Chipman Warehouse, Merchant Street, West side, between North Street & Main Street, American Fork

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The Chipman Warehouse retains its architectural integrity as a commercial enterprise, significant to local commerce and economic development, and constructed by James Chipman, a member of the Chipman pioneer family of American Fork.

Historical Information Physical History

Date of Erection - Unknown. The warehouse is not shown on the city plat of but is present on the plat of The Chipman Mercantile Company was incorporated in and a railroad spur to the site was authorized in therefore, it is likely the building was constructed within this seven-year bracket. Original and Subsequent Owners - The building served as a general warehouse for the Chipman Lumber Company (part of the Chipman Merchantile Company) until the lumber yard was moved to a new facility in The Utah Poultry Producer's Co-op. Association converted the western half of the warehouse to an egg grading and shipping plant in and operated the plant until when a new plant was completed near the southwest corner of the warehouse.

After according to local residents, the warehouse was used periodically for storage and small commercial enterprises until the mid-1940's. Several ventures were proposed after the warehouse became vacant (such as conversion to a restaurant in the however, the structure has remained unoccupied, Alterations and Additions - The warehouse is a large L-shaped, two-story structure with an internal wall dividing the western and eastern half. A connecting doorway in the dividing wall appears, from structural evidence, to have been added after the original construction. The rear wall of the eastern section originally contained an arched doorway, slightly west of center, and Chipman Warehouse HABS No. UT-120 (page 2) an arched window on the west side of the door.

Both openings were subsequently sealed by red brick of a lighter hue than the original brick. The front wall of this section originally contained two arched doorways, also bricked in with light-red brick, and replaced with a single rectangular entrance with a wooden lintel and a sliding wood-slat door. The dates of these modifications are unknown.

Historical Context

The City of American Fork City was laid out in by George A. Smith, with assistance from Stephen Chipman, Arza Adams, William Greenwood, L. E. Harrington, and Stephen Mott. Chipman and Adams are also credited with construction of the first residence in the new settlement. References to James Chipman begin in The Chipman Mercantile Company was incorporated in with James Chipman as president. To date, the company is still in operation in American Fork City. The Chipman Warehouse derives much of its historical significance from its association with a local pioneer family, and from its connection with an enduring commercial operation.

Architectural Information General Statement

Architectural Character - The Chipman Warehouse is of architectural merit based on the integrity of its exterior facade materials and design. Condition of Fabric - Good.

Description of Exterior

Overall Dimensions - The Chipman Warehouse is a red-brick, L-shaped, two-story structure internally divided into a western and an eastern half. The western half has a rectangular floor plan of approximately square feet. The eastern half is roughly square with approximately square feet. Foundation - The warehouse was constructed on a limestone, ashlar-block foundation, which is visible just above the existing ground surface. Openings - The western half of the warehouse contains a single rectangular entrance in the front (south) facade, flanked by two square windows with arched, offset brick lintels. The windows are set high near the top of the entrance. The side (west) wall has two arched doorways.

Remnants of the railroad spur are visible along this side, indicating this was the primary warehouse entrance. Three square, arched-lintel windows are set high in the center and to each side of the doors. The rear (north) wall has a single, square entrance near the northeast corner of this section. (This door appears Chipman Warehouse HABS No. UT-120 (page 3) to be an early addition to the original construction.) The facade is centered by three high-set, square, arched-lintel windows, with a single square, arched-lintel window centered in the gable. The eastern half of the warehouse originally contained two arched doorways on the front (south) facade; these entrances are sealed with light-red brick.

Access to this section is from a single rectangular entrance with a wooden lintel and a sliding wood-slat door. A single rectangular window is set to the west of the door at the first-floor level. There is one large arched entrance on the side (east) wall, flanked by two rectangular windows with arched, offset brick lintels. A large arched window is centered above the doorway, and is in turn flanked by two diamond-shaped, wooden-louvered, ventilation openings. Centered in the gable is a loft entrance with a pulley system. The back (north) wall of the section originally contained an arched doorway, sightly west of center, and an arched window at the first-floor level. Both openings are sealed with light-red brick. Roof - The hipped roof of the warehouse is of wood shingles.

The hip has two slopes, running north-south in the western section and east-west in the eastern section. The roof of the western section of the warehouse has been demolished.

Description of Interior

The footprint of the warehouse is L-shaped, with an internal brick wall dividing the western and eastern sides. The western portion of the building has a wood plank floor; the floor in the eastern portion is concrete. While in private ownership several years ago, the warehouse was partially demolished. The interior, in its existing condition, is gutted and littered with iron fragments, brick, wood scraps, shingles, white-paste glazed ceramic, and light-amethyst glass. There are no remaining interior features related to the original form or function of the Chipman Warehouse.

Site and General Setting

General Setting and Orientation - The Chipman Warehouse is in the center of Block 19, bounded by 100 North Street to the north, Merchant Street to the east, 100 West Street to the west, and Main Street to the south. Other uses on the block include the Intermountain Farmers Building (Utah Poultry Producers Co-op) to the southwest; private residences to the north and northwest; a road maintenance yard to the northeast; a vacant commercial building to the east; and a residential hotel and retail shops to the south. Chipman Warehouse HABS No. UT-120 (page 4) SOURCES OF PROJECT INFORMATION

Bibliography

George F. Shelley, Early History of American Fork, pp. 19, Hubert Howe Bancroft, "Utah History of the Pacific States, Volume XXI, PROJECT INFORMATION A survey of the Chipman Warehouse was conducted by R. Roper in October for the Utah State Historical Preservation Office. At that time it was determined that the Chipman Warehouse was potentially eligible for the National Register. However, written documentation of the survey was never completed, and no further determination of eligibility of the warehouse was pursued. The United States Postal Service proposes to purchase the Chipman Warehouse property from the City of American Fork City for the construction of a new Main Post Office.

Plans call for the demolition of the Chipman Warehouse in Winter This historical recordation also includes photodocumentation. The documentation was completed in May for the United States Postal Service by P-III Associates, Inc., South West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah, unipman warenouse HABS No, UT-120 tOAO * let C th3iN30 OIAIOI OAOUd (Page 5) J7* Chipman Warehouse HABS No. UT-120 (Page 6) UTAH COUNTY PLAT S*r MM -HO*^ */< * 19 ^ AMERICAN FORK * A L l Mj 100 NORTH ^ I l TT H1 I'J 10! tao w 0<t i~H /i<4 >t tstul- to -y/u *fiij c**i riLlMtO**. AMD | Hi4. CO TTT C*Jif-A ff u? - __ _ . . Vrt - *y i* PIT ' " ' " "1^ H, p fr . ." c# i n f* ^A*%ru nt.u-7* # rf 42UT593: f * *; ' jii*'*t' if I fij C-iM * * ; ~h t Li iiH? il X. FUIH.SH j > >. tu fit * i(<r ^i * i.nft Figure 2.

Location of study area on block 19. Chipman Warehouse HABS No. UT-120 '.. * 1HHSE ' - ' ; .:' : El ww- - - .:' (Isifii Figure 3. Block ]9 in Chipman Warehouse (Page 8) H6BS.No. UT-120 Figure 4. Block 19 in