Restoring Historical Buildings a Community Effort
It has often been said that traveling through Sanpete County and along U.S. Highway 89 is like stepping back in time. One of the reasons is that many of the historical buildings in the cities and towns along the scenic route have been lovingly preserved, restored and renovated. Most of the preservation efforts have been spearheaded by local citizens groups and supported by grants from private and state and federal government agencies, with assistance from the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council. Here are highlights of some of the many important preservation projects that have been completed or initiated in the region:
Fairview Museum of History and Art:
The building was constructed as a school in 1900 of quarry-sandstone. It burned down in 1916 and was rebuilt in 1917. However, the roof design was significantly changed during the reconstruction.
The Fairview Museum Corporation restored the building to its former glory. There was a complete structural reconstruction and profile-design restoration of the roof in 1999, which brought it back to its original appearance. The interior has also been refurbished as galleries.
Contributors to the project include the George S. And Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, Glenn Olson, Branch Cox and the Central Utah Telephone Co., Larry Hansen and Hansen Lumber, and many volunteers who gave thousands of service hours.
Moroni Opera House:
The historical Moroni Opera house has been under restoration on and off since 1991. It is now complete, thanks to the efforts of a volunteer-run Moroni Heritage Development Commission with support from the George S. And Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, National Heritage Foundation, Utah State Historical Society, and Community Impact Board.
The building has an interesting history. It was built in 1891 after the town's residents realized that people had talents and no place to perform them. In the 1930's, it was converted into a feed processing plant for the turkey industry. A mill was later built on the site.
The city eventually made restoring the opera house its Centennial Project and a volunteer group began applying for grants to help fund the effort.
The opera house is used for dinner theaters, children's theatrical performances, dance performances and community events.
Manti City Hall:
One of the oldest city halls remaining in Utah, Manti's City Hall building was built in the late 1870s.
The building features Italianate details such as a low-pitched hipped roof and decorative bracketed eves. It is the only surviving example of this style of architecture in the county.
It had been neglected and deteriorated over the years, but was restored by the Manti Historic Preservation Commission and Manti Destiny Committee with support from the Utah Division of State History.
The building is being used as a visitor's centre, museum and reception hall.
Fountain Green Theatre & DUP Building:
The 100-year-old theatre and dance hall was restored for use as a community center, where local artisans and craft makers can display their talents and wares.
The structure is really two buildings: one side was used as a theater, the other, as a dance hall and later a cultural hall by the LDS church.
The project was supported by the Fountain Green Heritage Committee, the Eccles Foundation, and local volunteers.
Local volunteers also helped restore the Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Building. A former Bishop s warehouse, the structure was built in 1906. The building is now used by the DUP for its meetings and as a museum.
Mt. Pleasant Illusion Academy:
Illusion Academy is a high tech center that houses a computer illustration business. It is located in Mt. Pleasant City's old industrial arts building that was once part of Sanpete County's high school.
Owner Dean Kleven, a computer illustrator who has worked for Disney and Dream Works, creates designs that are used in children s books. He also produces high-tech digital imaging and three-dimensional graphics, such as the kind used to produce movies such as Toy Story.
The building also double as a community classroom where free courses are offered on computer illustration, web design and the Internet.
Spring City Historical Old School:
The Historical Old School on Centre Street has proudly stood in downtown Spring City for more than 100 years. It graces the city council's letterhead and is prominently displayed on the city's logo.
Built in 1899, it once housed both elementary and secondary students. It has not been used as a teaching institution since the 1950s. Most recently, it has served mainly as a storage facility for the school district and has deteriorated over the years.
The two-and-a-half storey structure is now being restored and rehabilitated by the Friends of Historic Spring City with support from the National Parks Service's Save America's Treasures program.
North Sanpete High School Gymnasium:
The old high school gymnasium, located on U.S. Highway 89, was turned into a community recreational and cultural center that is enjoyed by people residing in the North Sanpete School district and the entire county.
The facility is used for athletic functions, family reunions, cultural exhibits and shows, banquets and other events. The project came to fruition thanks to the cooperation of the community, North Sanpete School District, North Sanpete High School alumni, Mt. Pleasant Main Street Program, Sanpete County Heritage Council and Eccles Foundation.
This project was among several initiatives that are part of a master plan to revamp historical Main Street in Mt. Pleasant for the benefit of the community and county.
Historic Railroad Depot and Caboose:
An1890's Denver Rio Grand Depot was restored and moved to the Heritage Village on U.S. Highway 89 in Mt. Pleasant. It serves as an information center for the Utah Heritage Highway Alliance and is also the cornerstone of the Heritage Village.
The Utah Heritage Foundation recognized the restoration with an award last year. The depot is also an antique and heritage products store.
The Heritage Village is also home to a historical caboose that doubles as a restaurant. The caboose was donated by the Hogle Family through the Garfield Western Railway Company.
Centerfield's LDS Meeting House:
Restoration is ongoing on the LDS meeting house, built in 1886. The structure is built of oolite, stone and wood. It has a T-shaped floor plan and consists of two sections.
The structure's steep, pitched, sloping roof is its distinguishing design feature, and it also boasts nine-foot panel doors, wainscotting and unique moulding. A tower was later added in 1897. The meeting house has stood vacant and has been neglected for years. The heritage council and Centerfield council are working together to restore it to its former glory for use as a community and vocational training center.
Wales Co-op Store:
In Wales, a restoration project is underway to preserve the Co-op store, which was remodelled in 1894. The original date of its erection is unknown.
The structure features unique brick work and side picture windows. The co-op opened in the 1890 and operated successfully until 1968. It has not been used extensively since then.
Local volunteers are working to restore the building for possible use as a library.
The Noyes Building, Snow College, Ephraim:
The Noyes Building was built between 1899 and 1908 as the Sanpete Stake Academy, one of several academies built by the LDS church. The building houses classrooms, labs and offices and administrative offices for Snow College.
The exterior of the building consists of handmade brick and local oolite limestone. The building s restoration included framing the historical formal entrance stairway by a new stone platform that continues around the base of the building to create a basement consisting of the first-floor classrooms.
Snow College's Traditional Skills Building Institute has also been working with the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council and other heritage groups including the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers to restore a historical CCA Christensen cabin in Ephraim and the Ephraim Co-op Building. The Co-op project has received ongoing grants from the U.S. Forest Service and Utah Division of State History.
For more information on these and other preservation efforts, contact the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council, (435) 462-2502.
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