Spencer Homestead
The Spencer Homestead in Sandy, Utah, was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This has been a multi-year passion effort of a former resident and took the expertise and collaboration of several people and entities during that time. This collaboration part, even during the pandemic and being socially distanced, is one thing I really appreciate with the people I’m working with. And this includes the expert and collegial staff and leadership at the Utah SHPO. In a month of sharing our gratitude, I feel fortunate to have them on our team here.
Given the length of time it took, you might correct surmise that this site was challenging. A bit of background…The Spencer Homestead, in Sandy, Salt Lake County, built between 1893 and 1898, represents the late homestead era in the southeast portion of the Salt Lake Valley. Most of the valley’s more prime agricultural land had been homesteaded for decades prior to the Spencer’s arrival, so they were left with only a few options in what remained unsettled southeast valley land with limited water access. The primary building of the homestead was the Spencer Farmhouse, located today at 2591 E. Dimple Dell Rd. The property features one of the few stand-alone settlement-era homes in the area and makes significant contributions to historic agricultural context of the Crescent, Granite, and Sandy communities. The farmhouse has two distinct construction phases. The west wing, built circa 1893, is a temple-form frame house sheathed in drop-novelty siding with a gable roof. In 1897, a brick addition was built as a cross-wing on the east side of the frame house. The farmhouse is the only building remaining from the original 160-acre homestead granted to Thomas Spencer.
After the Spencer family began leasing the property in 1910, the property became an investment farm. In 1950, the house was updated with large multi-light steel windows, a concrete block chimney-stack, concrete foundation improvements, and a carport on the north (rear) elevation. The interior was also remodeled in the 1950s. By 1970, the original homestead had been reduced to approximately 47 acres before being purchased by Salt Lake County as part of Dimple Dell Regional Park. The farmhouse was occupied as a rental for many years but is currently vacant and awaiting rehabilitation for use within the county park system. The property’s inclusion within the park has saved much of its setting from a late-twentieth century suburban boom in the surrounding neighborhoods and allowed the Spencer Farmhouse to retain good historic integrity despite vacancy.
Photo: Thomas and Sarah Spencer on the farmhouse porch with first-born daughter Alice and dog. Circa 1903. Credit: Robyn MacDuff.