Federal Heights got its name from the Army officers at Fort Douglas who established homesteads in the area in the late 1800s.
Today, this area of the valley is known for its tree-lined streets, early traffic circles and gracious homes that represent everything from the late Victorian era through Period Revival and Arts and Crafts/Craftsman/Bungalow to a few modern styles.
It's a great place to revisit history, appreciate workmanship and increase awareness of just how much our past adds to our present, says Alison Flanders, public outreach director for the Utah Heritage Society.
Which is why she is very excited that this year's Historic Homes Tour, sponsored by the society, will take place in the Federal Heights area.
The tour will showcase eight homes that have been carefully adapted for modern living by excellent stewards concerned with preserving the character and integrity of their past, she says.
One of those houses is a Bungalow-style home that was built in 1922 for Stephen M. and Hannah (or Anna) Covey. He was president of Covey-Ballard Motor Co., which sold Nash cars, and also president of Covey Brothers Amusement Co. which owned the Coconut Grove dance hall, once billed as the "largest and most beautiful ballroom in the world" (or at least in North America).
In 1937, the home was sold or given to their daughter, Lucille, and her husband, Lynn S. Richards. He ended up living in the house until he was 100.
The home passed into the hands of its third owners, Ray and Angie Carter, in 2001.
Over the years, a few changes were made to the house — a small swimming pool was added in 1967, for example, and the front porch was enclosed. The Carters also had some work done. "We opened the kitchen into one big room," says Angie Carter. "But all the crown moldings are original. We kept all the doors and windows." Some of the toilets and bathtubs are also original.
There are pros and cons to living in an old house that has only had two owners, she says.
"A lot of the original features have been preserved; we think it was remodeled a bit in the 1940s. We did have to re-do all the electrical and plumbing. But in a lot of ways, construction in 1920 was a lot better than it is now."
Her very favorite things are the two fireplaces, done in Batchelder tile in true Arts and Crafts style. "I tell my husband that if we ever move, we have to find a way to take those fireplaces with us," she jokes. "They are such a focal point for the house. I just love them."
The house has a large basement, which originally may have had a ballroom, as well as what was probably quarters for domestic help. "But the large windows are wonderful. They let in so much light, you hardly think you're in a basement."
A lot of her friends live in modern, new homes, says Angie Carter.
"But I love this house because of its history. It's truly one of those 'if these walls could talk' homes. And when I'm doing things around the house, I often think of Mrs. Richards and wonder how she did those things. I wouldn't trade living in a house with such 'historical coolness,' I don't know how else to describe it. Obviously, the families who lived here loved it so much that they didn't move. I want to respect that."
The current owners of another of the houses on the tour, a Prairie Eclectic-style home built in 1916, agree.
So much good living gets embedded in the walls that you come in and immediately feel at home, they say.
This house, too, had only a few owners — but an equally interesting history.
It was built by T. William and Elenora Stevens; he was a local physician and surgeon. But in 1928, the home was purchased by the Phi Pi Phi fraternity at the University of Utah, a purpose it served for about four years.
In 1933, it was bought by a dentist and his wife, William H. and Clara Sprunt, and it remained in the Sprunt family until 1996.
One thing that makes the house unusual, says Kathy Nielsen, the heritage society's director of volunteers, "is that you rarely see a Prairie-style home with two stories. But when things got this far West, they changed. The Sprunts raised nine children here, with one bathroom. Each bedroom had a sleeping porch."
The house, she says, also has such a nice flow. "Many houses of this age were broken into tiny rooms. This one always had a large main-floor room. It's really a one-of-a-kind house."
Not to mention the fact that it survived its frat years in such good shape, she jokes.
"It's great that people take such great care to preserve so much of the history," adds Flanders. "It's so easy to lose character-defining features."
The home has been changed some: The back porch was enclosed to create a larger kitchen, and landscaping in the backyard has been altered, with, among other things, a greenhouse that provides orchids for the home.
But, she says, it's easy to see how "you can live a modern life in a historic home, that it can be easy and fun."
That's what she hopes people who come on the tour will appreciate. "It's so important to save these old homes; they are such a piece of history. They show the craftsmanship of a bygone age; they show what was popular; they showcase different lifestyles."
Plus, adds Nielsen, "it's so much better for the environment to save them than to fill up the landfills with them. They should be saved, used and appreciated."
There are a couple of changes for the 2010 Historic Homes Tour. Headquarters will be at the roundabout at the intersection of South Temple, Sigsbee Avenue and Federal Way, at approximately 1400 E. South Temple. All tour attendees must pick up their program/ticket there before visiting any of the houses.
There will also be no parking provided at a special lot this year; parking is available on the street. But walking, biking or taking the bus are also encouraged. The houses are all within walking distance.
Tickets are $15 if purchased before 5 p.m. on April 27 online at www.utahheritagefoundation.org or by calling 801-533-0858; they are $20 on the day of the tour.
The tour concludes the foundation's Annual Preservation Conference, which includes events on Thursday and Friday.
A showing of Eric Bricker's documentary film, "Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman," will be presented April 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Salt Lake City Main Library auditorium. It is free and open to the public.
The Utah Heritage Awards Luncheon will take place at noon on April 30 at the Salt Lake Masonic Temple. Awards will be presented in seven categories to honor preservation efforts statewide.
"These projects highlight the importance of historic preservation," says Kirk Huffaker, executive director of the Utah Heritage Foundation. "They benefit our citizens and our visitors."
If you go…
What: Utah Heritage Foundation's 39th Annual Historic Home Tour
When: May 1, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Federal Heights area; headquarters, 1400 E. South Temple
Tickets: $15 by 5 p.m. April 27; $20 on the day of the tour
Phone: 801-533-0858
Web: www.utahheritagefoundation.org
e-mail: carma@desnews.com