UTAH HISTORIC SITES INVENTORY /7 Present Use Private Home Original Use' Private Home Arch I teet or Bui lder Eber Piers Nlme and Address of Site Owner Leo J. Sull ivan 2565 Eccles Ave. Address of Site 2565 Eccles Avenue Original Owner Marrlner A. Browning Material Bri ck Oate Apr I 1 1975 Year Bui It 1914 1. Oescribe the historical significance of the site. Include a discussion of the original and subsequent owners. and dates and events associated with the building and the owners. This historical significance of this site lIes perhaps In the whole street Seen as a historic district. Each home Is so closely re-lated In architecture to each other home on the street. The setting of the homes facing a watermelon shaped park center makes the setting rather unique and lovely. Another aspect of Its historical significance might be that this house is an early example of the work of Ogden archi­tect Eber Piers, who also did many other buildings on this street. These homes show an architectural growth of an exceptIonal architect as wIll be seen In the slides presented. The original owner of this home was historically significant to Ogden if not also to the Intermountain West. Harriner Adams Browning, born June 6, 1890 and died September 4, 1966. He was the son of Hat-thew S. Browning (brother of John Hose Browning. the gun inventor). His uncle invented the guns and his f'ther. Matt, handled the finances. He worked with these 2 men for 10 years in all business ventures and so was a natural to continue the business after thel r deathS. Upon the death of his father in 1923, he took over the financial operations of the J. H. and H. S. Browning Company and It was his responsibility to keep all the famIly interests together until its dissolution In 1953. He also managed and help organize the Browning Arms Company untl 1958. In 1928 Mr. Browning along with Marriner Eccles, David Eccles' son. pooled the Eccles and Browning bank interests to form the First Security Bank Corporation. Hr. Browning was Executive Vice-President (and one of three men on the executive committee formulating the bank policies}. He was a member of the Board of Directors until his death in 1966. He also served on the executive committees and Board of Olrectors of Utah Power & Light Co .• Utah Construction & Hinlng Co., Amalgamated Sugar Co. and Firs t Secur I ty Inves tmen t Co. He waS atways lnterested in ranching having worked on the Utah Construction ranch as a boy and he was later instrumental In keeping the ranch going later by convincing prominent men to invest in It and to purchase additional land. Later when uranium was being dis-covered, he WaS able to convInce the Utah Construction Company to join In minlng with the Lucky Mac Mining Company by Jeffrey City, Wyoming and this was a huge success and how Utah Construction became Invovled in their mining ventures. Mr. Browning started the 200,000 acre Bar B Ranch as a representa­tive of the J. M. & M. S. Browning Company and he managed and directed this large Utah-Montana ranch until Its llquldation in 1953. Mr. Browning was very charitable In a quiet, dignified way. lie never donated if he thought it would be publlcally known and It was with much persuasIon that I was able to find out a few of the many donations he made. Attached is a letter found behind a broken mirror by Mrs. L. J. Sullivan, the present Owner of his house. It shows that he had do­nated part of his own ranch land In Eden to the Boy Scouts. This prop· erty was next to the water and when the water level was raised In 1960 this camp was covered but was in use untl I then. His personal secre­tary, Mrs. Wilks, said that One day he was walking by the 12th Ward Chapel on Jackson and 26th and he noticed that It needed a new roof and told her to send them a check to cover the cost. He and Val A. Browning donated the property on which St. Joseph's High School sets today. Mrs. Wilks also said that one time when Mr. Browning was In the St. Benedicts Hospital, he noticed a little burned boy who needed a special bed that turned him over and the hospital had to borrow it from the Oee Hospital. So Mr. Browning told her to buy a bed for the St. Benedlcts Hospital so no patient would be deprived of this care. Both secretaries said what a quiet, dignified, generous man he was and that no One really knew what a powerful influence he was in his various positions. Mrs. Wi Iks said he was very thoughtful and If he knew she were going to be going to Salt Lake to see her husband, who was in the hospital, he would call her each night to be sure she got home safely. She also said he could write the most beautiful letters or telegrams of sympathy upon someone's death and felt he had a gi ft for this. lie was very nice to his four sisters. He looked after their In­terests and would take them to lunch at least once a week·-arm·ln-arm. He loved to sing cowboy songs and would sing to his friends and even the small nieces and nephews, besides his own grandchildren. He always tipped his hat to all he knew on the street--a gentleman all the way. His friends called him "Pete". Everyone could expect democratic treatment from Mr. Browning, his secretaries and others have said. He married Oorothea Bigelow in 1912 and they had 2 sons; Matthew S. Browning and Marriner BIgelow Browning. Mrs. Browning was a daughter of Archie P. Bigelow, who was President of the Ogden State Bank until it went broke during the depression because of 11 run On it. Me built the Ben Lomond Motel, formerly called the Bigelow liotel, in Ogden, a beautiful monument of the grand hotels of the past. Mrs. Browning was a very interesting wom.n. She was the first one of two women drivers In Ogden and was Intensely interested In mechanics which brought her together with her husband whom she used to watch making guns when She was just 12 years old. She also loved to go hunting with her hus­band and was an expert shot. Attached is a zeroxed article that really covers her life interests from gardening to knitting and traveling and golf. They changed the rules at the Ogden Golf & Country Club So her mother could play. She loved to travel and mostly traveled alone or - )- With friends as her husband didn't enjoy it. Hr. Browning never dis­couraged her because he knew she loved It. He often saog "Far Away Places" to her as it kind of joke betwen them. She was a very gener­ous person--even gave her housekeeper it car. She would knit a sweater In 2 days and would give tll ...m to not only her grandchi ldren and nieces and nephews but to others as well and never accepted repayment In any way. She was it member of the Martha SocIety and Oaughters of the American Revolution, the Ogden C... mera Club and an original member of the French Club. Her philosophy was "I think the Imponant thing for it person to do is to 5 tand on his own two feet, and if he llves dght and Is generous and considerate of other people, the rest will take care of itself". She lived her philosophy. She outlived her husband four years, dying on January 31, 1970 at age 78. 2. Oescribe the building in terms of Its architectural significance. In­clude a characterization of the style, a description of any unique features it might possess as well as the contribution it makes to the environment. The Marriner Browning home is Wrightian in influence; nO specific other Influence, being true to character; having a stucco upper quarter, brick lower 3/~. The brick Is red with dark mortar. The facia is heavy, probably 9-11 Inches thick; the SOffits are long, possibly ~ 1/2 feet with a minor soffit In that toul length just below painted in a mOnO color with the rest of the soffit, in comparison with the Royal £ccles home, which has the second fascia painted the Same as the exterior facia. On the front, a main section of wall is an extension of what is the living room and is well proportioned. It has its own side columns and stucco caps and its own facia and a small roof, the bottom of the facials located at window height, again. The window sills and column caps and porch caps are red sandstone. In an interesting In-novation of the drive-through portico usually found on the side of the house is an extended portico roof supported by two columns which are capped. The upper quarter is with stucco and the sandstone cap over the brick. This however forms a porch by placing a brick parapet at the floor line at the top of the stairs. An unfortuanate downspout commands the front entrance and the extension of the front room. Ron Hales, Architect This building shows the early style of Ogden Architect Eber Piers as compared to mOre elaborate bui ldings of his found on the street. It Is In the Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie House tradition on a 2 story level. The simplicity of it is appealing in its envirnoment and it would be hard to have the surrounding scrubbery ruin It no matter what the condition It might be at any time. It stands out as good archi-tecture on Its site. 3. Describe what alterations have been made to the original structure. For example, have there been any additions? Where? When? In what ways has uSe of the interior space been altered? Has the building been stuccoed or otherwise sheathed? Patio added just to northwest of house. Paint On was tan as was inside living room which is now white. rooms oak woodwork has been painted. exterior Upstairs stucco bed - · ,. Rumpus room lllllt fixtures have been changed but they still have them and the f oor. Basement has the original furnace-Ideal- and hot water tanks, 80 gallon-Rex A maid's buzzer In the kitChen Is a feature we don't see now. It has 4 bUZZ5 for upstairs and various rOOmS to call maid • •. Oescribe the physical condition of the site at the present time. liel1 kept up InsIde and out. E"celleot condition. 5. What are the future plans for the slte1 Home in a historic dl5trlet~ ,. Sources used In compiling the history. diaries, family historles, newspapers, (Persons etc. ) interviewed, books, Delores Nordquist - Personal secretary 16 years to Hr. Browning Mrs. Osborne (Fontella) Wilks - Personal s"er"tary to Hr. Brownlng Blanche Browning Rich - SIster to Mr. BrownIng Gene Browning Ellis - Sister to Mr. BrownIng Dr. Junior Edward Rich - Brother-in-law Standard Exmainer Newspaper (attached) Ogden Cemetery files Mr. and Mrs. L. J. Sullivan Present owners of the house. 7. Person compiling form; Name; Carolyn R. Nebeker Address: 1750 Kershaw Ogden, Utah Telephone: 621-2440 Return to; Preservation Planning OFFICE Utah Historical Society 603 E. South Temple Salt Lake City,Utah 84102 SUBSEQUENT OWNERS On February 1, 1957 - Sterl in9 Campbell and wife Thella b<.\ught the home f<.\r $17,000.00 from Marriner Browning. They lived in it until 1962 upon which date they sold the house to Joseph R. BarriOS and wife Lorraine who lived in It until December of 1963. William W. Brandt and wife Karen bought the houes and lived in it until March 1965. They then sold the house to Leo J. Sullivan and wife Marci on July, 1966 See attached Deed index.