Some historic buildings that were saved from demolition in 2021

These are some of the historic buildings that were saved from demolition in 2021! Visit @demolishedsaltlakepodcast for some buildings that were lost this year.

 

Descriptions clockwise from the upper left corner:

1. Hyland Exchange, 847 S 800 E SLC. It will be converted to housing. But, 2 Victorian homes were demolished.

2. The Annex Apts, 150 E South Temple SLC. A project plans to rehab the Annex but it also demolished the Carlton Hotel next door.

3. Elks Block, 139 E South Temple SLC. Most buildings will be preserved, the Elks building will be renovated, the Elks tunnel entrance will be partially preserved.

4. House at 235 S 600 E SLC. The owner plans to add an addition to the back of the house and start repairs and rehab of the rest of the house.

5. Utah Pickle and Hide buildings at 737-741 S 400 W SLC. Some selective demolition has occurred but the main buildings are planned to be rehabbed.

6. Central Warehouse at 520 W 200 S SLC. The back half of the building has been demolished; the remaining front is to be integrated into a multi-use development.

7. These 5 houses on 200 East were subject to a rezone application which would result in their demolition. The rezone was not approved, and the houses are now being repaired.

8. 15th Ward Chapel at 915 W 100 S SLC was listed for sale which could have resulted in demolition; it was purchased by the Utah Arts Alliance and is now known as the Utah Art Castle.

9. Redwood Drive-In and Swap Meet at 3688 S Redwood WVC was proposed for demolition for a large housing project. Largely due to the backlash from the swap meet community the prospective owner decided to cancel the sale and development.

10. University of Utah’s Einar Nielsen Fieldhouse has undergone a seismic retrofit and will be converted to a theater.

11. Apt complex at 230 West 300 North SLC will be preserved while the area behind it will become additional multi-family housing.

It is important to note that only 2 of these projects had local historic preservation requirements for the property. All the others were only preserved because the owners desired it.

A big thanks to the owners, architects, engineers, and builders who all worked to keep some of Utah’s history standing.

Redwood Drive-in and Swap Meet

Aerial view Redwood Drive-In, 1970s, from Salt Lake County Archives.

You may have heard by now that the Redwood Drive-in was proposed for rezone and demolition but last night the developer withdrew the application from West Valley City. 

The protest rally planned for Sunday is now a support rally for the swap meet. Head over to @slcsanchez801 for details.

The Redwood Drive-in opened for business Friday July 22, 1949, with the technicolor picture “The Big Cat” which was filmed at Hoosier Lake in Iron County, Utah.

The land for the theater was purchased from Leon C. Breeze who operated a chicken farm; the Breeze house is still standing at 3740 S. Redwood Road and is used for storage by the current Redwood Drive-in owners.

The original Redwood Drive-In in featured a single 40x60 foot screen with a 600-car capacity. The theater also had several family friendly activity areas including picnic tables, BBQ pits, a wading pool, swings and playground, and offered pony rides for children and bottle warmers for babies.

Outdoor seating was provided for those who did not wish to watch the movie in their car. For those in their cars there were individual speakers and a push button for refreshment service.

The theater experienced several fires and incidents over the years:

1. A homemade bomb made from a garden hose and dynamite exploded in the men’s restroom in 1953
2. Arson at the ticket booth by a juvenile crime gang of tweens and young teenagers in 1953
3. A suicide in a car by carbon monoxide poisoning in 1955
4. A man who purchased a ticket and then came back to the booth to rob the attendant of $46 in 1958
5. A fire caused by a short in a neon sign burned down the large screen in 1966
6. An overheated furnace started a fire in the projection booth in 1971
7. Salt Lake County Firefighters intentionally burned the old snack bar located in the center of the parking area for a training exercise in April 1978, with the permission of the owner.
8. A field fire burned one of the screens in 1994

The swap meet started at Redwood Drive-In in 1960 after failing to gain traction at a different drive-in theater. It has been a mainstay for weekend buyers/sellers/swappers nearly continuously since. In 1978 it was reported that 10,000 visitors attended the swap meet each Sunday.

Sources: Des News 1949-07-21, Des News 1953-05-01, Des News 1953-10-01, Des News 1966-11-29, Des News 1971-03-11, SL Trib 1978-04-08, SL Trib 1978-08-17, SL Trib 1994-09-18

Poster of the debut movie "The Big Cat" at Redwood Drive-In

One of the many fires, 1966. From UDSH.

The Snack Bar, a year before it was burned by Salt Lake County
Firefighters in 1977, from Salt Lake County Archives.

 Debut Swap Meet advertisement From SL Trib 1960-04-17

Newspaper page from Salt Lake Tribune 1978-08-17

The Mosser Rushton Granary in West Valley City

Joseph Hyrum Mosser constructed this granary near his adobe brick house about 1878 at approximately 4450 S 5400 West in what was then known as Hunter, Utah. 

Newlywed Alma E. Rushton acquired this granary and the surrounding farm in 1917 merging it into the Rushton Homestead across the street.

This is perhaps the oldest building in West Valley City. The granary was moved from its original location a few years ago and placed near the Jordan River on the grounds of the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley City.

3500 South Street, First Paved Road — 1918 by Tara Buck

3500 South Street, First Paved Road- 1918.
Painting by Tara Buck.

This painting by Tara Buck is titled "3500 South Street, First Paved Road — 1918" and hangs in West Valley City's City Hall.

In 1913, Henry Ford perfected the assembly-line production of his famous Model T, making cars affordable for the average American.

Utahns soon became caught up in the national car craze. In 1918, 3500 South St was paved, becoming the first paged road in Granger and Hunter. The old Granger LDS meetinghouse was a landmark on 3500 South at 3200 West until 1959.

Artist: Tara Buck, a current West Valley City resident and descendant of one of the original settlers in Hunter.