The Whitmore Mansion, Nephi, Utah
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This is where I gained my love for architecture and a love of antiques. The Whitmore Mansion was built as part of a townwide housebuilding competition in 1897 and it was the winner.
Built for the local bank president, it featured a music room with glass panneled doors, an ornate corner fireplace and a carved screen from floor to ceiling in the corner with a pedestole for a candle or art object; adjacent was the parlor which had a bay wall and large panneled pocket doors opening into the large formal dining room. The dining room had a seperate entrance with a small porch. The pantry was reached through the dining room through a swinging door; it was small, had a sink, cupboards, and flour bins. The pantry opened into the country stile kitchen, which still had the original wood/coal burning cookstove (Mom saw that that was replaced quickly!) A door lead to a screened porch and thence to the kitchen garden; one door lead to the basement where the coal furnace was; the last door opened into the service corridor; windows overlooked the balcony at the tradesman's entrance. Down the hall was the servants staircase. A door also opened into a room we took to be the office; it had an old fashioned telephone which my brother took apart to see what was inside; there were panneled pocket doors leading to the family dining room. Another door opened into the foyer, featuring a large open staircase with carved newell posts; within three weeks of moving in I fell from the upper section of the bannister, trying to slide down while holding a small football; I sustained a fractured skull and brain concussion.
Up the staircase was another foyer from which four bedrooms opened. Double doors on the front led to a balcony in disrepair. The front bedroom with the round section was my sister's. My brother had the one opposite until we switched rooms. My bedrrom was originally next to the middle of the house and had a huge walking closet with a carved glasscupboard, rather a waste if it can't be seen!. My parents bedroom was opposite mine, had a bay wall, a small area, possibly a nursery or sitting area, off to one side and a walk in closet opposite.
Next to the top of the stairs was a door which lead to the functional areas. A large bathroom with a clawfoot tub, two small trunk rooms, the maids room, occupied by my lttle brother and a door leading up winding narrow stairs to the attic.
The attic had a turret, an area with an ornamental balcony, and other nondescript attic space. There were small antiques, including the banker's checkbook (it had a 1___ where the year belonged, dating the age quite closely) Mom took it away from me when she found me writing play checks!
Outside the tradesman's entrance was the coal chute and a detached garage with a vintage Ford motor car, perhaps a Model T, I don't remember. The well was covered over and discovered quite accidently when the front wheel of the large moving truck started sinking into the ground!
The house was in danger of being torn down by the owner, who had a car dealership and wrecking yard surrounding it on three sides. We were taking a trip from Alaska to Los Angeles when we stopped for lunch. My Mom saw the house and fell in love. We moved from Alaska before even selling out house and finding a job. In the end we had to move to Salt Lake to find work.
The house was put on the national historic registry and remodelled into a bed an breakfast, which it is presently. My parents bedroom lets for $150 a night!
The house has been a hospital, music school, residential home for troubled teens, and maybe a few other things I'm not aware of. It is beautifully restored, though desacrated by the removal of the back staircase and other modifications to the functional areas of the second floor. It is fondly remembered by all us kids and we tour it every time we are down there. Next time I'm taking photos!
The exterior featured a large wraparound porch with a gazebo type section at the corner.
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