Historic Rock Building

 In November of 1940, 25 year old Kaysville Mayor Thornley K. Swan announced construction of a $55,000 city hall building (total amount kept changing.) In 1941, a bond election was held. Part of the project ($20,000) was paid for by Federal funds through the WPA (Works Project Administration,) part of the New Deal during the Great Depression that gave men much-needed jobs.

The building was designed by Ashton and Evans (Salt Lake architects.) Construction started October 1, 1941. The one story building constructed of concrete, dressed with native stones of gray, rose and purple hues were brought down from Weber Canyon and other nearby canyons. The building contained city offices, library, kitchen, assembly hall and a vault for records. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, work was halted for the war effort.

Construction continued in 1943, with emphasis on a health center led by Dr. Keith Barnes, Davis County Health Department Director and resident of Kaysville. The building was completed and in use by 1944.
Since that time, the building has been home to city government, the Davis County Health Department, the Selective Service, and the city library beginning in 1962.

In 1986, the new Kaysville Municipal Center was built. The library expanded into the newly renovated building in 1987, along with the LeConte Stewart Art Gallery.

In 2006, Davis County took over the operation of the Kaysville library, and moved to its current location at 215 North, Fairfield Road in 2014.

In 2017, the city council authorized the remodel of the building to add much needed office space. However, after work had begun, mold was discovered in the walls. Further inspection revealed additional work to make the building habitable. More discussion was necessary before continuing the work project. The current city council made a decision to remodel, expand, or rebuild the building, possibly to the east of its current location. (History of the historic rock building on Main Street Part 1 posted in Our Kaysville Story public Facebook group. Text taken from posters displayed at the August 2018 Old Library Visioning Workshop conducted by Kaysville City summer 2018)

Main Street and Historic Rock Building Circa 1960

History of Kaysville City Hall Buildings

11-28-1940 Salt Lake Telegram

City Hall: Proposed Building Plans Drawn

Kaysville – In order that residents of Kaysville may get a clearer picture of just what the proposed municipal building will contain, and just how the structure will look, as designed by Ashton and Evans, architects, The Reflex is publishing the above picture and brief description of the various rooms of the planned building.  

 The edifice is planned to be approximately 160 feet in length and 70 feet wide, facing west. Construction is to be of split granite, faced and squared. The south wing of the building will contain the public library, 26 x 46 feet, and spacing for 5,600 volumes.

The center of the structure will house all city offices and storage rooms. Ample vault and storage space is provided for keeping of city records and books. Rooms for council meetings and other city offices are designated.

The north wing of the building will house an auditorium, 45 x 30 feet and a seating capacity of 175. For dining, this room will accommodate 75 persons. In the north end of the auditorium, a moveable stage, 10 x 25 feet is provided. A 14 x 18 kitchen is planned to adjoint the auditorium on the east. Large storage spaces are provided in the basement.

​The present library building is planned to be remodeled for housing the city fire truck and other equipment, and will be used as a general work shop.
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Stating that some taxpayers of Kaysville are still of the opinion that a raise in the city levy will be necessary to erect the building, Mayor Thornley K. Swan again announces that after a careful study by councilmen and auditors, the present levy will amply provide for the proposed project, and that no increase in taxes will be made.  (The Weekly Reflex Thursday, January 30, 1941)

2-16-1941 Ogden Standard Examiner

Robert J. Ashton

Prominent Salt Lake City

Architect & Kaysville Resident

LOCAL ARCHITECT

RAYMOND JOY ASHTON (1887-1973)

Besides being the architect for the Old Kaysville City Hall/Library/Health Center, in 1948 Mr. Ashton designed and owned the Main Street strip area of Kaysville Theater, Frost Drug etc. He remodeled the historic Beesley home on East Crestwood Road as his residence (now known as Simmons home)

Raymond Joy Ashton was born in Salt Lake City on January 23, 1887. He began working at the age of 10 as a water boy on construction sites, where he learned the trade of bricklaying for $2.50 per week. After high school he attended the University of Utah where on his summer breaks worked as a draftsman in the office of the chief engineer of the Union Railroad. Graduated U of U in 1909 and headed to Chicago to attend Ecole de Beaux School of Architectural Design.

On June 18, 1913 he married Winnie G. Richards in Salt Lake City. After returning to Salt Lake he partnered with Raymond Evans, they founded Ashton and Evans Architectural firm in 1923. During his 50 year career Ashton was recognized for his many architectural designs. He was elected President of Utah Building and Construction Congress along with being a high ranking member of the American Institute of Architecture. He died April 7, 1973 and is buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Prescott, Arizona.
Raymond Joy Ashton 1887-1973 – Local Architect firm of Ashton and Evans

Ashton and Evans were responsible for designing many buildings constructed on Utah campuses including the Elinar Neilson Field House University of Utah Campus; Carlson Hall, University of Utah Campus; Utah Museum of Natural History University of Utah Campus; George Nelson Field House, Logan, Utah State University Campus; elementary schools such as Riverton School and the addition to Wasatch School in Clearfield; the Gardner Hall, University of Utah Campus and Irving Jr. High School, 1179 E 2100 S Salt Lake City.

​They were the architects for many public buildings such as the addition to the Wasatch Elementary School in Clearfield – February 3, 1957; Sprague Library 2131 S Highland Drive Sugarhouse.
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Ray Ashton was part of the construction of the original building of the University of Utah Hospital, the McCullough’s Boxing Arena in Salt Lake City, the Utah State Prison, Sears and Roebuck, 780 S State Street, Salt Lake City, built 1945, Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Office, 70 South State, Salt Lake City, Montgomery Ward building 1936, Veterans Hospital 500 Foothill Drive, Salt Lake City and Salt Lake Airport, Ray Ashton helped design and build the original Administration and surrounding buildings.

A Testament to an Alert & Progressive Community

The health center and the library located in the same building reflected the forward thinking attitude of the people and their leaders. According the news published in the larger city of Ogden, Kaysville now possessed due the alert community a public edifice with a distinctive design which reflected well in the eyes of other municipalities.

Given good architecture, competent craftsmen, excellent materials and a good purpose we obtain a splendid public project such as the one in Kaysville. It long will testify to the enduring and interesting qualities of Utah’s building stone and the craftsmanship of workmen skilled in stone masonry.

Even the design of the building was progressive in concept. While most WPA projects were designed in a style labeled PWA/WPA MODERNE, “This is a one-story building, constructed of rubble-faced veneer, that has a low-pitched, truncated hipped roof.  There is a large central rectangular block flanked by smaller rectangular wings. Symmetrically arranged, the building has two front entrances located to the side on the central section.  While each of these entrances has a terra cotta architrave, the rest of the openings are unornamented.  The stone was quarried locally and matches that of the earliest rock homes built in the area. The straight-forward classicism of the building is unusual for PWA-sponsored buildings, for it lacks the more abstract, streamlined appearance often associated with this period of Utah architecture.” (Roger Roper, Utah State Historical Division)

11-7-1948 Ogden Standard Examiner

The seventh governor of the state of Utah was a Kaysville native who held office during the Great Depression. Henry Hooper Blood was prominent in religious, business and civic circles, serving a LDS mission to England soon after his marriage to Minnie Ann Barnes and one in later years.

He returned from the first mission to positions as city recorder, county treasurer, and minutes clerk of the state senate. He was president of the church’s North Davis Stake for twenty-two years, member of the local school board, manager of Kaysville Milling Company and director of several banks and other companies. Governor Simon Bamberger named him to the first Public Utilities Commission.

​He ran for the office of governor in 1932 on the Democratic ticket and is credited with “putting the state on a pay-as-you go basis.”  (New York Times obituary. June 20, 1942.)

“When Blood took office in 1933, more than a third of the work force was unemployed and the percentage of Utahns on relief was among the highest in the nation, a situation exacerbated in 1934 by the worst drought in the state’s history. The governor pushed for a sales tax – reluctantly set by the legislature at two percent – to qualify the state for federal funds, and got lending institutions to agree to a ninety-day moratorium on foreclosures in order to give families a chance to refinance their homes and farms. He lobbied intensively in Washington, and Utah ranked near the top in its portion of per capita federal spending during the Depression. The WPA, CCC, and other federal programs created jobs and helped build highways, public buildings, recreational facilities, and irrigation/reclamation works; the programs also sponsored arts and historical records projects.” (Miriam B Murphy. Utah History Encyclopedia.)

Blood’s position as governor positioned him to obtain federal monies for his hometown.  More than one-third of Utahns statewide suffered from unemployment; that fact mirrored the situation in Kaysville. One of the federal programs to benefit the city was the construction of a municipal building funded with WPA funds.  “Relief from the devastating effects of the Depression occupied Governor Blood’s terms. He fought conservatively but with great determination for Utah’s citizens as shown by his two trips to Washington in his first year as governor. He was a fiscally conservative man of steady, circumspect plans. He held political power that few governors have. He was trusted as shown by the dominion given him.” (Utah State Archives online. Henry Hooper Blood 1933-1942. Democrat.)
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This building now know as the historic Old Library/City Hall was one of the 226 Utah Public Works Administration buildings to be constructed in Utah during the 1930’s and early 1940’s under the Federal Government WPA and other New Deal Programs.. The building itself helps document the impact of New Deal Programs in Utah, one of the states the Great Depression of the 1930’s most severely affected. Buildings constructed during this time under these programs were typically well designed, engineered, and constructed, due to their compliance with strict federal standards. Of those 226 buildings, 130 are still standing and retain their integrity. Of those 226 buildings, 22 city halls were built. This is one of 17 that are left. In Davis County a total of 5 buildings were constructed. This is the only one that remains. It is eligible for National Historical Status. (HISTORY – PART 4 OF 10 – CITY HALL- HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE. Our Kaysville Story Facebook post by Kris Murdock)

Public Health Center

Barnes Block Building on the northwest corner of Main and Center Streets

As a young man, Doctor Barnes had practiced with an MD degree for a time, but in 1939 he went back to school to obtain a second degree in Public Health Administration. At that time he began to run the business of the Davis County Health Department from his office above the old Barnes Bank Building.

​When the bombing of Pearl Harbor put a halt to construction of the city’s new municipal building, Barnes suggested the idea of getting a Federal government grant to finish construction. In turn the plan was to allow the health services functions of the county to set up in the north end of the building. After the war ended, the department stayed on for a period of time. Eventually the department moved into the county courthouse property in Farmington. It was located in a strip of buildings next to the old county library. This would have taken place in the late 1950s or perhaps as late as 1969 according to Kaysville historian, Carol Collett. 

Kaysville City Building c 1944

Employees of the county health services: Unknown; Unknown; Olive Madsen; Florence Larson Bishop, secretary; Phyllis Glines, nurse for Davis County Schools; Unknown. Photo circa 1960 taken on the east side of the Kaysville Library Building. They were co-workers with Dorothy Manning, also a school nurse.

Nurse Mary Millard of the Kaysville Health Center

2-11-1921 Davis County Clipper

Building Honored by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers

Daughters of Utah Pioneers Marker #104 dedicated a Weinel Mill historical marker in front of Kaysville City Hall Building on July 13, 1947 by DUP Camps Phillips, Sunflower, and Oak Leaf.

On April 25, 1947 Kaysville City officials announced the project proposed by the DUP. Dinners and fundraisers were given for several years by the camps of the DUP to accumulate the money. The city added to the fund to meet the cost of the memorial $1,687. The monument plans were drawn by local architect Raymond J. Ashton. Otto Buehner Company of Salt Lake City was awarded the contract to build the monument and benches. Made of pink concrete, Plaques of bronze. Dimensions: benches 8 feet long, base 3 feet wide 5 feet high, 29 inches deep. Mill Stone forms the base for flagpole. 

PLAQUE A READS: The Weinel Mill Built in 1854, by John Weinel, a native of Germany who came to Utah about 1853. The mill was the “overshot” water-powered type and was erected on Webb’s Creek 1/4 mile N.E. of this site. Native stones were used for the walls and pines for its timbers. It was 40 ft. long, 18 ft. wide and two stories high. Ox teams brought the flour-grinding stones weighing 2,200 lbs. from a canyon near Bingham, Utah. This marker is dedicated in honor of our pioneers and Kaysville’s first commercial industries. 
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PLAQUE B: (small plaque on flag pole base) reads: Original Weinel Mill Stone 
The John Weinel Mill, was located between 200 N and Crestwood Road, just East of Fairfield. (later the area was part of Hod and Clover Sanders property) Will post more information about John Weinel and the mill later. (CITY HALL PART 6 OF 10 – WEINEL MILL DUP MARKER. Our Kaysville Story Facebook group posting by Kris Murdock.)

History of Kaysville’s Libraries
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SECOND LIBRARY

“DAVIS COUNTY’S ONLY PUBLIC LIBRARY LOCATED AT KAYSVILLE”
              On September 28, 1920, following a special election at which the proposition to establish a free library in Kaysville under the laws of the state, had been carried by a majority of four to one, the Kaysville library board was organized. The meeting was held at the home of Mrs. W. P. Epperson and the following officers were elected: Henry H. Blood, president; A.G. Franks, secretary: Mrs. W. P. Epperson, treasurer, with Frank Hyde, Mrs Frank L. Layton, Miss Martha E. Barnes and Mayor John W. Thornley, trustees. At this meeting it was decided to proceed with the organization of a library, and Miss Mary Downey, state library organizer, was asked to come and assist the work.

              At a meeting, which was held on October 14, plans for organization were adopted and committees appointed. The building on Locust Street where the library is located, was leased for a period of years and on October 22, 1921, the library was opened to the public with appropriate exercises. The opening exercises were held in the Kaysville Opera House and were well attended. The meeting was presided over by Henry H. Blood, president of the board. After reciting the history of the library movement, the number of books on hand and financial conditions, President Blood presented the library to the people of Kaysville. Mayor John W. Thornley responded and thanked the library board for its work in the name of the people. The program, which followed, included a speech from Principal Elmer Miller of the Davis High school, readings and musical numbers. And thus was the Kaysville public library founded and opened to the public, well equipped with shelving, furniture and more than 3000 books on the shelves, all cataloged and ready for use.

              The first librarian was Miss Amy Pratt, who in the summer before the opening, took a course in library work at the New York Chautauqua School. On February 27, 1922, the report of the treasurer, Mrs. W. P. Epperson, showed that there had been expended for library purposes the sum of $1,454.58 and that there was cash on hand to the amount of $2,276.84. The librarian, Miss Amy Pratt, showed that the circulation of the books for the first four months of the library had been 7030.  
 
           With the resignation of Miss Amy Pratt as librarian, Mrs. Bertha Milgate was elected librarian, which office she still holds. From its inception the library has been an unqualified success and never has been closed. There are now more than 3500 books, all in good condition, on its shelves and more are being added from time to time. In 1922, according to the report of the state library board, the library has the distinction of circulating more books per capita than any other library in the state. An average of 900 books per month are taken from the library at this time. Two hundred new books have just been added among which is much of the latest fiction children’s books and books of reference. The library is open to all students of Davis High and grade school of Kaysville and the young people are making use of the library for research and study. Al the people are requested to make use of the library, its books and periodicals. It is the only public library in the county. With the retirement of Mayor John W., Thornley and A. G. Franks, Mayor John G. M. Barnes and John R. Gailey became members of the board of trustees.  (The Weekly Reflex 1922)

“MANY PEOPLE USE LIBRARY”
Kaysville – This year just ended finds the Kaysville Library enjoying the greatest popularity in its history. The total number of books circulated in 1932 amounted to 19,770, a considerable increase over the record of any previous year.

              Of this number 11,765 were books which appealed particularly to adults, while 8,005 children’s books were withdrawn from the library.

              An interesting fact disclosed athe meeting of the library board last Thursday night was that of the adult books circulated, 2,221 were of the non-fiction type, indicating that residents of Kaysville were paying considerable attention to books of a more serious nature.

              The library, organized about eleven years ago, has been enjoying increasing popularity since its inception here, and members of the board are anticipating an increased circulation during 1933.
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              The library is open daily from 2:00 to 9:30 p.m. (1-19-1933 The Weekly Reflex)
Subsequent librarians during the use of the second Kaysville library were Camilla Barton who lived west of the Tabernacle and Amelia Cottrell who lived on Center Street across from the Rock Chapel. Librarian Bertha Milgate had moved on to manage the Davis High School Library.

THIRD LIBRARY
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With the completion of the entire City Hall and Health Center, the Free Public Library moved into its new location at 44 N. Main in 1944-45. In 2005 Kaysville opted to join the County Library System and in July 2006 became known as Davis County Library, Kaysville Branch. FOURTH LIBRARY A new 15,000 square foot building was built at 215 N. Fairfield (site of the old Clover Club Potato Chip Factory). It was dedicated on August 17, 2015 (HISTORY OF THE CITY HALL PART 7 OF 10. Our Kaysville Story Facebook group post by Kris Murdock.)

9-3-1998 Clipper Today

3-10-1944 Salt Lake Telegram

FOURTH LIBRARY

A new 15,000 square foot building was built at 215 N. Fairfield (site of the old Clover Club Potato Chip Factory). It was dedicated on August 17, 2015.
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The Kaysville Branch is the newest branch in the Davis County system, but is actually the oldest public library in Davis County. The Kaysville City Library was established in 1921 and operated independently of the County library system—which was started in 1946. The Kaysville City Council voted in 2005 to merge with the Davis County Library, with the change to take effect on July 1, 2006. On that date, the library closed for remodeling and was reopened as a County branch library on August 12, 2006. The collection upon reopening contained approximately 56,000 items, with a target of eventually reaching 75,000 items. (Libraries.org)

Decades of Dedicated Perseverance Toward Preservation

A Future for the Kaysville-Fruit Heights Museum of History & Art