Alfred McCune Mansion - Salt Lake City, Utah
Posted by: 
Lord Mot
N 40° 46.436 W 111° 53.409
12T E 424881 N 4514043
Located on Main Street in Salt Lake City
Waymark Code: WMBEWF
Location: Utah, United States
Date Posted: 05/12/2011
Views: 15
The Alfred McCune Home is one of the turn-of-the-century mansions on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City, Utah. Built for Alfred W. McCune on the inclined south side of Capitol Hill at the northeast corner of 200 North and Main Street, the mansion has 21 rooms and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was built in 1900.[1]
McCune was born in Calcutta, India while his father, Matthew McCune, was stationed with the British Army and converted there to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The family immigrated to Nephi, Utah. Despite this Alfred McCune seems to have never joined the LDS Church.[2]
By the time he was 21, Alfred had contracted to build portions of the Utah Southern Railroad. He was a highly successful railroad builder, and became well-connected to other late 19th century millionaires. He was a partner in the Peruvian Cerro de Pasco mines along with J. P. Morgan, William Randolph Hearst, and Frederick William Vanderbilt. He owned business interests throughout Utah and in parts of Montana, British Columbia, and South America.
McCune was respected by his contemporaries for his integrity, his congenial personality, and his generous donations to worthy causes. He was also civic-minded and politically ambitious. In 1899, he ran for the Senate as the Democratic candidate against Republican incumbent Frank J. Cannon and several other candidates. When none was able to get a majority of votes, the election went down in history as the time when Utah was unable to select or send a senator to Washington. McCune later tried again for the Senate but was defeated by another mining and railroad magnate, Thomas Kearns.
Elizabeth McCune had as many diversified interests as her husband had. She served in many prominent LDS Church positions and became close friends with Susa Young Gates, one of the daughters of Brigham Young. An active supporter of women's rights, Elizabeth attended the 1889 International Congress of Women in London. After being voted patron of the organization, Elizabeth was entertained by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle.
McCune wanted his home to be an extravagant display and to these ends he financed a two-year tour of America and Europe for his architect S. C. Dallas to study designs and techniques. The design chosen was a Gothic revival plan with East Asian influence. The home is a replica of a house Alfred and Elizabeth saw while driving on Riverside Drive in New York City.
While the home was under construction, John R. Winder and McCune called upon the First Presidency of the LDS church. McCune told them that he and his wife, Elizabeth, were building a new home and wished to rent the Gardo House for two or three years. The Gardo house had been used as a residence and offices for LDS church leaders. Relieved to find a suitable new tenant, the Church accepted his offer and set the rent at $150 per month.
The McCune home site was chosen to rise up impressively over the nearby streets, and little expense was spared on decoration. McCune had mahogany shipped from San Domingo, oak from England, and a rare white-grained mahogany from South Africa. The red roof tiles came from Holland, and an enormous broad mirror wall was transported from Germany in a specially made railroad car. The walls were adorned with moiré silks, tapestries, and Russian leather. The exterior of the home was built of red Utah sandstone although some details like the lavish fireplaces used more exotic stone like Nubian marble. The home was completed in 1901 at a cost of over one half million dollars.
Public/Private: Private
Tours Available?: no
Year Built: 1900
Web Address: [Web Link]
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