Information Sources

Compiled by Burtch W. Beall, Jr., FAIA

The architects identified in this database came from: (1) the records of the State of Utah that regulated the profession of architecture as a result of the 1911 statute that legally entitled a person to use the term “Architect”; (2) those listed under the category, “Architect”, in the Regional & City Directories from 1949 back to the first issues around 1867; and (3) those individuals noted in publications, e.g., books, periodicals, newspapers, etc. as well as architectural construction documents between the dates of 1847 and 1867.

It is noted in the database whether a person practiced as an individual or in a partnership. Either form of architectural practice was recognized from 1847 through 1949.

When regional and city directories are missing, we are unable to confirm whether any firm/partnership existed the previous year(s) or continued in the year(s) following their last listing.

The buildings were drawn from a multitude of sources. Those that served the commercial, governmental, and institutional lives of Utah’s citizens were selected along with significant religious buildings and some single-family residences, especially by those architects who went on to design other important structures.

SPECIFIC SOURCES

STATE OF UTAH REGISTRATION DATA (UTREG) 1911-1949

Architects Licensing Board, Division of Occupational & Professional Licensing, 160 E. 300 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 T: (801) 530-6628

Records of licensed architects with their official registration number and the year of registration.

CITY DIRECTORIES, e.g., POLK & OTHERS

The Library of Congress has directories for Salt Lake City from 1861-1960, Ogden from 1890-1960, Provo from 1901-1959, and Logan from 1904-1938 and 1946-1959 on microfilm. Not all years are available and gaps of up to 5 years exist.

Salt Lake City at the Salt Lake City Main Public Library, 210 East 400 South,

Salt Lake City, UT 84111   T: (801)524-8200

Between 1867 and 1890 several companies published directories on an erratic schedule and those available and used were from1869 through 1888. Within the years of this survey the following directories were not published (NP) 1868,1870-1873, 1875-1878, 1880-1883, and not available (NA), 1889. From 1890 on, the R. L. Polk & Co. published a Salt Lake City directory, but it is not available for 1943,1945 and 1947.

Ogden at the Weber County Library, 2464 Jefferson Ave., Ogden, UT 84401 T: (801) 337-2632.

Earliest directory is 1883 and then directories are missing from 1894, 1939, 1943,1945 and 1947.

Provo at the Provo City Library, Academy Square, 550 N. University Ave., Provo, UT., 84601  T: (801) 852-6650

Earliest directory is 1891and then directories are missing from 1892-1903, 1906-1912, 1919, 1921, 1923-1925, 1927, 1928, 1932-1934, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1947 and 1948.

Logan at Logan Library, 255 N. Main, Logan, UT 84321  T: (435) 716-9123 Earliest directory is 1904 and the directories were not published in 1908, 1919, 1921, 1923, 1928, 1933 and 1934. No record of directories after 1934.

TRADE JOURNALS

First Annual Volume of the “Architects, Contractors, Builders and Supply Men’s Directory of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming” for 1891 and 1892 at the University of Utah Special Collections

The “Pacific Coast Business Directory for 1871-1873 Containing the Name and Post Office Address of Each Merchant Manufacturer and Professional residing in & including the  …….Utah Territory” at the University of Utah, Special Collections.

UTAH STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (DIVISION OF STATE HISTORY)

Rio Grande Depot/State Archives Building
300 S. Rio Grande, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101-1182
T: (801) 533-3500; Website: www.history.utah.gov

The Historical Society contains a wealth of information on Utah’s architects and architecture,                                        including the following:

1^st Floor Historic Information Center

• Salt Lake City building permits from 1891 through at the 1950s. Each permit, listed in ledgers (and organized later on file cards) by address, shows each building’s owner, architect, builder, number of rooms and cost.
• Obituaries and obituary indexes. These are valuable in learning the personal background, education, affiliations and best works of each architect. They are available for each of Utah’s newspapers, included several defunct papers.
• Photographs of buildings. The collection is one of the largest in the United States and is organized by building type in metal filing cabinets in the main floor Reading Room. In addition, there are many special collections of photographs such as the Salt Lake City Engineers Office 1900-1925 photos of streets, which show many buildings, the voluminous Shipler Commercial Photograph Collection, the Richard K.A. Kletting and Hal Rumel Collections, among others.  Many of the photos are available on the Society’s website.
• Sanborn Maps: These color-coded, to-scale, large-format fire insurance maps date from the 1880s and show individual building “footprints”, materials, heights and uses, block by block, city-by-city throughout Utah’s larger cities and towns.  They were issued every 5-10 years and updated in between, and are a good way of finding and dating buildings.
• Utah newspapers. Most of the state’s newspapers, including defunct ones, are recorded on microfilm. They contain news stories about building projects and their architects.
• Governmental Reports: Territorial and state agencies’ building activities (roads, buildings, land development) are recorded in state, county and city annual reports
• “Utah Historical Quarterly” and thousands of other publications, many dealing with architects and buildings, are available. Of these, city, town and institutional promotional histories often contain architectural information and photographs.
• History books.  In the 1990s, the State published a 26-volume book series documenting county histories, most containing chapters on architecture. Most Utah cities and towns have also published their histories, sometimes several times, and these contain information on their most important buildings and architects.
• Architectural books. The collection includes a wide variety of rare, old and recent books on several architectural subjects, building and firms.
• Tax records:  Tax records (1850s-1970s assessments, ledgers, deeds) of Salt Lake City and County and some other localities are available and provide information on individuals and corporations.  Some tax photos of old buildings are available, as well as minutes from nineteenth century Salt Lake City Council meetings.
• Polk and other Utah directories are invaluable in finding the names, locations and dates of practice of Utah’s architects and their firms. Dating from the 1860s to the present, these annual directories are available for most cities and towns, as well as for the Utah Territory before it became a state.
• Territorial Agricultural and Businesses Census. Published every ten years (1850, 1860, 1870, etc.), these give information on individual businesses and their properties, such as flour and other kinds of mills.
• Utah Census Data:  Copies of the federal censuses are available, showing who lived where, when, at what age, in what profession.
• Architectural plans and drawings:  The collection has a limited amount of these but they include such important items as the State Capitol competition renderings. Among the collections are:

*  Walter E. Ware (1861-1951) Collection

*  Howell Q. Cannon (c. 1900-1950) Collection

*  Frederick A. Hale (____-____) Collection

*  Georgius Y. Cannon (1892-1987) Collection

• Individual Collections:  Some individuals, including architects, builders and companies, have donated their collections to the state where they are archived and accessible.
• Card file: File cards exist on-line and in accessible cabinets in the Research Room, referencing the Society’s entire collection of books, articles, manuscripts, research files, biographies, registers and indexes, historic building nomination forms, oral histories and all other written and graphic material. Looking up architects and firms by name is a good way to begin one’s research.

 

2^nd Floor Historic Preservation Office

• Biographical research files on most of the individual architects practicing prior to 1950. Started by Allen Roberts in 1974 and expanded since, the files include photos and lists of their work, sometimes obituaries and backgrounds on their careers.
• National Register of Historic Places files and nomination forms. These exist for each building listed on the National Register as well as the now-retired State Register. The files contain architectural descriptions, photos, historical information and data on each building or historic district’s architects.
• Intensive Level and Reconnaissance Level Historic Building Surveys: Several tens of thousands of Utah buildings have been documented in photos and on maps and computer forms. The Intensive Level Surveys may contain information on buildings’ architects.

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

Marriott Library, Special Collections, Architectural Collection

295 South 1500 East

Salt lake City, Utah, 84112

Tel: 801-581-8864

Website: www.lib.utah.edu

The University has aggressively collected a vast amount of architectural materials including drawings, photographs, histories, maps and biographical papers and manuscripts, including:

• 1990 “Guide to the Architectural Collection at the U of U Marriott Library Manuscripts Division”.  It includes a Salt Lake City alphabetical address index, architect’s index, and building and owner’s name index.  The collection includes the papers and drawings of these architects:
• William Allen (1849-1928) Collection
• Don Carlos Young, Jr. (1882-1960) Collection
• Richard W. Young (____-____) Collection
• Lorenzo S. (“Bing”) Young (1894-1978) Collection
• Georgius Y. Cannon (1892-1987) Collection
• Taylor Woolley (1884-1965) Collection
• Lloyd Snedaker (1905-___) Collection
• Montmorency, Hayes and Talbot Collection
• Selected drawings and papers of various Utah architects including Richard Karl August Kletting, Richard Calvin Watkins, Albert Frederick Hale, Lewis T. Cannon, John B. Fetzer, Dan A Weggeland, Miles Miller, Frank Winder Moore, Francis D. Rutherford, Alberto O. Treganza, Clifford Percy Evans, Slack W. Winburn and many others.

The University has several of the same research materials listed above for the State Historical Society, namely Sanborn Maps (unaltered), obituary indexes and newspapers, a photographic collection, the collection of pioneer millwright Frederick Kesler, a vast number of architectural books and periodicals, and the research and writings of the school’s architecture and architectural staff.

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

Historical Department:

The three downtown facilities surrounding Temple Square (Church Museum: 45 N. West Temple, Family History Library: 35 N. West Temple, and especially, the new Church History Library at 15 E. North Temple (801-240-2745) contain massive amounts of Mormon-related architectural materials.  The collection includes hundreds of lineal feet of meeting minutes, correspondence, building files, financial records, plans, and photographs of describing the thousands of temples, tabernacles, ward meetinghouses, Relief Society halls, stake office buildings, recreation halls and many other building types constructed in Utah’s dominantly Mormon built environment.

Included in these collections are First Presidency Records, the Historian’s Office Journal, Historian’s Office Letterpress Books, Ward and Stake building files, Public Works Records, Presiding Bishopric Office Records, Building Facilities Department Records, Board of Temple Architects Files, Physical Facilities Department Photographic Collection, Real Estate Division Files, Architectural and Engineering Division Files, and many more.  Architecturally-related oral histories and manuscripts collections also are available, as are an Historic Sites Collection as well as a library of books, articles and theses about Mormon architects and architecture.

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY

Harold B. Lee Library

A detailed description of the wide variety of source material on Mormon architecture is found in Brad Westwood’s 69-page chapter, “Mormon Architectural records,” in “Mormon American, A Guide to Sources and Collections in the United States,” edited by David J. Whitaker and published by BYU Studies in 1995.

UNIVERSITY DESIGN & PLANNING DEPARTMENTS

University of Utah

The University of Utah, Campus Design & Construction, 1795 E. South Campus Drive,  Rm. 201, Salt Lake City, UT  T: (801) 581-6883

Brigham Young University

Brigham Young University, Department of Facilities Planning. Provo, 846020-8117 (T) 801.422.0566, A booklet “A Pictorial History of Physical facilities, 1875 – 2005″ by Ephraim Hatch is available on a DVD.

Utah State University

Utah State University, Facilities Planning, 1195 E. 700 South, Logan, Utah 84322-8400 (T) 435.797.3737 provided by Stanley G. Kane, AIA, RIBA, Director

Southern Utah University

Physical Plant, Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah

CITIES/TOWNS

For information in cities and towns, please contact their building or planning departments about their historic structures.

HISTORICAL ORGANIZATIONS

The Utah Heritage Foundation, 485 North Canyon Rd., Salt Lake City, UT 84103  T: (801) 533-0858

In most cities and towns, The Daughters of Utah Pioneers has an organization that maintain records about local historical buildings.

EDUCATIONAL

The Utah Board of Education indicates that of the each school district maintains its own records of building construction.

Granite School District:

The Granite School District, Department of School Facilities, 2500 S. State St., SLC, UT 84115 maintains records of their schools.

A booklet titled the History of Granite School District,1904-1976, written and compiled by Marie E. Gooderham, was published by the Granite School District.

Boundaries changed during the early part of the 20^th century and some of the schools built by GSD were sold to the Salt Lake City School District.

Salt Lake City Board of Education:

The Salt Lake City School, District Facility Services, located at 350 W. 3050 South, Salt Lake City, UT  T:  (801) 646-4400  provided historical data in 2007 about their projects.

RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS

Catholic Churches

The Roman Catholic Dioceses of Utah can provide a list of their structures designed by architects practicing by 1949. Their office is located at 45 North ’C’ Street along with their archivist.  T: (801) 328-8641.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

World Headquarters, 50 E. North Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150  T: (801) 240.2272.

See earlier references.

Jewish Congregations

Congregation Brith Sholem, 2750 Grant Ave., Ogden, UT 84401 T: (801) 392-7688

Congregation Kol Ami, 2425 Heritage Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84109  T: (801) 484-1501

United Jewish Federation of Utah, 2 North Medical Dr., Salt Lake City, UT 84113 T: (801) 581-0102

Protestant Churches

The local offices of several protestant denominations have lists of their structures, but not necessarily with the names of the architects.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Historic

Salt Lake City Institute of Architects – 1891

Utah Association of Architects – 1910

Current

The American Institute of Architects

1735 New York Ave., N. W., Washington, D.C. 20006-5292  T: (202) 626-7600. Archives (T) (202) 626-7496

Utah Chapter of The American Institute of Architects (AIA Utah)

268 South  Street, St., Suite 190 Salt Lake City, UT, 84111 T: (801) 532-1727

Utah Center for Architecture (UCFA)

aka, Utah Foundation for Architecture and the Built Environment, 268 S State St., Suite 190, Salt Lake City, UT, 84111  T: (801) 532-1727

National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)

1801 K St. NW, Suite 700K, Washington, D.C., 20006, T: (202) 783-6500, maintains certification files on architects for interstate registration throughout the nation.

TOUR GUIDES

UHF- 2002 TOUR GUIDE

“The Utah Heritage Foundation, Walking Guide of Notable Buildings”, published for the 2002 Winter  Olympics when held in Salt Lake City. Also, the “Walking Tour of Historic South Temple”.  The UHF office is located at 485 N. Canyon Rd., SLC, UT 84110-0028 (T) (801) 533-0858

The Utah Travel Council, Council Hall, 4^th North and State St., SLC, UT 84114

(T ) (801) 538-1030

NEWSPAPERS

The Salt Lake Daily Tribune (1870’s) and Herald

The Salt Lake Tribune

Deseret News

Ogden Standard Examiner

Provo Herald

Herald Journal (Logan)

Spectrum (St. George)

INDIVIDUALS

Ross Lloyd Snedaker, FAIA, was the individual who initiated the idea of presenting to the  public  the contributions of architects to the built environment within  the State of Utah, along with Burtch W. Beall, Jr, FAIA, who became the researcher and author of the data.

Richard Jackson, architect, provided information on architects during the identical period of time in developing his book, Places of Worship, listed below and his encouragement was vital to the commencement and continuation of this undertaking.

Emil Fetzer, architect, personal interview about his family’s long involvement in architecture.

Peter Goss, Ph. D., Professor of Architecture (retired), Graduate School of Architecture + Planning, University of Utah, who has published many articles about early pioneer architecture and who provided background material on many architects from his students’ class assignments along with his personal files.

W. Randall Dixon, Church History Department, 15 E. North Temple, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose extensive personal files as Senior Archivist in the Library and Archive area of the History Department complimented & supported other resource material.

Allen Roberts, architect, author and historian, CRSA, 650 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84103.

P. Bradford Westwood, former chair of the L. Tom Perry Special Collection at BYU and then at the LDS Church History Department offered his Utah architects biographical files for project review.

REFERENCES

Places of Worship, 150 Years of Latter-Day Saints Architecture by Richard A. Jackson, architect, published by Brigham Young University, 2003

Mormon Americana: A Guide to Sources and Collections in the United States, Edited by David J. Whittaker, Published by BYU Studies, 1995

A Survey of LDS Architecture in Utah 1847-1930 by A. D. Roberts, 1974

Macmillan Encyclopedia of Architects (1982)

Biographical Dictionary of American Architects (Deceased) 1952 ( Use with caution)