Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
- Thirteen places in Utah were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024.
- Abravanel Hall, Spiral Jetty and the Little Cottonwood Canyon Climbing Area were some of the more notable Utah entries.
- Utah now boasts over 1,900 sites on the national historic register.
SALT LAKE CITY — 2024 was an interesting year for historic building preservation in Utah.
The future of the 45-year-old Abravanel Hall was battled over once Smith Entertainment Group unveiled its plans for a "sports, entertainment, culture and convention district" that included two blocks east of the Delta Center in downtown Salt Lake City. Preserving the concert hall — and home of the Utah Symphony — became a key element of the plan after public opposition to the possibility it could be torn down.
That battle raged months after another historic building in Salt Lake City was severely damaged in an illegal demolition. Salt Lake City officials raced to stop the demolition of the historic Fifth Ward Meetinghouse in March, which ultimately resulted in fines and new regulations. Work is also underway to repair the damaged century-old building after it gained new ownership.
That all happened after the Utah Legislature approved two history-themed state monuments in 2024: the Golden Spike State Monument in Brigham City and Butch Cassidy State Monument — the latter being a site believed to be a childhood home of the notorious outlaw.
Some of these sites and more also entered the National Register of Historic Places in 2024. The list recognizes buildings, districts and other places all over the nation that are generally 50 years or older and have historical significance.
New Utah additions to historic register
In all, 13 sites were added to the historic register throughout the year, ranging from historic buildings to outdoor rock and art features. These are the gems that gained national recognition in 2024:
Spiral Jetty
Spiral Jetty — Utah's official work of land art — is one of the state's more recent entries to the national register, receiving its recognition in November. The influential artist Robert Smithson designed it in 1970, using basalt rocks and mud to complete the 1,500-foot-long piece by Rozel Point, along the northern arm of the Great Salt Lake in Box Elder County.
As noted by the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Smithson was influenced by the "entropic processes of erosion" when he designed the piece. He was drawn to the location because of its remoteness and the reddish salt water created by the arm's higher salinity.
It quickly became "undoubtedly the most famous large-scale earthwork" of its time, museum historians added. It also became a state symbol in 2017, as its legacy as a revered environmental art piece grew with time.
Kit Cross
However, Spiral Jetty wasn't the only piece of Great Salt Lake history that made it on the register this year. "Kit Cross" — one of the oldest pieces of modern state history — also ended up on the list in 2024.
Explorer Christopher "Kit" Carson etched the cross on a rock in 1843 while he, John C. Fremont and others explored what is known as Fremont Island today. However, the crew initially dubbed it "Disappointment Island," so boring that Carson seemed to have etched the cross just to pass the time.
Little Cottonwood Canyon Climbing Area
The physical mark Carson left joined yet another wonder in Utah's outdoors: Little Cottonwood Canyon. More specifically, the canyon's climbing area entered the national register in August, becoming the first rock-climbing area ever added to the register since its creation in 1966.
It was added amid uncertainty within the area as the state explores a potential gondola in the canyon, which is also how Symphony Hall — commonly known today as Abravanel Hall — ended up on the register. While a listing doesn't outright protect a place from being demolished, it does give it recognition and incentives to preserve history.
Symphony Hall
Ultimately, none of the other new entries captured public attention this year quite like Abravanel Hall. Its future was up in the air once Smith Entertainment Group's proposed agreement as part of a downtown revitalization district came to light in May.
The company's request included two blocks east of the arena, where Abravanel Hall is located. Emails showed that Salt Lake County officials had considered tearing it down and rebuilding it elsewhere, but those plans changed amid pushback from the community.
Calls to save the building were a common theme during public hearings on the proposed agreement. County officials ultimately agreed, passing a resolution supporting preservation.
The building received recognition because of special criteria that allow for younger buildings that have "exceptional importance." Its renowned acoustics helped it qualify for the list five years early.
Other historic designations in 2024
Eight other buildings and districts also entered the historic register in 2024. Those are:
- Building 225-Airplane Repair Hangar at Hill Air Force Base.
- Edward "Bob" and Mertilla Bullock House in Provo.
- Enniss Auto Service Station in Draper.
- George and Lida Walker House in Holladay.
- George Walter Jr. and Isabelle Bramwell House in Plain City.
- Silver King Coalition Mine Historic District in Park City.
- Thurber School in Spanish Fork.
- Westwood Village Historic District in West Valley City.
- Wong Sing Warehouse in Fort Duchesne, Uintah County.
With their additions, Utah is now home to over 1,900 different places on the register.
