Salt Lake City Cemetery, 200 N Street, Salt Lake City

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS UT-2. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Salt Lake City Cemetery's main gate and sexton's house are located at 200 "N" Street, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah. The cemetery occupies approximately 252 acres bounded by "N" Street on the west, Wasatch Drive on the north, "U" Street on the east, and 4th Avenue on the south, excluding the abutting Congregation B'Nai Israel Cemetery, Congregation Montefiore Cemetery, and the Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery at its southeast comer.

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS UT-2. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Salt Lake City Cemetery is the oldest and largest municipal cemetery in Utah. Ferguson avers that it is the largest city cemetery in the entire U.S. (Ferguson, p. 4). Many famous community, civic and religious leaders, as well as infamous rapscallions are buried there (Linda Hilton pamphlet). The Salt Lake City Cemetery was long known as the cemetery because of its origin as the first burial ground for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (informally called the LDS or Mormon church), as well as for the large number of Mormon ecclesiastical leaders laid to rest in it. Cemetery records show that the burials also represent a sample of Utah's diverse ethnic and cultural population.

The cemetery is a cherished public park in the great tradition of the American rural cemetery and public park movement. Early Century SALT LAKE CITY CEMETERY HALS NO. UT-2 (Page 2) Photos from the Shipler Collection show extensive understory plantings of shrubs and elaborate flowerbeds. As was common practice in other Salt Lake City parks, the cemetery once had its own greenhouse for the production of bedding plants (recorder abstracts). Today the vegetation consists primarily of a mixed forest of evergreen and deciduous trees and expansive lawns. The cemetery houses a diverse population of birds and wildlife including raptors, songbirds, deer, squirrels, chipmunks and occasional mountain lions (Ferguson, p. 7).

Source document Quoted word for word from HALS UT-2. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Susan Crook, ASLA, Susan Crook & Associates, SALT LAKE CITY CEMETERY HALS NO. UT-2 (Page 3) PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History 1. Date of establishment: On September 27, 8-month-old Mary B. Wallace was laid to rest on the barren hillside that would become the Salt Lake City Cemetery. The site was dedicated as a burial ground in by the Mormon Colonists who settled in the Great Salt Lake Valley (Ferguson, p. 4). The tract of land was officially established as the Salt Lake City Cemetery when the city was incorporated in 2. Landscape architect, designer, creator: None of the Salt Lake City records inventoried in this preliminary research named a designer or referred to a master plan for the development of the cemetery.

The road system in the cemetery was laid out on a grid, echoing the layout of typical Mormon colonial settlements, but with some roads contoured and edged with retaining walls to fit the topography of the hillside location. New sections were developed as more burial plots were needed. When all of the land set aside for the cemetery was platted, some of the roads were closed and platted for additional burial plots. This has resulted in some inconvenience for patrons who must walk longer distances to graves, and for staff when they are opening and closing graves and doing routine maintenance (Meeting with cemetery staff, August 15, 3.

Builder, contractor, laborers, suppliers: Entries in the Recorder's abstracts give names of contractors who worked on projects in the cemetery, and of funding sources for the work they did. The north wall and gate were WPA projects. Some stone contractors are listed, but the variety of stone walls throughout the cemetery suggests work by many different masons. More research is needed to identify the workers, building methods and sources of materials for buildings and structures in the cemetery. This documentation will guide future conservation efforts. 4. Original and subsequent owners, occupants: The Salt Lake City Cemetery has been owned by Salt Lake City Corporation from its official designation as the City Cemetery in to the present.

The first sexton was George Wallace, who arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley with his family in the first group of Mormon colonists on July 24, Wallace served as the cemetery record- keeper from the date of his daughter's burial on September 27, to January when he was appointed its first sexton, a position he held until July SALT LAKE CITY CEMETERY HALS NO. UT-2 (Page 4) Historically, the sexton and his family have lived in the Sexton's house at the southwest comer of the original Park Plot (DUP p. The date of construction of the first sexton's house, a wood-frame Victorian that appears in Shipler photos dated and is unknown. It was replaced in by a lodge designed by the prominent Salt Lake architectural firm, Ware and Treganza Recorder Abstract).

The sexton at the time of this writing, Mark Smith, and his staff use the sexton's house exclusively as the cemetery office, although it was still used as a residence by the previous sexton Paul Byron at the beginning of his appointment. A complete list of sextons and their dates of service follows. Name Beginning Date Ending Date Title George Wallace September 27, January Record Keeper George Wallace January July First Sexton T .A. Mitchell July May Sexton Joseph E. Taylor May May Sexton Robert Patrick June March Sexton Daniel Dunn April April Sexton C.E. Offenbach April March Sexton C.E. Angell April April Sexton Thomas Carter May February Sexton Joseph F. Simmons February March Sexton Thomas Carter January March Sexton Heber H. Davis March January Sexton John E.

Wiscomb January July Sexton Paley A. Hill August January Sexton Edwin G. Brown January January Sexton Chancy L. Evans January March Sexton G.O. Bishop March March Sexton A.M.J. Prichard April April Sexton Tanner April January Sexton W.W.Home January July Sexton Thaddeus M. Evans January April Sexton Garff April October Sexton Thomson October September Sexton Gerry L. Merriam October June Sexton Welden Nichols June February Sexton RogerD. Ten March December Sexton Douglas H. Nelson December February Sexton Linda L. Oatberg February August Sexton Jacob Westbrook August June Sexton Ben Russo June June Sexton Huey Paul Byron July April Sexton/ Maintenance Supervisor Mark Edwin Smith April Present Sexton/ Maintenance Supervisor SALT LAKE CITY CEMETERY HALS NO. UT-2 (Page 5) 5.

Periods of development: a. Original plans and construction: While no formal plans for the cemetery were found, it appears to have developed in the tradition of the garden cemetery, originally with lush understory plantings and ornamental flowerbeds. b. Changes and additions: The following are examples of major changes and additions to the cemetery. A complete chronology needs to be prepared from the Recorder Abstracts to guide future in-depth documentation of the cemetery's development history. ornamental gateway Recorder Abstract) new sexton's lodge by prominent Salt Lake City architectural form Ware & Treganza Recorder Abstract) sprinkler irrigation system installed Recorder Abstract) B.

Historical Context The Great Salt Lake Valley was colonized by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints seeking asylum from real and perceived persecution in the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. Their hope of establishing the city of Zion on earth by living self-sufficiently in isolation was dashed by Manifest Destiny, the California Gold Rush, and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Point, Utah, in Under the leadership of Brigham Young, they settled in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake, beginning with the arrival of the first party of immigrants July 24, The first burial on the site that became the City Cemetery was two months later. The designation of a burial ground was a matter of necessity.

Early Mormon proselytizing efforts were focused on recruiting skilled craftsmen, builders, agronomists and the myriad skills required to build Brigham Young's Great Basin Kingdom. Mormon colonists came from throughout the northeastern U.S., England, Scandinavia and Western Europe where the garden cemetery and public parks movements were underway. It is unknown whether the Salt Lake City Cemetery's hillside location was chosen merely from practical necessity at the outskirts or town, or also for its panoramic views over the Salt Lake Valley.

Development of the cemetery was a microcosm of the role of water in the West: the creation of a garden by piping in water, and the destruction caused by flooding from record rainstorms in August, The potential exists for further modifications to the cemetery's appearance through the downing of trees by microburst winds and freak weather events such as the tornado that tore through downtown Salt Lake City and the A venues near the cemetery in August SALT LAKE CITY CEMETERY HALS NO. UT-2 (Page 6) As the cemetery nears capacity, its funding and future are under discussion. One model that might be considered is that adopted for Central Park. The Central Park Conservancy partners with the City of New York to help fund and manage the park. This relationship was developed over a 25 year period.

PART II. PHYSICAL INFORMATION A. Landscape Character: 1. Overall description: The tree-lined streets and hillside location of the Salt Lake City Cemetery make it a prominent feature of the East A venues district of the city. The most important element contributing to its landscape character is the one that is least visible and most dear: water. Without irrigation, the cemetery site would be barren. Improvement and maintenance of an efficient irrigation system is a priority for the short-term maintenance and long-term management of the cemetery. 2. Character Defining Features and Spatial Organization: a. Vegetation: tree canopy and lawns b. Topography: hillside location c.

Views and vistas: panoramic views east to the Wasatch Mountains, south to Traverse Ridge, and west to the Oquirrh Mountains and the Great Salt Lake d. Circulation and paths: grid layout made more interesting by the hillside topography and overarching canopies of trees e. Buildings and structures: Sexton's house and parking lots Maintenance buildings and service area Restrooms f.

Small-scale elements: Walls: stone retaining walls and the north boundary WPA wall Fences: various styles of ornamental metal and chainlink Gates: comer entrance and "monumental" gate resulting from a competition Steps: stone steps through stone walls, perhaps leading to ghost paths now overgrown or platted for graves Curbing: concrete, asphalt, and hand-dressed sandstone curbing - was this taken from another location in the city? Section markers: engraved stone markers identify the cemetery sections Monuments: in addition to headstones; some are memorials Street signs: metal signs on metal poles are essential for wayfinding.

The cemetery has its own street system Street lights: vintage utilitarian Irrigation risers and equipment: about half of the cemetery is still watered with labor-intensive pop-in heads, a throwback to the irrigation system SALT LAKE CITY CEMETERY HALS NO. UT-2 (Page 7) g. Seasonal changes and ephemera Vegetation Foliage presence/ absence; seasonal color changes Flowering trees and shrubs Lawns: summer green and winter white with snow Weather and mood: snow, rain, sun, cloud patterns/ shadows Flowers, stones (Jewish Cemetery), and other remembrances on graves Events: funerals, holidays B. Recommendations for Further Documentation Views and vistas should be mapped to guide the planting of replacement trees for screening and framing views.

Small-scale features should be identified and documented using field photos, sketches and scaled drawings as part of further research. Such features include individual trees and plantings, sandstone curbing, drain grates, site concrete and asphalt, stone steps, irrigation system, ghost paths and carriage roads, distinctive masonry types, fencing types, street signs, street lights, section markers, gate styles and materials, gravestones and monuments, the sexton's house and associated contributing structures and outbuildings. This baseline information will inform decisions about maintenance and improvements that may affect the historic character of the cemetery. C. Questions for Further Research 1.

Which came first irrigation water for the cemetery or culinary water for A venues residential development? 2. When and how were the ethnic, fraternal, religious and military sections developed? 3. Why was this site chosen? 4. How was the size determined and the land set aside? 5. Where did the trees and plantings come from? Who grew, supplied, and planted them? 6. When were buildings and structures added and removed? 7. Was flood irrigation used, or was the irrigation water always piped? What kinds of sprinklers were used if piped? What did the earliest irrigation system look like - layout and components? 8. What did the SLC Cemetery look like decade by decade from the time of the first burial in When and where were other cemeteries in the area developed? 9.

How did materials and methods of construction of streets, walks, curbs, gutters, walls, steps, piping (water and drainage), lighting, and other infrastructure change over time? 10. How did the methods of planting, transplanting, and maintaining trees and plantings change over time? How did this affect the look of the cemetery? 11. How did general trends in cemetery design, development and management affect the look and management of the cemetery over time? SALT LAKE CITY CEMETERY HALS NO. UT-2 (Page 8) PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION A. Drawings, plans: Salt Lake City Engineer. Map of City Cemetery. Original 24" x 36" plat book, 1 of 2, located in Sexton's office. Salt Lake City Corporation, presented to Board of Commissioners and the City, November 5, Updated Beers, City Engineer.

Salt Lake City Recorder. Historic sketches, maps and plats of the Salt Lake City Cemetery and improvements thereto. Dates vary. See Appendix B. B. Historic views, photographs: Shipler Commercial Photographers Collection. Utah State Historical Society. Retrieved March from: C. Bibliography Daughters of Utah Pioneers of Salt Lake County Company, comp. & pub. Tales of a Triumphant People; A History of Salt Lake County, Utah Reprint. Salt Lake City: Stevens & Wallis Press, Ferguson, Marc C. Discovering Salt Lake City Cemetery. Self-published brochure. Copyright Hilton, Linda K. The famous and infamous: a guide to the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Salt Lake City, Utah: Mohawk Publishing, D.

Unpublished materials, pamphlets: Salt Lake City Recorder, Abstracts of Records relating to the Salt Lake City Cemetery, through E. Sources not yet investigated: Archives of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for information about the selection and dedication of the cemetery site. Also historical photos and illustrations of the site and people associated with the development of the cemetery. Utah State Archives and Record Services for photos, drawings, maps, plats and records relating to the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Utah Division of State History Research Center for books, manuscripts, and articles about the cemetery. SALT LAKE CITY CEMETERY HALS NO.

UT-2 (Page 9) Utah Historical Quarterly for articles about historic cemeteries in Utah for comparison with the layout and landscape of the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Salt Lake Tribune Archives and Deseret Evening News Archives for articles, photos, and public notices relating to the cemetery. F. Supplemental material: APPENDIX A - Shipler Photos APPENDIX B - Abstracts of Documents from Salt Lake City Recorder PART IV. PROJECT INFORMATION The preliminary Salt Lake City Cemetery HALS was prepared by Susan Crook & Associates (SCA, Susan Crook, ASLA, Principal) for Salt Lake City Corporation, with funding from the Utah Humanities Council, Deseret Management Corporation and Salt Lake City Corporation.

Dell Cook, served as project manager for Salt Lake City Corporation, under the general management of Public Services Director Rick Graham, with assistance from Nikki Bown, media and public relations, and Global Artways staff, exhibit preparation. Mark Smith, Salt Lake City Cemetery Sexton, and his staff assisted with research at the cemetery. Chris Meeker, Chief Deputy Recorder, and Janyce Fowels provided archival research assistance in the Salt Lake City Recorder's office. Susan Crook, SCA, was the project director and historian, with Robin Carbaugh as assistant project director and humanities component facilitator. Julianne Sabula helped with graphic design for the exhibit of student work.

Honors literature teachers Linda Simpson, Judge Memorial Catholic Hitt School, and Father John Norman, Juan Diego Catholic High School, and their through 12 grade students studied and visited the cemetery, responding to its historic character-defining features with photographs, sketches, poems, and essays for the exhibit. Professor Peter Goss, architectural historian and documentary photographer in the University of Utah Honors Program, prepared the large-format archival photos.