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Show OMB No, 1024-0018, NPS Fonn United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section No. § Page 1 Wells Historic District, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, UT Narrative Statement of Significance The Wells Historic District is locally significant under Criteria A and C for two primary reasons: 1) its key association with streetcar development in Salt Lake City; and 2) its well-preserved collection of Early 20th Century American housing stock. Under Criterion A, the district is significant for its association with suburban (streetcar) development in Salt Lake City. The Wells area itself is a major contributing resource in the overall history of streetcar subdivisions in the city. The incorporation of the interurban street car system as a necessary and integral component of the subdivision paved the way for future development of streetcar suburbs in the surrounding area (e.g., the many subdivisions of the West Sugar House area: Sixth East, Wilmington, Country Club Place, Adamson, Fairmont Springs Addition, Forest Dale, etc.), thereby establishing a distinctive pattern of community expansion for the southeastern portion of Salt Lake City. The Wells Historic District contains an impressive collection of early 20th-century American residences that render the district significant under Criterion C. Further, the building stock represents the work of numerous architects and designers, including both locally trained draftsmen and nationally practiced architects, such as John Haedlund. The residences of the neighborhood, the vast majority of which are considered contributing resources within the district, are among the most well-preserved collection of early 20th century residential architecture in the Salt Lake Valley, lending visual cohesiveness to the district and distinguishing it from the surrounding neighborhoods. The patterning of architectural types and styles on the landscape within the district clearly demonstrates how the Wells area was developed over time. A few residences in the district are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places for their architecture as well as their associations with the Woodruff Family, who played an important role in local history. As representative of the early 2oth_century American movement in architecture~ the Wells Historic District contains an impressive collection of well preserved bungalow, period cottage~ and clipped gable cottage residences. Collectively, buildings of these types represent approximately 1,065 (56 percent) of the 1,916 contributing properties in the district. The housing stock in Wells exhibits several different variations of these architectural forms and the application of myriad styles to them, illustrating how they were adapted to evolving residential needs and concepts of acceptable space, functional utility, and aesthetic appeal. The period of significance for the Wells Historic District extends from 1871 to 1957. This time frame, and its relevance to the district, is best understood when divided into contextual eras based upon significant events and trends within the area's history. Four specific periods of significance apply to the Wells Historic District, and they begin in 1871; however, the period prior to that, 184 7 to 1870, is also discussed in this nomination in order to provide a context for the initial development of the area. Thus, for the purpose of this statement of significance, the following eras are discussed: Farms and Fields (184 7 to 1870); Initial Settlement (1871 to 1899); Streetcar Suburbs (1900 to 1929); The Era of Infilling (1930 to 1945); and the Post War Period (1946 to 1957). |
