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Show Earl Kendell (lower right corner) was born in the rock house in South Weber now owned by Weber Basin Job ' Cores. His daughter Cheri Lang, her husband, Kenneth, Office once settlers' home EDITOR'S NOTE: This is another in an ongoing series highlighting the history of older homes in the area. Readers with ideas on homes that could be featured should call 776·4951 weekdays. By DEENA JONES Standl,,:!-Examoner conaapondont SOUTH WEBER - The rockhome-turned-office on tbe grounds of Weber Basin Job Corps Center has a history stretching back more than a cen\ury. . Built by James Harbenson and Elizabeth Taylor Harbertson, who immigrated from England in 1875, the house once was home to several generations of Harbensons, who later became known for their contracting work in the area. Now used as offices for the staff of the W9rk Program Depanme nt, the home has been remodeled and not much of its interior cc: BC is in the original state. . RE >The .home is nestled high in the DC foothills near the mouth of We·ber Canyon. Built of native river and mountain rock the exterior still has its ornate gingerbread trim. T.., ... u" .." .... _ ..... _~ r._ • ............... !_ Ogden where they had five cbildren. According to a history of the Harbenson family wrillen by their daughter Irene Harbertson Kendell, in 1886 the family bought the propcny in South Weber, which at the time was a fruit farm, and her father built the house after the family moved there. The property on whicb the home was situated at one time extended all the way across where U.S. 89 is now located, and included land now occupied by the sand and gravel pits. Mrs. Kendell's history states that when her father purchased the farm, her grandfather and her Uncle John, who had previously immigrated from Enlland, moved out to South Weber and helped on the farm. "They 'worked hard, pickingfruit, raisinl grain, and taking care of the animals," she wrote. She also describes the home tbat L ,_ r _.L • • :,: ·t . -It was a rock building and was a nice home at the time. It had three bedrooms, a good-size dining room, a parlo.r, a pantry, a hall between the dining room and kitchen. There was a basement, and a large room upstairs where the boys slepL -There was a big canal just a little west of our bome, which was cemented later. Father and the boys used to go swimming in it. Father used to put the smaller ones on his back and swim with us." The Harbertsons had s,ven more c:hildren while living in the home. The children in grades one throulh eight allended a oneroom schoolhouse in South Weber. -Sometimes on the way to school the wind was blowing so hard that we would have to hold on to a pole or tree for a few minutes 10 keep if from blowing us over," she wrote. Wildlife abOunded in the area at that time, she said. -It was nothing to see a coyote by the side of the road. We had a clump of oak brush not far from our house. The coyotes would sit in the oak brush at night and howl. Snakes were another constant |
