67 East South Temple Street
Salt Lake City, UT, USA

National Register of Historic Places - Beehive House

Statement of Significant:

The beautiful old mansion is the pioneer home of Brigham Young, built in 1854. Today's workmen, under the direction of architects (all grandsons of Brigham Young) have done a remarkable job of restoration. The outside adobe brick walls have been painted in the original straw-colored yellow, which gives the manor a gay, but antique appearance of the original.

The Beehive House was built to meet the dual needs of Brigham Young, second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and first governor of Deseret, later Utah Territory. Above all, however, the Beehive House was a home for his family. It was also used as an official mansion where the Mormon leader received and conferred with other Church leaders, state and federal dignitaries, and entertained prominent traveling officials. During the life of Brigham Young, many famous people were entertained in the Beehive House, including President Ulysses S. Grant, Emperor Dom Pedro of Brazil, General William T. Sherman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain, Jay Gould, Horace Greeley, and even the midget Tom Thumb and his tiny wife.

In 1893, the Church purchased the historic building to make it the official residence of its presidents. Lorenzo Snow and Joseph F. Smith were the only two succeeding presidents to live in it. After the death of President Smith, the house stood vacant for a number of years, and was again remodeled and maintained as an away-from-home residence for young women who came to the city to work or attend school. 12
In 1959, when the Church decided to restore the Beehive House, a committee made up primarily of descendants of Brigham Young was chosen to carry out the task. Research and detective work on the part of this committee took 18 months to complete, and included the use of old manuscripts describing the house, the search for Brigham Young's furnishings, and the discovery of "clues" beneath old plaster to find tell-tale evidences of still earlier construction. The "Manuscript" had been written by Clarissa Young Spencer who lived in the Beehive House from childhood until after her marriage.

Heavy coats of paint and wallpaper were peeled away, revealing the original colors and patterns. False ceilings were torn down, exposing ornate medallions which pioneer craftsmen installed in 1854.

With restoration and furnishing complete, the lovely mansion is now open for tours to the public. In its location, it is near Temple Square, a National Landmark, and the Lion House, which adjoins it on the west, and which is also a National Landmark.