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Show 38 The Salt Lake Tribune, Monday, July 28, 1969 . Ephraim Historical Site Group Hopes to Save Pioneer Building Special to The Tribune EPHRAIM - It's a kind of . chronology in stone. Its century-old walls ·epitomize not merely the economic and social history of Ephraim, but also of the state. That is why, when a num. ber of citizens saw a crew begin to raze the Pioneer ·Society Granary they resolved 10 save it if they could. Headed by Richard Nibly, Snow College faculty member, they organized the Sanpete DevelI> p men t Corporation and began to raise funds. . "Thus far we've been very sllccessful," Mr. Nibley, now :president of the corporation," :said. "We've signed a con·t ract for the purchase of the building, have made the first payments and have begun to -)l1ake plans for its develop-. :rnent. ~ Those plans include several :possibilities - goumlet restaurant, art gallery, pioneer :~andicraft shop, museum, :pioneer gardens . . :. "Other areas of the country :Seem to cherish their pioneer jbuildings, but in Utah we ·.h ave been letting too many of :ours disappear. Architects :~vho have studied this building ispeak well of it - they praise '.its stone-work and the great ;hand-hewn trusses which arch :two stories above the ground lloor," Mr; Nibley said. "This ~building is too much a part of ,our heritage to let it disappear into the maw of time. ,We are resolved to preserve it in some worthwhile, modern function." Ephraim's lOO-year-old Society Granary, almost razed a few months ago, occupied by that familiar pioneer institution the co-op, which dealt in general merchandise, traded in hay and grain, accepted legal currency, along witJt such items as but.t er and eggs, and issued script.· . Many Uses Shortly after the building In its time the building, one was completed the Relief Soone of Ephraim's better Main , ciety bought the second floor, Street corners, has housed a reached by an outside stairco-op, a social hall, a theater, way. It was used not only as a an academy, a farm machin- meeting place, but also as a ery store, a Reliet Society social center where dances meeting place, a school and a were held, amateur threattrirolling mill. . cals presented and school In a way, it is three build- children attended classes in · ings in one. The principal subjects like penmanship and wing Was built in 1880-81 of elocution, limestone dug out of the footIn 1888 the Sanpete Stake hills southeast of Ephraim. Academy was organized and Its main floor was first the Relief Society rented the Iwill be saved through the efforts the Sanpete Development.corporation. ~f' second floor to the academy nected by a brick middle sec- . board of education. In time tion and until recently h<>u~ . ),' the academy became Snow . a roller mill. Academy and moved to new quarters and in time Snow Academy became Snow College. . ' Second Beginning The second wing or the building, 60 feet from I the main wing, likewise had an independent beginning. It was ' also constructed in the pioneer period of the native stone. In time the Relief Society acquired this building, used it to store grain against hard times and thus gave it its pioneer name - the Society Granary. After a few years the two . stone buildings were con- |
