39 Pioneer Avenue
Sandy, UT, USA

National Register of Historic Places - John W. Farrer House

Statement of Significant:

Built in 1904, the John W. Farrer House is significant under Criterion C as a distinct and important example of the crosswing, a house type common to Sandy, the surrounding area, and throughout Utah from 1880 to 1910. Among the best-preserved examples of this version of the crosswing in Sandy, this structure retains a majority of its Queen Anne and Victorian Eclectic detailing. I t is also expressive of the level of craftsmanship attained locally on the construction of such structures, including the use of native materials, such as the granite employed on the foundation. Since this house was built by its owner, John W. Farrer, i t may be among the best work of this local builder. Under Criterion A, this house type is significant for its association with an important period of development in Sandy's history. The house provides an example of one type of dwelling which was commonly built in Sandy by and for its residents during the Mining, Smelting, and Small Farm Era, 1871-c.1910.

Located 12 miles south of Salt Lake City, Sandy is at the crossroads of what was once a busy series of mining districts. Paralleling to a large extent the history of mining in surrounding canyons, Sandy's early history and development either boomed or declined based on these mining operations.

Sandy's first major period of development, known as the "Mining, Smelting, and Small Farm Era, 1871-c.1910", closely coincided with the discovery and mining of precious metals in nearby canyons beginning in 1863, and with the arrival of the transcontinental railroad to Utah in 1869. Extending south from Salt Lake City, the Utah Southern Railroad reached the Sandy area in 1871, placing Sandy at a crossroads between Salt Lake City, Bingham Canyon, and Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. Railroad spurs were subsequently extended to the mouths of these canyons, allowing materials to be shipped to and from the mining operations. Since Sandy was a strategic shipping point, it is only logical that needed sampling mills and smelters were built in the area. Also in 1871, a 160-acre townsite was platted, and the construction of a "boom town" shortly followed. The boom period of the 1870s was short lived with the failure of several mining concerns which fed Sandy's economy, leading to the closure of several smelting and sampling concerns beginning in 1876. Mining, however, continued to have a large impact on the town in the years following this initial slow down.

While the dominant force in the economy of Sandy during the 1870s, '80s, and '90s was undoubtedly that of mining, the local agricultural community continued to develop. A series of wells and ditches were dug beginning as early as 1869 to supply the city, smelters, and farms with water. Early agricultural pioneers, who generally established small, family type farms, were but forerunners of a later agriculturally oriented lifestyle which was to dominate Sandy's economy. During the 1890s, despite a downturn in the mining industry, Sandy continued to establish itself as a permanent community in the Salt Lake Valley. New business enterprises came into being to support the local agricultural economy, new schools were built, and the city was incorporated in 1893. With the relocation of sampling and smelting concerns to other locations, Sandy's impact as a mining town diminished. Many of the mines that once supported Sandy's mining industry either played out, or their refining operations were relocated. By soon after the turn of the century, Sandy had lost much of the mining component of its economy, marking an end to its initial phase of development. The agricultural component also shifted at this time away from small family farms toward larger, more specialized farming operations, inaugurating a new phase of development in the city

Born on November 17, 1869 in Salt Lake City to Benjamin and Jane Cook Farrer, John William Farrer was the first of seven children born into the family. This family, which originally lived in Salt Lake City, subsequently lived in Alta, West Jordan, and on a homestead southeast of Sandy City. At the age of 22, John married Harriet Worthington who eventually gave birth to eight children. According to family histories and local directories, John originally worked as a contractor in the area and built several homes including that of his parents as well as his own. Thereafter, John became involved in general merchandising and was involved in a number of firms in the Sandy area. He worked as a clerk at Crapo & Sons from 1908 to 1914, at which time he became involved in the general merchandising firm of Oldham & Powell, where he eventually became principal. His occupation in the 1910 census is listed as a store clerk.

In 1909, the Farrers sold their home to Nephi Anderson, a local farmer who was born in Vernon, Utah in 1867. The Andersons subsequently sold the home to Bertram and Maude Vincent in 1918. Bertram was born in 1882 in Pleasant Grove, Utah, the son of William and Amorillas Vincent. He was a contractor and ran a saloon in Sandy. He died in 1919, the year following his purchase of the home. His wife Maude continued to live in the home, supporting herself and her young family by working in the garment industry for Western Garment and Western Frock Company. Maude transferred ownership of the property to her eldest son La Mar in 1964.