Historic Provo Center Street
Total Walking Distance - .6 miles. Total Walking time - 12 min.
In 1849, 33 Mormon families arrived from Salt Lake City to settle the area. Many of the buildings from their early years still stand, and visiting them can give one a new appreciation of their pioneer spirit. A full tour is available here but there are some highlights that can easily be fit into a 2 hour block. Some of these buildings are currently in use, and may only be viewed from the outside, while others allow you to enjoy the interior as well.
47 - Courthouse (51 South University Provo UT 84601). The Utah County Courthouse has served as a symbol of county and community pride since its dedication on December 15, 1926. As the dedication "souvenir" stated: "it is a monument... to the men and women whose industry has made it possible." Utah buildings carry very little sculpture, but the courthouse has a symbolic sculptural group in the pediment above the entrance. The figure of Justice stands in the center, on her right sits a woman representing the County of Utah. Local arts and industries are represented, including horticulture, dairy, mining, sheep-raising, and poultry farming. On the other side of Justice sits Provo City. She is flanked by the harp and the viol, the face, the cog-wheel, a stack of books, and an artist's palette.
65 - Provo City Center Temple (100 S University Ave Provo UT 84601). Formerly the Provo LDS Tabernacle, the Provo City Center Temple was designed to recapture the historic beauty of the former Tabernacle through meticulous preservation and careful study of the design of the original structure. The interior of the Tabernacle was destroyed in a fire in 2010, and the restoration began, which has included a complete restoration of the original exterior, and putting the temple on stilts as the basement levels were excavated and built beneath the existing structure. While tours inside aren't generally available to the general public, anyone is free to enjoy the grounds.
1 - Provo town square (55 N University Ave Provo UT 84601). These commercial buildings were the core of the business community which sprang up on the "East Side in the 1890s. Most buildings date from that decade. The large red building with the clock, the Knight Block, was built in 1900 by Jesse Knight. To the east is the Gates & Snow Furniture Co. with one of Utah's best pressed tin fronts. The storefront design is outstanding, capitalizing on the original detailing from the second floor. It has proven very successful and has helped create several prosperous businesses.
2 - Provo west co-op (now Foxglove Flowers and Gifts) (466 W Center St Provo, UT 84601). Built circa 1866 and remodeled circa 1890, this building is historically significant as the oldest extant example of the first stores that were developed in the cooperative merchandising movement sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The building is comprised of a two story flat roof building with a brick exterior and an adobe and wood interior core. Prior to the Provo West Co-op going out of business, a nineteenth century commercial façade was added to the store. Changing economics and politics eventually brought an end to the Provo cooperative movement. The building is currently houses Pioneer Book, Utah County's largest used and rare bookshop.
64 - Emily Clawson House (587 W 100 S Provo UT 84601). This property was deeded to Emily Clawson from Brigham young after his death in 1877. The home was built in the early 1880's, and still retains its historical integrity. This home eloquently represents the unpretentious type of construction, buildings techniques and needs of a typical rural Utah family of this era. Its Greek Revival detailing and hall-parlor style of construction is representative of nineteenth-century vernacular architecture of rural America. This home is a good architectural and historical contributor to its neighborhood. It sits on Pioneer Park, a great place to relax after your walking tour, as it features a large pavilion, splash pad, and plenty of shade.