They've spent hours searching for documents, looking at photographs and talking to the surviving family members. They've spent their time trying to recreate a piece of the past. And when they're done, they want the people of Utah to know all about their research.
While the women who take care of the Whitaker Museum in Centerville may not seem like traditional detectives, the investigative work they are doing may soon help residents of this small Davis County community find a clearer link to their community's past.
As director of the museum, Melissa Hogan donates her time to the preservation of a historic landmark in her hometown. She, along with other dedicated volunteers, hopes to turn this former pioneer home into a living monument and an educational experience for the next generation of Centerville residents.
"We just want to see this jewel brought before the people," Hogan said.
That jewel is the historic family home of Thomas and Elizabeth Whitaker, who were some of the first residents of Centerville.
The architect of the house, Charles Duncan, also worked as a stonemason on the Salt Lake Temple. Sometimes he would bring home pieces of sandstone he was unable to use on the temple and work them into the house he was constructing for the Whitakers. The quoins, or corner pieces, of the Whitaker home still show the stonemason's chisel marks and add a unique element.
"We have a one of a kind here," Hogan said.
Years later, the Whitaker's son changed some elements of the home, putting additions onto the original adobe house.
In 1995 the city of Centerville purchased the property with the goal of turning it into a local museum. The next year the museum opened to visitors and was added to the National Registry of Historic Places. The prime location of the house, just south of City Hall, only enhanced the accessibility and charm of the museum, Hogan said.
"We want to create this city center so we have people stopping by on a regular basis," she said.
Most of Hogan's recent detective work has focused on discovering the original state of the home before renovations were made in the 1930s. She and Lisa Buckmiller, chairwoman of the Centerville City Historic Sites Committee, are tracking down local and family histories that might include information on what the home may have looked like in the 1800s.
They have contacted several branches of the Whitaker family asking for any photographs they might still have. And they are looking at other historic homes from the same time period, all with the goal of creating a blueprint of the original home.
Their efforts soon will be presented to the City Council as part of a master plan for preserving the house. Hogan and other members of the historic sites committee will include a proposal for changing the house back to its original state when it was built in 1866. They intend to present the plan, including a drawing of what the finished house would look like and a request for grant money, to the City Council later this month.
Once the project, with its proposed revisions and additions, is completed, the museum should look and feel like a real pioneer home, Buckmiller said. "We want the kids to feel what life was like," she said.
The museum, though still a work in progress, houses artifacts both from the Whitaker family, but also from Centerville and surrounding areas. Those items include Elizabeth Whitaker's wedding ring, an antique Steinway piano and a 48-star American flag the family flew over the house in the early 1900s.
While some residents have sacrificed their time trying to preserve the home, Hogan said she hopes the rest of the community will catch the vision.
"We're going to have to have community support," Hogan said.
That support includes volunteers willing to help out at the museum, some of whom will be able to dress up in period costume, and the financial support of the city. Although it might take many years before the museum becomes the showpiece Hogan and Buckmiller want, they said it is a love of history and a love for their community that has given them the drive
"It's a neat place to be," Hogan said.
E-mail: mwitte@desnews.com