The cities and towns along U.S. Highway 89 are continuing their efforts to restore their historical Main Streets, with many of the cities making Main Street preservation projects a priority. As well, many of the local governments are making such projects part of their master plans, emphasizing that historical preservation is a key to economic success.Indeed, traveling along U.S. Highway 89 is like stepping back in time. Many of the buildings along the 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, in coordination with the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council.Here are highlights of some of the many important Main Street projects that have been completed or initiated in the region:FAIRVIEW
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.
Main Street: The Citizens’ Advisory Committee, coordinated by Mary Goodwin, worked to make improvements along the historical Main Street. This included renovated existing historic buildings, improving the downtown park, getting new businesses to locate downtown and planting trees and flowers.
MT. PLEASANT
Carnegie Library: Sanpete County is home to three of Utah s remaining 17 Carnegie Libraries, including Mt. Pleasant s library that was built in 1917 and designed by the Salt Lake City architecture firm of Ware & Treganza. The library anchors Mt. Pleasant s Main Street and the numerous the buildings that have already been restored as part on the city s ongoing effort to preserve its historical Main Street. Recently, Mt. Pleasant City was designated as a Preserve America community by First Lady Laura Bush. Historic Railroad Depot and Caboose: An 1890’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. There is also a historical caboose that doubles as a restaurant on the site. The caboose was donated by the Hogle Family through the Garfield Western Railway Company. Illusion Academy: This 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 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.
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.
EPHRAIM
The Noyes Building, Snow College: 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.
Ephraim Co-op: A large stone structure, the Ephraim co-op was built in the late 1870s as a cooperative store and is now home to a well-known handicraft store and museum. These two structures are good examples of the kinds of buildings Ephraim hopes to improve and protect through its new master plan. The city recently approved a new plan that calls for maintaining historically important buildings along Main Street and in other sections of town.
MANTI
City Hall: Manti’s city hall is one of the oldest city halls remaining in Utah. It 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. Carnegie Library: One of only 17 remaining Carnegie Libraries in Utah, the Manti Library was designed by Watkins and Birch, a Provo-based architectural firm that also designed several other library buildings.
Historic Manti House Inn: Run by Jennifer and Jason Nicholes, the renovated inn was built in the late 1800s and originally to provide housing for people working on the Manti LDS temple. building sat vacant for several years until it was turned into a bed and breakfast in 1985. Since that time, it has been a popular attraction for visitors to the Manti pageant in the summer, as well as to newlyweds and couples celebrating anniversaries. It also has two banquet halls that are popular places for wedding luncheons.
GUNNISON
Star Theater: The community group Save our Star is moving ahead with plans to buy the historical theatre located on Gunnison’s Main Street and restore it to its former glory. The theatre, which is listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places, is believed to be one of the last Beaux Arts-style theaters in the Western United States. Built in 1912 as the “Casino Theater,” it was one of several similar theatres built in the state around that time. Other structures include Ogden’s Egyptian Theater and the Capitol Theater in Salt Lake. The name was changed to the Star Theater in 1936. Restoring the theater is the first step in restoring heritage sections of Gunnison s Main Street.
MORONI
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. ### |
