’Oriol Plaza Condos.

Interior 2017, from foursquare

Interior stained glass, from yellowbot

Exterior stained glass, 2021

Exterior side stained glass windows, 2020

Exterior side stained glass windows, 2020

Exterior side stained glass windows, 2020

Interior stained glass 2017, from Yelp

Stained glass windows on south side have been removed, 2021

As the Josephite church, ca 1920s, from Marriott Library

The Columbus School, 2531 S 400 East

The Columbus School building today, 2021.

The city of South Salt Lake has decided to close the County Library in the Columbus Community Center at 2531 S 400 East and is now looking for a new occupant to fill the space of the old library. A perfect time to dive into the history of this fantastic building!

In 1916 the Forest Dale area was growing and a new elementary school was needed. The area chosen was located just outside the city limits so SLC annexed the 5-acre parcel and proceeded with plans to build a new school.

Architect Charles S McDonald designed the school. In a break from previous school design in SLC, this was a single-story building which was emphasized as being safer during a fire and preferable in areas with lower cost of land. McDonald also designed Irving Jr High, Auerbach’s, Walker Bank Building, and the Alta Club.

The Columbus School opened on Jan 22 1917 and served as an electuary until 1968 when it became a technical school for disabled individuals.

Two large additions were made in the rear including a gymnasium in 1954 and a shop area and commercial kitchen in in the early 1970s.

By 1992 the building was vacant and still owned by the Salt Lake School District. The City of South Salt Lake had set its eyes on the property and considered it a neighborhood asset. Two problems with this: the building was still in the city limits of SLC and not SSL, and the SL School District was looking to sell the property to a real estate developer.

In 1995 SSL offered a bid of $800K (lower than the developer’s bid) but the District sold to SSL because the Developer’s bid was contingent upon approvals for a zoning change.

SSL began the process to convert the old school to a community center and SSL and SLC adjusted their boundary so that the building was now in SSL.

SSL was pleased with the $5M price tag the feasibility study for rehab produced because it was less than the cost of a new building. SSL worked with local architects CRSA on a phased approach to renovation.

During the renovation CRSA found that “structurally, the building was extradentary fragile.” But SSL persevered and worked to stabilize the building and improve the landscaping. The new community center officially opened in 2002.

Currently, the County Library has vacated the south wing of the building and SSL is looking to fill the 8,700 sq ft space. Most of the building is still in use by the Promise SSL program, Recreation Department, and Senior Center.

SSL is solicitating public input and request emails be sent to connect@sslc.com.

Sources: SL Trib 1916-05-23; SL Trib 1916-07-30; UT Preservation V6

Bell tower 1939, From UDSH

School and grounds 1939, from UDSH.

School in 1917, from UDSH.

Darrell Kinder and Renee Sessions, 1956, From UDSH.

Floorplan, from SL Trib 1916-07-30.

Now Demolished: Historic Duplex at 435-437 S 400 East

Duplex at 435-437 S 400 East, Oct 14 2020 

This missing middle apartment conversion complex at 435-437 S 400 East SLC was demolished this past week (Nov 2020).

This once stately duplex was built in 1901 by brothers Charles and Lorin Morrison. Charles lived on the north side at 435 with his wife Lucy and his daughter Lucile. Lorin lived on the south at 437 with his wife Kate, son Lorin, and daughter Laura.

The Morrison brothers were originally from Black Brook NY and traveled west to seek their fortune. In the 1880s the Morrisons ended up in Frisco, a now abandoned mining town in Beaver County, UT, where they lived for 20 years. Lucy Morrison recalled that for years she was one of the few women living in Frisco and it was a wild time with 25 saloons, claim jumpers, and cowboy gun fights.

By 1901, the Morrison brothers were in their mid-40s and settled in SLC while still earning profits from their many mining interests. Politics and clubs did not interest the brothers and they were primarily homebodies; Lorin was described as “a man of domestic tastes, his whole life is wrapped up in his home, and his beautiful residence…is frequently the scene of delightful house parties… He is an indefatigable worker and when his work is done he seeks the quietude of his own fireside.” The residence stayed in the Morrison family for decades.

About the early 1940s the property was converted into a 10-unit apartment complex. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s it provided low cost housing for young families.

During WWII, R. F. Langdon, an Army Private, said he felt fortunate to be able to find and afford a small apartment here where he, his wife, and his 2-year old daughter could all live together. At the time, many apartments did not allow children and this building was one of the few that allowed one child per couple. Many young families lived here.

By the late 1960s newspaper ads for the building listed “Adults only” and retired persons were the preferred tenant. In 1978 SLC mandated that this apartment, and other low-budget complexes, must comply with the fire code and a stairwell was added to the back.

A 37 apt unit complex with retail named “The Jasmine” will soon be built.

Images: 1-3) Oct 14 2020. 4) Demo Nov 7 2020. 5) Lorin Morrison

Oct 14 2020

Oct 14 2020

Demolition as it appeared Nov 7 2020

Lorin N. Morrison who lived at 437 S 400 East 

Update July 2021:

The new apartment building is nearing completion and is named "Sola 37 Apartments" at 435 S 400 East SLC.