Schneitter Hotel

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Applicable National Register Criteria X A _B X C _D Criteria Considerations (Exceptions) _ A _ B _ C _ D _ E _ F _ 6 Areas of Significance (enter categories from instructions) ARCHITECTURE_________________________ RECREATION Period of Significance Significant Dates c. 1886-1938____________ c. 1886 ___ Cultural Affiliation N/A________ Significant Person N/A_______________________________ Architect/Builder unknown_____ State significance of property, and justify criteria, criteria considerations, and areas and periods of significance noted above. Built c. 1886, the Schneitter Hotel is both historically and architecturally significant. Architecturally, it is the only example of the Federal style in the Midway area. Most of the houses in town are relatively modest Victorian or vernacular designs, though there are several elaborate Gothic Revival style houses as well . The house is also significant as the principal building at Schneitter's Hot Pot Resort, predecessor of the current Homestead Resort. It served as a guest house for patrons of the resort and probably as a residence for the operators as well. Schneitter's resort was one of the two most successful and long-lived of the several bathing resorts developed in the Midway area in the nineteenth century to take advantage of the natural hot springs, many of which are surrounded by large, conical mineral deposits, or "pots." The Schneitter Hotel is one of the few remaining historic buildings that represent the recreational industry that was important in the early (and current) economy of the area. Schneitter's Hot Pot Resort was established by Simon and Maria Schneitter and their 23-year-old son Simon J. A local history claims that it was in 1886 that "a twostory brick hotel and swimming pool was started." Some facilities were probably available at that time, but the hotel and the more fully developed resort were probably not finished until the summer of 1891 when the local newspaper announced the grand opening of the resort. That the hotel was not operational until that time is further indicated by a newspaper article a few weeks earlier, which noted that "S.J. Schneiter spent a portion of last week in Salt Lake City, making the necessary purchases of furniture, etc., for the fitting out of his bathing resort X See continuation sheet 1Most of the Gothic Revival style houses have been listed In the National Register under the thematic nomination titled "The Architecture of John Watkins," after the architect/builder who designed them. 2William J. Mortimer, editor, How Beautiful Upon the Mountains (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1963), pp. 593, 672-673. The source of much of the content of this book Is based on information provided by descendants of the settlers and long-time residents of the area. 3Wasatch Wave (Heber City, Utah), June 23, 1891. June 25 is given in this advertisement as the date of the grand opening.