Jul 26, 1979
National Register of Historic Places - Woodruff-Riter House
Statement of Significant: The significance of the Woodruff-Riter home lies in its fine architecture, which boldly establishes the values of Salt Lake City's rapidly-growing commercial elite at the turn of the century, and in its associations with a prominent local entrepreneur and an important legal/military figure of World War II. Edward D. Woodruff, born in Rock Springs, was a Union Pacific medical doctor who had established his practice in Rock Springs, Wyoming. On moving to Salt Lake City, Woodruff abandoned practice as a medical man and instead entered into commerce and was immediately successful in a number of speculative enterprises. He eventually became president of the Brown, Terry, Woodruff Corporation, which owned many commercial enterprises in Utah. In 1906 he built this mansion at the height of his fortunes, and as befits an entrepreneur of his eminence, he chose the prestigious firm of Headland and Wood of Salt Lake City to execute the design in a suitably baronial style. The interior was styled to resemble an English manor house with the living room handsomely decorated with leather stretching three-quarters of the way up the walls and topped by canvas-backed murals on the rest of the walls and ceiling that were painted by the prominent Utah artist William Culmer. The rest of the home was similarly marked by style and craftsmanship of the period. The house passed into the hands of Woodruff's daughter, Lesley Day, and her husband Franklin Riter. Riter, a lawyer, was called into active service during World War II, and as Brigadier General Riter was Head of the European Branch Office of the Judge Advocate General Army. In this role and as chief of the Army Board of Review in Europe, General Riter was deeply involved in the Private Slavic case. General Riter's papers, on deposit at the archives of the Utah State Historical Society, are a valuable body of information on this case and on many other matters pertaining to legal and military matters in World War II. The architects' rendering of the design for the Woodruff-Riter mansion is also part of the Historical Society collections. Subsequent to the death of the general the house was divided up into apartments and stripped of its elegant decoration. It has now been acquired for use as commercial office space and restoration work is being contemplated. Among other professional offices, the Woodruff-Riter house is occupied by former United States Senator Frank Moss.
National Register of Historic Places - Woodruff-Riter House
Statement of Significant: The significance of the Woodruff-Riter home lies in its fine architecture, which boldly establishes the values of Salt Lake City's rapidly-growing commercial elite at the turn of the century, and in its associations with a prominent local entrepreneur and an important legal/military figure of World War II. Edward D. Woodruff, born in Rock Springs, was a Union Pacific medical doctor who had established his practice in Rock Springs, Wyoming. On moving to Salt Lake City, Woodruff abandoned practice as a medical man and instead entered into commerce and was immediately successful in a number of speculative enterprises. He eventually became president of the Brown, Terry, Woodruff Corporation, which owned many commercial enterprises in Utah. In 1906 he built this mansion at the height of his fortunes, and as befits an entrepreneur of his eminence, he chose the prestigious firm of Headland and Wood of Salt Lake City to execute the design in a suitably baronial style. The interior was styled to resemble an English manor house with the living room handsomely decorated with leather stretching three-quarters of the way up the walls and topped by canvas-backed murals on the rest of the walls and ceiling that were painted by the prominent Utah artist William Culmer. The rest of the home was similarly marked by style and craftsmanship of the period. The house passed into the hands of Woodruff's daughter, Lesley Day, and her husband Franklin Riter. Riter, a lawyer, was called into active service during World War II, and as Brigadier General Riter was Head of the European Branch Office of the Judge Advocate General Army. In this role and as chief of the Army Board of Review in Europe, General Riter was deeply involved in the Private Slavic case. General Riter's papers, on deposit at the archives of the Utah State Historical Society, are a valuable body of information on this case and on many other matters pertaining to legal and military matters in World War II. The architects' rendering of the design for the Woodruff-Riter mansion is also part of the Historical Society collections. Subsequent to the death of the general the house was divided up into apartments and stripped of its elegant decoration. It has now been acquired for use as commercial office space and restoration work is being contemplated. Among other professional offices, the Woodruff-Riter house is occupied by former United States Senator Frank Moss.
Jul 26, 1979
Posted Date
Jul 10, 2023
Historical Record Date
Jul 26, 1979
Source Name
National Register of Historic Places
