Sugar House (Salt Lake City)

Sugar House (also variently spelled Sugarhouse) is one of Salt Lake City, Utah's oldest neighborhoods.

Location

The neighborhood is located roughly from 500 East at its western edge to 2000 East at the east and 1300 South to about 3300 South north to south. Many local businesses, although not strictly located within the bounds of Sugar House, use the name because of the area's name recognition. See also: Grid system

About the neighborhood

In many ways, Sugar House is like its own small town, with 2100 South filling in for Main Street, with businesses at the curbside, and the community council mostly shunning large box stores.

Each Independence Day Sugar House is host to one of Salt Lake's biggest fireworks shows, as well as a street arts fair.

Sugar House is also the site of Westminster College, Salt Lake City.

History

Sugar House was officially established in 1853, six years after Brigham Young led the Mormon settlers into the valley.

Despite its name, not a single cube of sugar has ever been produced in the area. The name came as a suggestion from Margaret McMeans Smoot, and was inspired by the sugar mill being built at the time in the area. The mill was never finished, due to problems with materials never arriving from Arras, France and the project was scrapped, leaving the area with its name.

The first Utah state prison was located in Sugar House during the 19th century, but all the buildings have been torn down, and the land converted to Sugar House Park.

During the early 20th century the corner of 1100 east and 2100 south was known as "furniture row", due to there being three furniture stores on the corner. However, due to economic reasons, and the influx of large box stores and furniture chains only one, Sterling Furniture, will remain when Granite Furniture goes out of business after more than 80 years in 2004.

During the 1980s, Sugar House had become run-down and crime-ridden. Sugar House Park was notorious for drugs, crime and illicit rendezvous. An effort to revitalize the area was undertaken during the latter part of the decade, and today Sugar House is considered by many to be one of Salt Lake's most desirable neighborhoods.

External Link