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Show OMB No. 1024-0018, NPS Form United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section No. 7 Page 5 Ogden Central Bench Historic District, Ogden, Weber County, UT Narrative Description The Ogden Central Bench Historic District is an 80-block residential area developed between the 1860s and 1940s, comprising of nearly 3300 buildings. On all sides, the Ogden Central Bench Historic District differs noticeably from the neighboring areas. It includes the area between 20n and 30l Streets, from Harrison Boulevard to Adams Avenue, and encompasses both the Eccles Avenue and Jefferson Avenue Historic districts. It is bounded on the north by the Ogden City Cemetery, which blankets the north side of 201 Street. To the west lies Adams Avenue, the beginning of the residential neighborhood that sits one block east of the commercial sector of town and the largest commercial street in Ogden, Washington Boulevard. To the east lies Harrison Boulevard, which is one of Ogden's more highly used roads, and separates the district from the more modern homes that lie above the boulevard. To the south lies 30th Street, which provides a good boundary for the variety and concentration of historic architecture found in the Ogden Central Bench District. Methodology/Guidelines The methodology used to determine individual properties as contributing or non-contributing included examining each resource's physical characteristics and historic significance. A reconnaissance level survey was completed during the Summer of 1999, by Mary Willis, under the auspices of the Ogden City Planning Department, that contained a building-by-building description in the following categories: address, date built, architectural type, architectural style, building materials, land/building use, foundation material, and evaluation of integrity (on a scale of A-D; A=Highest Integrity; B=Mimmal Alterations/Maintains much of original integrity; C=Heavily Altered; D=Not of Historic Period/less than 50 Years Old). Included with the nomination is the comprehensive inventory list. Character defining elements that were used in evaluating the particular structure include the extent of alterations of windows, doors, siding, roofs, porches, the location and extent of additions, and other detail. The homes were then reevaluated in 1999 and 2000, and those structures given an A or B grade in the initial reconnaissance level survey that still maintained high integrity were considered a contributing resource. Historic research, including the deed/title searches, census evaluations, oral history interviews, city directory research, Sanborn map reviews, and other resource examination was also conducted. The work was completed by Ogden City preservation intern Chris Hansen, October 1999-January 2002; Ogden City preservation intern Richelle Jensen, August June 2000-March 2001; and preservation consultant Beatrice Lufkin, January 2001-October 2001. The Utah State Historic Preservation Office re-evaluated the district in July 2003. Development Patterns Historically, development in Ogden's Central Bench District has been sporadic. Most of its earliest development took place on its western fringes on Adams and Jefferson Avenues, which were close to Ogden's industrial, commercial, and one-time agricultural sector of town. Over the years expansion moved eastward toward the mountains; however, this was not the case all the time. Dwellings from the last quarter of the nineteenth century can be found scattered throughout the district. Early residents of the district generally settled on one-acre lots and built a home with a barn or a stable, using the rest of the land to raise animals or grow |
