Dennis A. Smyth House - Ogden, Utah
Posted by: BruceS
N 41° 13.223 W 111° 57.825
12T E 419217 N 4563669
Historic Victorian style house that is now serving as a law office in Ogden, Utah
Waymark Code: WMC059
Location: Utah, United States
Date Posted: 07/10/2011
Views: 7
This two story brick residence is an outstanding example of Victorian Eclecticism in late nineteenth century Utah [built circa 1889]. It is situated on a corner lot and is oriented to the north and east, those walls having been composed of a unique combination of elements of the Second Empire, Moorish and Romanesque Revival styles.
It has a covered Mansard roof, characteristic of the Second Empire Style, which has a slight overhang. A paneled parapet once topped the roof edge, but it was removed during the recent restoration process.
The rectangular form of the southwest corner of the building gives away to an undulating wall surface on the north and east sides. A monumental rounded bay marks the northeast and is centered between two distinctive towers.
The bay is distinguished by slender round arched windows on both stories. Those on the second story rest on a belt course that marks the division of the two stories. The first story windows vary in length in order to indicate on the exterior the rise of the staircase on the interior. The windows have leaded glass in them with a stained glass trim.
The towers which vary in size and roof type both consist of a first floor entrance porch and a second story balcony. They both have round arch openings which are supported on short round columns on the second story balconies and square piers on the east porch and short columns with elaborate capitals on the north porch. Those round arches are reminiscent of the Romanesque Revival Style. The tower on the north side has a conical roof topped with a finial, and a curved second story balustrade. The tower on the east side has a bellcast hip roof topped with a small Moorish dome and a simple second story balustrade set into the porch roof.
The round arches of the towers are echoed in the elaborate window of the bay on the north wall, in the double door opening onto the second story balcony of the north tower, and in the simple windows of the three part bay on the east side. The northwest corner of the building is rounded and windows have been set into it." - National Register Nomination
After serving as a private home for several years the home served as a convent from 1948-1967. It was then converted back to a private home. It has now been converted to professional offices for a law firm.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
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