A Report on Historic Downtown Districts, Historic Preservation, and Design Standards for Tooele, Utah

Tooele, Utah, was established in 1849 and serves as the county seat of Tooele County [3]. The city features a historic downtown area based on a grid pattern, the "Plat of Zion" [2], commonly found throughout Mormon settlements in the Intermountain West. While settled by Mormons, Tooele has a strong history as a railroad town [3]. The city has experienced considerable growth throughout the 21st century, showing a 3.27% growth rate since 2010. While such growth offers excellent economic promise for the city, it also presents some threats to the historic character of central Tooele. Public administrators in Tooele have decided to establish a historic district to help preserve the town's character and guidelines that consider the city's unique blend of architectural styles will be needed. Determining what makes downtown Tooele historic and identifying notable architectural examples is essential. Comparing the Tooele to similar cities and their notable buildings will help dictate guidelines for the city. Cities included in the case study include Logan, Utah; Ogden, Utah; and fellow railroad city Flagstaff, Arizona. Each provides meaningful examples of preservation work done on buildings like those in Tooele and share similar histories.