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I, ! BEEHIVE Continued from Cl ( UTAH PRESS ASSOCIATION Clipping Service [phone] "We're really indebted to her and her record-keeping." Clarissa's mother, Lucy, was the third of Brigham's 27 wives, but she and her family were the longterm occupants of the Beehive House - the principal residence of the 19th-century leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, who was also governor of the territory of Utah for many years. Lucy, Stone said, "was just a natural for this house. She loved people, loved entertaining and loved working." Her husband's office was situated between the Beehive House and the Lion House, where several other spouses and children were ensconced. Additional wives lived in homes in Salt Lake City as well as in Provo and St. George, and in fact Brigham Young spent parts of his winters in Utah's Dixie. The Beehive House was where " Brother Brigham" entertained guests and visiting dignitariesranging from the emperor of Brazil to newspaperman Horace Greeley and a young Samuel Clemens (the future Mark Twain) - and it was the headquarters of an extensive farm. As such, it was also a . boarding house. Lucy Young "boarded all the men who worked upon the estate," Clarissa wrote, "usually about 18 in number, as well as the girls who assisted in our home." Construction on the Beehive House - so named because of the large beehive, a Mormon symbol of industry, on its roof - began in 1854 and it was completed in 1855, though other additions would come later, Stone said. Brigham Young lived there until his death in 1877. It remained the home of his wife Lucy until 1888; when it was sold to his son John. The mansion passed through other hands until the LDS Church purchase<tU: Plec;!..e see HOUSE on C5 ------------------------------------------------ ~ DESERET NEWS HOUSE I -I-- . Continued from C4 \ as a home for two church presidents. By 1920 it had become a boarding house; in the mid-'50s plans were afoot to tear it down. "They decided it had served its purpose and there was no reason to keep it," Stone said. Eventually, however, officials opted to preserve the Beehive House. It opened as a museum in 1961. The plastered walls of the spacious residence (it has three floors, encompassing 16,471 square feet) have been given gentle colors. Some woodwork has been artfully painted to look like oak or marble. Many rooms, such as Brigham Young's second-story bedroom, are appointed with original furnishings. "All of the things in this room belong to him," Stone said: the high, quilt-covered bed, upon which lie a hat and cane; a central six-sided table made by the former carpenter himself; a large purple pitcher and wash bowl; and a hand- some desk and bookshelves. Across the way is the Long Hall, the 50-foot-long parlor designed for entertaining. A nearby staircase curves up yet another floor, while down the hall are rooms for the girls and boys. A multipane window looking down on the Long Hall's entry was called "the fairy castle" by the children, who weren't allowed to attend such functions but could see the esteemed visitors arriving. Back downstairs, the touring group catches glimpses of that kitchen, the main dining area, the pantry and great shelves of books, brimming with texts more than a century old on "Human Understanding" and "The Mechanics of Engineering," and including works by Shakespeare and Dickens. At the back of the complex is a small store, "not for the general public, but for his family," Stonesaid. The room has its own outside entrance, with a low doorknob specially designed for children on errands. When the Beehive House was being restored, the long wooden '-------------------------------------------------- '" store counter was found in a barn : and returned to its rightful place. Not much had to be done to the old counter, Stone said. Although well-used, it's an original part of Brigham Young's household. "Oh boy, if this could talk, it could tell a lot of stories," she said. lOIn of the BeehIve House are free. The national historic landmark Is open Monday.f'rklay, 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday and holidays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more Information, call 240- . 2671. ./