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Show United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB No. 1024-0018, NPS Form National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section No. 7 Page 2 Spring City Historic District (Addition Documentation), Spring City, Sanpete County, UT Location and Setting of the Spring City Historic District (Additional Documentation) Spring City, Utah, is located 100 miles south of Salt Lake City and 17 miles north of Manti, the Sanpete County seat. The Sanpete Valley runs north to south between the Wasatch Mountain Range to the east and the San Pitch Mountains to the west. Spring City is tucked into the southeast corner of the northern half of the valley beneath the Wasatch Plateau. The community has been described as “life under the horseshoe,” a reference to the horseshoe-shaped mountain cirque to the southeast [Photograph 1]. Oak Creek and Canal Creek run diagonally through the community from the canyons to the east. Water also flows from several natural springs located near Main and Center Streets. A line of low-lying limestone hills to the west visually isolates Spring City from the larger valley. The setting of Spring City within the overall landscape of the Sanpete Valley has changed very little since the 1980 nomination. The Spring City town plat is a rectangular gridiron of 110 five-acre blocks, although about fifteen percent of blocks and streets remain under-developed today. The city is surrounded by open agricultural land. The fields are mostly cultivated to the west, north, and south. The land between the city and the canyons to the east is open range. Main Street was part of the original north-south corridor connecting Spring City to Mt. Pleasant to the north, and to Ephraim and Manti in the south half of the valley. In 1937, the road was designated US Highway 89. Twenty years later, US 89 was rerouted one mile west of Spring City parallel to the Denver & Rio Grande Western rail line. Though now isolated from the main traffic corridor through Sanpete County, Spring City is connected to US 89 at four points. South Main Street becomes Pigeon Hollow Road and meets US 89 five miles north of Ephraim [Photograph 2]. North Main Street is part of State Highway 117 and meets US 89 just south of Mt. Pleasant. Highway 117 turns west from Main Street at 300 North and then extends 200 North just over one mile west to US 89. Historically 200 North was the main east-west road into Spring City, running past the second Spring City Cemetery and terminating near where the Spring City train station was located (now demolished). The only road extending east from the city is the Spring Canyon Road (originally called Oak Creek Canyon Road). Boundary Description of the Spring City Historic District (Additional Documentation) The Spring City Historic District was the first NRHP historic district in Utah to encompass an entire town. However, contrary to a common assumption, the original NRHP boundary did not “coincide with the city limits.” 2 The 1980 nomination produced two maps: a street map with resources designated with square markers, but no boundary line, and a USGS topographic map plotted with eight UTM reference points. 3 For this amended nomination, these maps have been updated using GIS-generated reference points. Map #1 is a street map with resources represented by footprints. 4 Map #2 shows the USGS topographical map with the amended district boundaries plotted with longitude and latitude reference points. Map #3 shows the district overlaid over a current aerial photograph of Spring City with LatitudeLongitude points (See Section 10). Maps #4 to #8 display the quadrants and the south end of the district with evaluation status, address numbers, and photograph keys to this section. The amended boundaries were guided by four principles: First, keep the boundaries as close to the original nomination as possible, particularly maintaining the strong east and west boundaries, which have been consistent throughout the historic period. Second, do not exclude any contributing properties that had been included in the original nomination. Third, consider the location of outbuildings, structures, and sites that contribute to the historic character of the district. Fourth, produce a map that represents the amended period of significance. A variety of historic sources were used to define the city’s development by the late 1960s and early 1970s. “Spring City, Utah,” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, (last updated March 30, 2021) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_City,_Utah. When plotted using ArcGIS software, the UTM historic district boundary shifts slightly to the south and east. 4 Only the primary buildings are designated by contributing and non-contributing status. 2 3 |
