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Show UTAH HISTORIC SITES INVENTORY Name and Address of Site Owner Date Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Moore April, 1975 2541 Van Buren Ave. Architect or Builder Address of Site Eber Piers 2541 Van Buren Avenue Ogden, Utah Original Use Private Home Original Owner Mrs. Ruth Wattis Gwilliam Present Use Private Home Material Brick Year Built 1917 1. Describe 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. March 9, 1909, David Eccles, President of the Ogden Savings Bank, organized the Eccles Subdivision. A. F. Parker, was the city engineer who designed and planned the lay-out of the division. The above property, 2541 Van Buren Avenue, was sold to J. E. Browning January 14, J. E. Browning, Jr. sold it to Archibald Browning September 1, Archibald Browning sold the property to E. O. Wattis September 3, E. O. Wattis and wife Martha A. Wattis requested that Eber Piers, an Ogden architect, design two matching houses for adjoining properties on Van Buren Avenue. The house was built by Mr. Meade. The house was built in 1917 (Sewer Permit, personal histories - verification - all attached). On September 10, 1917, the house was given to the Wattis' daughter, Ruth Wattis Gwilliam "for $1.00 with love and affection". Mrs. Ruth Gwilliam divorced hre husband Mr. Roscoe Gwilliam and went to Paris to become a sculptress. She returned to the States and became a student of Mohonri Young , the famous Utah artist. She later married Mr. Shepherd Mitchell and lived in Beverly Hills, California. She was involved in fine arts all her life. In her later life, she and Mr. Mitchell donated the Ground Science Building to Stanford University. The house was sold to Ruth Wattis Gwilliam's sister, Ethel Wattis Kimball on October 27, 1920. On the 7th of May, 1923, Marriner Eccles bought the house from Ethel Kimball; he became the first major occupant of the house. During the 1925 - 30 period, Marriner Eccles added a garage and a servant's wing onto the house. This is the only structural change that ever was made to the house. Marriner Eccles and wife May Campbell Young Eccles owned the house from 1923 until the 20th of January, 1943-a total of twenty years. In 1943, the house was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Clyde E. Stone. Mr. and Mrs. Stone sold the residence to Dr. and Mrs. Sycamore May 10, 1946. Dr. and Mrs. Sycamore owned the house from 1946 until 1970, a total of 24 years. In 1970, the house was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Moore, the current owner.1 -a During the ownership of this residence, Marriner S. Eccles and Marriner Browning organized the First Security Corporation. Mr. Eccles also served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank. Much of the time he owned this house, he also maintained apartments in Wash. D. C. During the months he was in Washington, the house was rented to Marriner's brother Spencer Eccles and to Mr. and Mrs. Douglas, President of the Utah Bar Association. Mrs. Douglas, now living in the Ben Lomond Hotel, recalls the feeling of the house during the Eccles ownership: "Marriner and Mrs. Eccles were leaving for Washington in 1934. Marriner offered the house to us while they were in Washington, but it was far too large for just the two of us. Marriner said to take it and pay him what had been paid for the rent of the apartment, so1 Mr. Douglas and I enjoyed the large house. It turned out well for us because Mr. Douglas was President of the Utah Bar Association in that year and we had a fine place to entertain. I used to raise Irish setters and they would sit on the front porch and look down their noses at everyone who passed. It was a lovely house with Persian rugs on the floor and fine furniture. Maysie loved her house and made it so comfortable. We enjoyed our last year in the house. Johnny came to spend a couple of months with us and we enjoyed having him. We used to enjoy the parties at the house. Marriner could kick up his heels and Maysie was a marvelous hostess. I have such warm memories of these years in that house". Mr. John David Eccles, the younges living son of Marriner and May Campbell Young Eccles describes the house as he remembers it: "When I was a child, I thought of the house as an enormous place. I lived there all year round from 1923 until 1934. At that time we spent only parts of the year there as my father went to Washington as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board and Under-Secretary of the Treasury I had my first darkroom for photography in the old coal storage room. I learned to roller skate in the downstairs basementhall floor. Campbell and I had a partition in the large room in the basement. Campbell had his short-wave radio on the north half of that room. Later the partition was taken out and we used to sleep down there in the summer. I remember Campbell and I shared the northwest bedroom and my sister Eleanor the bedroom on the west. My father's library was on the southeast. I remember that it was my sister's bedroom and I had a strep- throat and couldn't attend the birthday party. I gave the strepthroat to my little sister, Maysie Ellen, who died from it. Her viewing was in the living room of the house. That was very hard for my mother and father. The backyard had several fruit trees with a large weeping willow on the very edge of the house's northwest corner. In the living room we had a grand piano, Persian rugs and large pieces of dark furniture".-2- Describe 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 Eccles home and Dumke home are twins except for the reverse plan. On the Dumke home there is a sun porch projection on the left side with the front room projection on the street side. The Wrightian band just below the window sill line of the second floor continues completely around the building and is a lighter colored red fire brick. Below this band is a darker red brick. The brick is patterned by a receding every fifth course, resulting in a projecting band of four courses continuous around the entire home. To one side is located a drive-through portico entrance. In the Dumke home the entrance is extended to the top of the stair. (addition in 1930). In the Eccles home, it is recessed some 15 feet. The window pattern is with three vented windows, two groups of three symmetrical vented windows on the second level, and six vented windows side by side in the center of the lower level. An interesting change from all of the other homes is that the soffit is sloping having been located on the bottom of the joists rather than being flat and horizontal from the facia. Supporting the porches are a pair of columns. Once again these reflect the cap two thirds up, the upper third with a varying material---in this case a repetition of the lighter colored fire brick. In this area this brick is laid in the stacked bond. C onsidered as a pair, these homes with their accompanying landscaping of lush growth including pine trees, provide a very delightful appearance. The fact that they are duplicate and yet uniquely different, makes one feel they could almost be considered as human. Ron Hales, Architect 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? During the 58 years, this house has undergone no structural changes in the original house. The garage and servants wing (consisting of closet, bathroom, and bedroom) were added during the Eccles' ownership. No other additions or changes were made. Dr. and Mrs. Sycamore added the tile roof to the house. Dr. and Mrs. Sycamore also added the large patio in the mid 1950's. Extensive redecoration , not remodeling, has taken place during the Moore's ownership of the house. Basically, the house appears today as it originally did. Describe the physical condition of the site at the present time. Very good. 5. What are the future plans for the site? Family dwelling.-3- Sources used in compiling the history. (persons interviewed, books. diaries, family histories, newspapers, etc.) Personal information from John David Eccles Personal information and photographs from Mrs. Edna Wattis Dumke Fister. Personal photographs from the Eccles family. The original abstract Weber County House Index Card Obituaries The Standard Examiner Information from 2541 Van Buren residents: Mrs. Douglas, Spencer Eccles, Mr. John David Eccles, Mrs. Mary Rae Christensen Sycamore Allen Architectural summaries from Jr. John Piers, Mr. Ron Hales Person compiling form: Name: Thomas J. Moore Address: 2541 Van Buren Avenue, Ogden, Utah Telephone: 394-7604 Return to: Preservation Planning Office Utah Historical Society 60 3 E. South Temple Salt Lake Ctiy, Utah 84102 |
