Wasatch County Jail, Center Street, Heber City

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS UTAH,26-HEBER,2-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

This is part of the only remaining original Mormon Town Square in Utah, PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Original and subsequent owners: Wasatch County 2. Date of ^erltion: Ca. 3. Architect and builder: Unknown k. Alterations: To accommodate increased prisoner load the space was subdivided into two floors at an unknown date. B. Historical Events and Persons Associated with the Building: Wasatch County was created by the Utah Territorial Legisla- ture by an act which was approved January 17, In the Selectmen were directed to erect a county jail and act as Ex-officio directors of the same. The jail was constructed just to the west of the county courthouse on Block 90 of the Heber City survey, (the town square).

Although its exact date of construction is not known, it is presumed to have been built soon after the county courthouse, which was com- pleted in C. Sources of Information: 1. Primary and unpublished sources: Interview with Don Barker, President, Heber City Historical Society. A Minutes of Board of Selectmen of Wasatch County. WASATCH COUNTY JAIL HABS No. U-26 (Page 2) 2.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS UTAH,26-HEBER,2-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Laws of Utah, Ch. 5, Sec. 1. Mortimer, Wm. James, How Beautiful Upon the Mountains, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, Prepared by John L. Giusti, AIA September, PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1. Architectural interest: This building is a typical early Utah jail and a part of the Heber City Town Square complex. 2. Condition of fabric: In general, good. However, wood detail is rotting and chimneys have crumbled. B. Description of Exterior: 1. Over-all dimensions: The jail is 29' 7" x 28' 2" and of sufficient height it could be subdivided into two floors. 2. Foundations: Red sandstone. 3. Wall construction, finish and color: Walls are of rough cut, coursed red sandstone ashlar. The finish and color are natural. h.

Sturctural system, framing: Not accessible for measure- ment. 5. Porches and stoops: Stoops at both entrances are rec- tangular blocks of smooth red sandstone, set flush with the ground and the floor. 6. Chimneys: Are brick at corners of south elevation. They originally served stoves and the chimneys are no longer used. They have crumbled away, leaving small stubs. 7. Openings: a. Doorways and doors: The two exterior doors are 2" thick, built up from 1 x h planks nailed diagonally to vertical 1 x The doorways are openings in the masonry and are boxed with 1 x b. Windows and shutters: Windows are tall and narrow, six-over-six. Double hung, with no distrinctiye trim. WASATCH COUNTY JAIL HABS No. U-26 (Page 3) # On the exterior the openings are "barred.

Window- openings have sills and lintels of red sandstone. 8. Roof: a. Shape, covering: The roof is hipped, sloping 5" in 12 on the east and west, and 11" in 12" on the north and south sides. The covering is wood shingles. A shingled gable on the south side is terminated by a parapet wall. b. Cornice: Molded cornice projects two feet from masonry on east north and west elevations. The parapet on the south elevation has a sheet metal covered cornice projecting one foot. C. Description of Interior: 1. Floor plans: The "building is divided "by a north south vertical wall into two parts, one for men, and the other for women. The men's portion had a jailer's room, a storage room and one large cell. The women's portion contains a failer's room, a hall and three cells.

Recent- ly, a second floor was added above the men's part by lowering the ceilings. A stair was put in the storeroom for access to the one room second story addition. 2. Stairways: A steep stairway opens off the east side and is contemporary with the recent second floor addition, 3. Flooring: The original flooring is concrete throughout. The modern second floor is wooden. h. Wall and ceiling finish: Walls and ceilings are of plaster and are painted institutional greens, yellows, and whites. 5. Doorways and doors: Doorways are masonry openings without trim. Some doors are of metal strapwork diagonally placed to form a diamond pattern. Other doors are 2" thick built up from 1 x h planks nailed diagonally to vertical 1 x h planks. The cell doors have a grid of strapwork in the openings. 6.

Decorative features and trim: Through the years the jail's unwilling occupants have decorated the walls with calendars, pictures, and messages in addition to the more ordinary graffiti. 7. Notable hardware: Door hinges and hasps are of 1 x lA" wrought iron strapwork. WASATCH COUNTY JAIL HABS No. U-26 (Page h) 8. Lighting, type of fixtures: No original fixtures remain. 9- Heating: Originally heat was supplied "by stoves in the southeast and southwest rooms. D. Site and Surroundings:. 1. Orientation: The building faces south on Center Street and is set hack TO' from the street. To the east, only 2^' away is the rear door of the Wasatch County Court- house, for concenience in transferring prisoners. Be- tween the two buildings are parked vehicles from the Sheriff's Office.

The jail is located in the center of the block between 100 West Street and Main Street and shares the Town Square with the Wasatch County Courthouse, the Wasatch Stake Tabernacle and the Heber Amusement Hall. 2. Landscaping and walks, enclosures: Asphalt paving defines the recent parking lot and butts against the building's south and east sides. The remainder of the site is grass and has informally placed evergreen trees. The ground is rolling and the area is irrigated by narrow ditches lacing through the site. Prepared by C. W. Barrow # Student Assistant Architect Utah Project June 30, PART III.

PROJECT INFORMATION This record is part of a Utah Survey conducted in the summers of and under joint sponsorship of the Historic American Build- ings Survey of the Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation of the National Park Service and the Utah Heritage Foundation. Field work, historic research and record drawings were done under the direction of Project Supervisor Paul Goeldner, AIA (Texas Tech Univer- sity) assisted by Project Historian John Giusti, AIA (University of Utah). Photographs were made by P. Kent Fairbanks of Salt Lake City. Student Assistant Architects on the team were Robert M. Swanson and Chrales W. Barrow, (University of Texas) and Kenneth L. Lambert and Keith Sorenson, (University of Utah). Student Assistant Architects were Keith Sorenson, Charles D.

Harker and Robert Schriever, (University of Utah) and Donald G. Prycer, (Texas A. & M. University). #