National Register of Historic Places listings in Salt Lake County, Utah facts for kids

Location of Salt Lake County in Utah

Have you ever wondered about the old buildings and special places around you? Many places have amazing stories from the past! In Salt Lake County, Utah, there's a list of these important spots called the National Register of Historic Places. This list helps protect buildings, areas, and objects that are special because of their history, design, or what happened there. Think of it like a hall of fame for historic sites!

Salt Lake County is a big area in Utah. While many historic places are in Salt Lake City itself (and they have their own list!), this article focuses on the cool historic spots found in other parts of the county. There are over 140 of these special places outside of Salt Lake City. Some are even called National Historic Landmarks, which means they are super important to the history of the entire United States!

What are Historic Places?
Salt Lake County's Special Spots
Places That Used to Be Listed
Images for kids

What are Historic Places?

The National Register of Historic Places is a list kept by the United States government. It includes places that are important to American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture. When a place is added to this list, it means it's recognized as valuable and worth preserving for future generations. It's a way to celebrate and protect our past!

Salt Lake County's Special Spots

Salt Lake County is home to many unique historic places. These include old houses, schools, churches, and even a huge mine! Each one tells a part of Utah's story. Let's look at some examples of these amazing sites.

Famous Landmarks

Two places in Salt Lake County are so important they are called National Historic Landmarks:

Bingham Canyon Open Pit Copper Mine: This is a giant mine near Copperton. It's one of the biggest open-pit mines in the world! It shows how important mining was to Utah's history. It became a landmark in 1966.
Emigration Canyon: Located on the eastern edge of Salt Lake City, this canyon is famous for being the route that pioneers took when they first arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. It's a key part of Utah's settlement story and was named a landmark in 1966.

Cool Historic Buildings

Many other buildings in Salt Lake County are also on the National Register. Here are just a few examples:

J. R. Allen House in Draper: This house was listed in 1980. It's an example of the kind of homes built in the area long ago.
Nathaniel Baldwin House in Millcreek: Nathaniel Baldwin was an inventor, famous for creating early headphones! His house was added to the list in 1985.
Draper Park School in Draper: Built in 1980, this old school building reminds us of how education used to look in the community.
Empress Theatre in Magna: This theater, listed in 1985, was once a popular spot for entertainment. Imagine watching a movie here decades ago!
Gardner Mill in West Jordan: This mill, listed in 1982, shows how people used to process goods and materials in the past.
Granite Paper Mill in Cottonwood Heights: This old paper mill, listed in 1971, highlights the early industries in the area.
Hawarden in West Valley City: This historic home, listed in 1980, has a unique name and a long history.
Iris Theater, Apartments and Commercial Building in Murray: Listed in 2001, this building was a hub for movies and businesses in Murray.
Midvale City Hall in Midvale: This building, listed in 1994, used to be where the city's government operated. It's now a community building.
Murray Theater in Murray: Another historic theater, listed in 2001, that was important for entertainment in Murray.
Riverton Elementary School in Riverton: This school, listed in 1996, now serves as the Riverton City Office, showing how old buildings can find new uses.
Sandy City Bank in Sandy: Listed in 1997, this old bank building shows what financial places looked like in the past.
Sandy Tithing Office in Sandy: This building, listed in 1985, was used by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to donate goods and money.
Henry J. Wheeler Farm in Murray: This farm, listed in 1976, is a great example of a historic farmstead and is now a popular spot for visitors to learn about farm life.

Historic Districts

Sometimes, a whole area or group of buildings is historic. These are called "historic districts."

Copperton Historic District in Copperton: This district, listed in 1986, includes many buildings that show what life was like in this mining town.
Evergreen Avenue Historic District in Millcreek: This area, listed in 2007, has many historic homes and buildings that tell a story about the community's growth.
Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District in Cottonwood Heights: Listed in 1989, this district includes an old power plant that used water to create electricity.
Murray Downtown Historic District in Murray: This area, listed in 2006, has many important buildings that were part of Murray's main business and social center.
Sandy Historic District in Sandy: This district, listed in 2007, covers a significant part of Sandy's old town center, showing its development over time.
Stairs Station Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District in Big Cottonwood Canyon: Another hydroelectric power plant district, listed in 1989, showing early ways of generating power.

Places That Used to Be Listed

Sometimes, a historic place might be removed from the National Register. This can happen if the building is torn down or changed so much that it loses its historic importance. For example, the Jordan High School in Sandy was listed in 1984 but was later removed because it was demolished in 1997. The Utah-Idaho Sugar Factory in West Jordan was also delisted after it was torn down in 2011.

Images for kids

J. R. Allen House
Charles M. and Fannie M. Allsop Anderson House
Frederick C. and Anna Anderson House
John A. Anderson House
Y. Martin and Hannah Nelson Anderson House
Nathaniel Baldwin House
Bateman Agriculture and Development Company
Reid Beck House
Amanda Conk Best House
Bingham Canyon Open Pit Copper Mine
Ernie and Irmgard Bourne House
Brady-Brady House
Brinton-Dahl House
David B. Brinton House
John P. Cahoon House
Santa Anna Casto House
Copperton Community Methodist Church
Crescent Elementary School
Crossgrove House
Arthur and Ellen Cushing House
James and Maria Long Cushing House
Draper Park School
Draper Poultrymen and Egg Producers' Plant
Draper-Steadman House
Emigration Canyon
Empress Theatre
Evergreen Avenue Historic District
Benjamin and Jane Cook Farrer House
John William Farrer House
Perry and Agnes Wadsworth Fitzgerald House
Gardner Mill
Archibald R. and Violet Clark Gardner House
Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District
Granite LDS Ward Chapel-Avard Fairbanks Studio
Granite Paper Mill
Riley H. and Sarah Ann Russell Graves House
Hawarden
Anders Hintze House
Abba R. Holman Block
Iris Theater, Apartments and Commercial Building
Amos and Ida Jensen House
James B. and Ellen May Cushing Jensen House
Michael Jensen House
Jensen-Jensen House
David and Hattie S. Rasmuson Johnson House
John A. and Annie C. Olsen Johnson House
Kearns-St. Ann's Orphanage
Little Dell Station
Magna Community Baptist Church
John and Mary Mattson House
David McDonald House
Benjamin and Olivia Meek House
Joseph E. and Mina W. Mickelsen House
S.J. Mickelsen Hardware Store and Lumber Yard
Hyrum and Mary A. Terry Peterson Mickelson House
Midvale City Hall
Mountain Dell Dam
Murray City Diesel Power Plant
Murray Downtown Historic District
Murray Downtown Residential Historic District
Murray LDS Second Ward Meetinghouse
Murray Theater
August M. and Mabel Jensen Nelson House
John and Elizabeth Brown Oldham House
Mary Ellen Parmley House
Edward Pugh House
Riverton Elementary School
Salt Lake County Library
Sandy City Bank
Sandy Co-Op Block
Sandy Historic District
Sandy LDS Stake Recreational Hall
Sandy Second Ward Chapel
Sandy Tithing Office
Lauritz H. and Emma Smith House
Lauritz Smith House
Mary Smith House
Stairs Station Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District
Niels and Mary Ann Fitzgerald Thompson House
Louis E. and Florence Jensen Van Dam House
William Tyler and Amorilla Gammet Vincent House
Glen M. and Roxie Walbeck House
Warenski-Duvall Commercial Building and Apartments
West Jordan Ward Meetinghouse
Henry J. Wheeler Farm

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National Register of Historic Places listings in Salt Lake County, Utah Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.