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Show OMS No , 1024-0018, NPS F orm United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section No.§. Page 12 Wells Historic District, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, UT and steeply pitched, gable roofs. After the transition to the World War II Era Cottage form was complete, roof forms changed to moderately steep to low-pitched gable roofs and low-slung hipped roofs. The Post War Era (1946 to 1957) The Wells area continued to grow and change following the close of World War II, however, the entire area, for all intents and purposes, had been developed on some level prior to 1960s. Based on known construction dates for buildings in the area, redevelopment appears to have occu1Ted on a limited basis during the I 960s and 1970s. Older single family homes were demolished and replaced with multi-family dwellings or small commercial ventures such as convenience stores or small walk-up stores. In some cases, former residential buildings were converted into commercial enterprises. State Street, 2100 South, and portions of 1300 South and 1700 South have seen the most redevelopment within the Wells area. The historic building stock of the early part of the period is dominated by World War II Era Cottages (until the mid-1950s), Ranch Houses, and drive-up commercial structures. The California-based Ranch House form offered larger residences, separation of domestic activity areas, and incorporation of even more modern technology. It also lent itself well to mass- or pre-fabricated construction in the rapidly growing suburbs and represented a return of country (ranch style) living to urbanized communities. The Ranch House examples in Wells are typical of those in Salt Lake City's suburbs, but their presence reflects the culmination of historical architectural development in the subdivision and maintains the continuity of architectural trends within the district. Commercial structures of the post-war period were adapted to the automobile culture that arose after the war. Instead of pedestrian-friendly buildings abutting sidewalks, commercial buildings were built to the rear of lots, leaving space for parking. Motor lodges, such as the Alta Motel Lodge on State Street, accommodated a new breed of tourist, the road tripper, and drive-up restaurants offered in-car dining. As the final build-out of Salt Lake City's downtown and suburb areas occurred during the post-war ·period, the city's infrastructure, particularly its roads, had to be upgraded to accommodate the popularity of modern technology. Specifically, the community's road system had been designed for wagons and streetcars, not the post-war boom of personal automobiles, semi-trucks, and public buses. In 1957 the 700 East roadway was widened by the Utah Department of Transportation. The majority of the widening through the Wells area took place along the west side of the road, and nearly all of the houses along that side were demolished to make way for the expansion. 44 Additionally, State Street and 2100 South were subject to the beginnings of a substantial redevelopment program, primarily for commercial purposes. This redevelopment continued well into the modem era and took hold with particular energy in the 1970s and 1980s. The replacement of historic houses with modem commercial structures along these roadways and the demolition of homes along 700 East to accommodate road widening largely erased the evidence of the earliest 44 Calkins, Nancy. Selective Recormaissance Level Survey, 1-80: State Street to 1300 East, Salt Lake County, Utah. Salt Lake City, UT: Nancy Calkins, Historic Preservation Consultant. 2007. |
