126 South 200 West
Salt Lake City, UT, USA

National Register of Historic Places - Lewis S. Hills House

Statement of Significant:

The Hills residence is significant as the home of one of pioneer Utah's major financial figures, Lewis S. Hills. For over four decades, as president, director or major shareholder of many of Utah's most important banking, commercial and industrial institutions. Hills played a leading role in economic development in the state. Since 1928 the former Hills home has served as a community center for the Basque population of Salt Lake City.

As a representative example of local High Victorian Italianate architecture, the home is also significant. A popular residential style in Salt Lake City during the 1880's and early 1890's, the Hills residence is one of only a few well-preserved Italianate homes remaining in the city.

HISTORY:
Lewis S. Hills was born in South Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1836. He came to Salt Lake City in 1862. In 1869 he participated in starting the private bank of Hooper, Eldredge and Co. In 1872 the bank was incorporated as the Deseret National Bank with Hills as cashier. In 1892, he became president. He also was a director of Deseret Savings Bank, Z.C.M.I. (Zion's Coop. Mercantile Institution), Beneficial Life Insurance Co., Consolidated Wagon and Machine Company, as well as other major banks and companies.

Hills was also active in local politics as a member of the People's Party. He was the first receiver of the U.S. Land Office in Salt Lake and served two terms on the city council. He married Theresa Burton in 1866 and they had six children. Hills died in 1915.

Lewis Hills owned the site upon which the home stands from 1869 until 1908. The building was built c. 1885 as a residence for the Hills family. Sometime after the family moved, the large home was converted to a boarding house. In 1919 the home was purchased by John F. Bennett of Bennett's Paint and Glass. Bennett was an early developer of the cut glass, art glass and paint industry in Utah.

The late owner, John Landa, bought the building in 1928. He and his wife had recently come to Salt Lake from the Basque country of Spain where Mr. Landa had been a sheepherder. Landa did some remodeling and opened the Hogar Hotel (supposedly meaning 'home' in Spanish) as a lodging for Basques. In the years since, the house has become a center for those area Basques who wish to maintain ties with their cultural heritage. I t is a close-knit group which is reluctant to let non-Basques enter and stay in the hotel. At Christmas and Easter, the hotel sponsors ethnic activities. The owner also helped Basque newcomers to get jobs and residences in Salt Lake. In the hotel, the Basque language is spoken almost exclusively. Mr. Landa died in 1976.