The barn is prettiest at dusk, when Reed Pierson flips the floodlights on and it stands plastered against the fading sunset.
The old red barn, dating from the turn of the century, is where Pierson grew up amid local lore about how the original builders were a polygamist farm family with extra doors built into their house so they could escape marauding federal agents who were cracking down on Utah's multiple-marriage tradition.Times have long since changed, and progress has been marching on for a while in the neighborhood. By the end of the year, a sprawling new apartment project will hem the barn in on two sides.
Pierson says he can't finance it, but he wants to find a way to preserve the site and protect it from complete urban encroachment.
While his family sold the surrounding land to developers, Pierson held onto the house and barn for sentimental reasons. He still lives on the site at 7356 S. State, where he operates an auto-repair shop out of the barn.
He says he's approached the city for help and has asked around about buying adjacent land, but he says his efforts have been in vain.
Bob Irvine, developer of the 288-unit complex recently approved by the city, seems unsympathetic to Pierson's concerns.
"The only effort under way is by Reed Pierson," said Irvine. "It's not that big an issue with everybody else.'
Pierson has at least one friend on the City Council, however.
"I want to see the Pierson barn preserved and hope someday a small park can be a part of the site," says Councilman Dave Nicol. "It's a city landmark and should remain as a part of Midvale's historic identity."
It probably boils down to a question of money. The area is zoned commercial and land is costly.
"We'd love to have it for some type of museum or something, but it's hard for a small town to pay for something like that," said city planner Mark McGrath.
Pierson has gotten moral support - but not much else - from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Utah Historical Preservation Society and a private group called Barn Again.
"There aren't many left like this one," he said. "When they go, a part of American history goes."
The structure has been repainted in recent years to mimic the inexpensive red oxide pigment farmers used generations ago to protect outbuildings. It stands about 40 feet high, sports a companion silo, covers about 5,000 square feet and is home to numerous birds and the occasional small rodent.
"Financially, saving it doesn't make much sense," Pierson. "It's more of an emotional thing."