BOUNTIFUL, Utah — A 19th-century Bountiful building was demolished Monday morning.
The building, originally known as the Jack Lewis Saloon and Hotel, was built between 1885 and 1890.
“Being predominantly Mormons at that time, it was a place where some of the outcasts I guess, could go and have a little bit of fun times, wet their whistle.” said Tom Tolman, who operates the Bountiful History Museum and Learning Center.
Over the decades, the building was used for a number of purposes, including a livestock feed, a toy shop, a grain store, an auto parts store and a Ford dealership.
But the old brick building fell into disrepair and, despite the efforts of architecture enthusiasts and preservationists, the building will be replaced with housing.
“It is a very, very sad day for us here. This building means a lot to a lot of people here and it’s going away today,” said Jon Simmonds, one of the people who tried to save the building from demolition.
Tolman is working to host an exhibition about the building’s history next month.
Visit this Facebook group for more details.
A last piece of historic Main St. in Bountiful is coming down today, much to the dismay of those who cherish old architecture, more on Fox 13’s Live at 11:00 pic.twitter.com/n5sjfNAR0K
— scott mckane (@macfox13) February 22, 2021
