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Show NPS Form 10-900-a Microsoft Word 2.0 Format OMB No. 10024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section No. 7 Page 3 Grafton Historic District, Rockville, Washington County, UT Roads Grafton is laid out on a small grid of streets oriented on an east-west axis, rotated slightly clockwise. 1 Five streets originally existed: North Street (Photos P-Q), South Street (Photo R), and three streets that ran north-south, whose names have been lost over time (Photo S). These streets will henceforth be referred to as East Street, Middle Street and West Street. A map of Grafton c. 1900, (see maps) indicates that a street existed at the western end of town (beyond West Street); however, there is no trace of it today, so it has been omitted from the district map. The town can presently be accessed by vehicle only from Bridge Road in Rockville. The road is paved for a short distance after crossing the Virgin River, but most of its length is unpaved. Grafton Road becomes East Street as it enters town from the south and ends at North Street at the school house. North Street appears to have run from the east end of town, to slightly west of Middle Street. South Street begins at Grafton Road (East Street) and runs west through town. Historically this road continued to Toquerville and St. George. Agricultural Landscape The agricultural landscape of Grafton includes features related to farming and property boundaries such as fields and orchards, irrigation ditches, and fences. Fields dominate the landscape (c. 1862); however, grass has taken over most of them for lack of plowing and planting crops. The fields that meet the cliffs at the west end of town are the exception, and they are overgrown with sage and other plant life native to this arid climate. All are currently used as pastures for cattle. One orchard exists to the south (rear) of the David and Maria Ballard House (probably prior to 1944, Photo T). The trees, planted in rows, appear to date from the end of the historic period of significance. Other orchards are planted to the northwest, south, southwest and east of the John, Sr., and Ellen Wood House (all probably prior to 1944). Remnants of historic irrigation ditches (late 1861-1862, marked with dashed lines on the modern map) can be seen along most of the road sides, fence lines, and bisecting some of the fields. The ditch running along thewest side of East Street (in front of the extant Wood house) is the best preserved, still containing some of its rock lining (Photo U). In many places the ditches have naturally filled in over time and appear only as slight depressions in the land. Many of the ditches have also been filled with large irrigation pipes and then covered with dirt. These ditches now appear as lengthy mounds. The ditch that follows the south edge of the east side of town (behind the Louisa Maria Russell Cabin and fields) is also notable for its construction and well preserved state (Photo V). Much of the loose rock retaining walls of this ditch are still intact, and large chunks of broken historic concrete give evidence to its former appearance. This ditch winds around the base of a sandstone mound, raised slightly above the fields that it once irrigated. _x_see continuation sheet 1 The survey for Grafton was based on the "Plat of the City of Zion" designed by Church founder Joseph Smith for the City of Zion near Independence, Missouri in 1833. Joseph Smith's plan for Zion called for a mile-square grid of streets, each 132 feet wide. Three large elongated blocks at the center of town were set aside for the bishops' storehouses and twenty-four temples, and farm fields were located outside of the town. Obviously the plan of Grafton differs greatly from the City of Zion; however, modifications were made based on local needs and terrain, as was the case in a majority of Mormon settlements. |
