Alfred McCune Home
Encyclopedia
The Alfred McCune Home is one of the mansions on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City
, Utah
, from around the turn of the 20th century. Built for Alfred W. McCune
on the inclined south side of Capitol Hill at the northeast corner of 200 North and Main Street, the mansion has 21 rooms and is on the National Register of Historic Places
. The house was built in 1900.
McCune was born in Calcutta, India
while his father, Matthew McCune, was stationed with the British Army
and converted there to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The family immigrated to Nephi, Utah
. Despite this Alfred McCune seems to have never joined the LDS Church.
By the time he was 21, Alfred had contracted to build portions of the Utah Southern Railroad
. He was a highly successful railroad builder, and became well-connected to other late 19th century millionaire
s. He was a partner in the Peru
vian Cerro de Pasco mines along with J. P. Morgan
, William Randolph Hearst
, and Frederick William Vanderbilt
. He owned business interests throughout Utah and in parts of Montana, British Columbia, and South America.
McCune was respected by his contemporaries for his integrity, his congenial personality, and his generous donations to worthy causes. He was also civic-minded and politically ambitious. In 1899, he ran for the Senate as the Democratic candidate against Republican incumbent Frank J. Cannon and several other candidates. When none was able to get a majority of votes, the election went down in history as the time when Utah was unable to select or send a senator to Washington. McCune later tried again for the Senate but was defeated by another mining and railroad magnate, Thomas Kearns
.
Elizabeth McCune had as many diversified interests as her husband had. She served in many prominent LDS Church positions and became close friends with Susa Young Gates
, one of the daughters of Brigham Young
. An active supporter of women's rights, Elizabeth attended the 1889 International Congress of Women in London. After being voted patron of the organization, Elizabeth was entertained by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle
.
McCune wanted his home to be an extravagant display and to these ends he financed a two-year tour of America
and Europe
for his architect S. C. Dallas to study designs and techniques. The design chosen was a Gothic revival plan with East Asia
n influence. The home is a replica of a house Alfred and Elizabeth saw while driving on Riverside Drive
in New York City.
While the home was under construction, John R. Winder
and McCune called upon the First Presidency
of the LDS church. McCune told them that he and his wife, Elizabeth, were building a new home and wished to rent the Gardo House
for two or three years. The Gardo house had been used as a residence and offices for LDS church leaders. Relieved to find a suitable new tenant, the Church accepted his offer and set the rent at $150 per month.
The McCune home site was chosen to rise up impressively over the nearby streets, and little expense was spared on decoration. McCune had mahogany
shipped from San Domingo, oak
from England
, and a rare white-grained mahogany from South Africa
. The red roof tiles came from Holland, and an enormous broad mirror
wall was transported from Germany
in a specially made railroad car. The walls were adorned with moiré
silks, tapestries, and Russia
n leather
. The exterior of the home was built of red Utah sandstone
although some details like the lavish fireplaces used more exotic stone like Nubia
n marble
. The home was completed in 1901 at a cost of over one half million dollars.
, they donated it to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the intent that it be used as an official residence for President Heber J. Grant
. President Grant did not like the idea of living in such an ornate residence, and so decided to turn it into a Music School. It was used as the McCune School of Music until 1963 when it became the Brigham Young University
Salt Lake City Center which moved to a new location in Salt Lake City. In 1975 the LDS Church sold it to a group of Salt Lake City residents who were seeking to make the building into a cultural center of some sort.
It then became the Virginia Tanner
Modern Dance School, which held lessons in the ballroom. Since then, the building has been privately owned, often used for wedding reception
s and other short-term rental.
Philip McCarthey, a shareholder of the Kearns-Tribune Corp. which published The Salt Lake Tribune
until 1997, bought the building and began restoring it, after the August 11, 1999 Salt Lake City Tornado
, which toppled one of the building's smokestacks. McCarthey completed the restoration in November 2001.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, from around the turn of the 20th century. Built for Alfred W. McCune
Alfred W. McCune
Alfred William McCune was an American railroad builder, mine operator, and politician from the state of Utah. Owner of several retail and construction businesses, he helped build the Montana Central Railway in Montana and a portion of the Utah Southern Railroad in Utah, founded the Utah and...
on the inclined south side of Capitol Hill at the northeast corner of 200 North and Main Street, the mansion has 21 rooms and is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The house was built in 1900.
McCune was born in Calcutta, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
while his father, Matthew McCune, was stationed with the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and converted there to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The family immigrated to Nephi, Utah
Nephi, Utah
Nephi is a city in Juab County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,733 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Juab County. It was settled by Mormon pioneers in 1851, and is the principal city in Juab Valley, an...
. Despite this Alfred McCune seems to have never joined the LDS Church.
By the time he was 21, Alfred had contracted to build portions of the Utah Southern Railroad
Utah Southern Railroad (1871–1881)
The Utah Southern Railroad was built by the Mormons between Salt Lake City and York , and acquired by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1875.-External links:* , Utah History Encyclopedia, University of Utah...
. He was a highly successful railroad builder, and became well-connected to other late 19th century millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
s. He was a partner in the Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian Cerro de Pasco mines along with J. P. Morgan
J. P. Morgan
John Pierpont Morgan was an American financier, banker and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation during his time. In 1892 Morgan arranged the merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric...
, William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
, and Frederick William Vanderbilt
Frederick William Vanderbilt
Frederick William Vanderbilt was a member of the Vanderbilt family. He was a director of the New York Central Railroad for 61 years, and also a director of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad and of the Chicago and North Western Railroad.-Biography:A son of William Henry Vanderbilt, Frederick...
. He owned business interests throughout Utah and in parts of Montana, British Columbia, and South America.
McCune was respected by his contemporaries for his integrity, his congenial personality, and his generous donations to worthy causes. He was also civic-minded and politically ambitious. In 1899, he ran for the Senate as the Democratic candidate against Republican incumbent Frank J. Cannon and several other candidates. When none was able to get a majority of votes, the election went down in history as the time when Utah was unable to select or send a senator to Washington. McCune later tried again for the Senate but was defeated by another mining and railroad magnate, Thomas Kearns
Thomas Kearns
Thomas Kearns was a mining, banking, railroad and newspaper magnate. He was elected United States Senator from Utah from 1901 to 1905.- Immigration and mining :...
.
Elizabeth McCune had as many diversified interests as her husband had. She served in many prominent LDS Church positions and became close friends with Susa Young Gates
Susa Young Gates
300px|thumb|Susa Young Gates, portrait bustSusa Young Gates was a writer, periodical editor, and women's rights advocate in Utah....
, one of the daughters of Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
. An active supporter of women's rights, Elizabeth attended the 1889 International Congress of Women in London. After being voted patron of the organization, Elizabeth was entertained by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
.
McCune wanted his home to be an extravagant display and to these ends he financed a two-year tour of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for his architect S. C. Dallas to study designs and techniques. The design chosen was a Gothic revival plan with East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
n influence. The home is a replica of a house Alfred and Elizabeth saw while driving on Riverside Drive
Riverside Drive (Manhattan)
Riverside Drive is a scenic north-south thoroughfare in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The boulevard runs on the west side of Manhattan, generally parallel to the Hudson River from 72nd Street to near the George Washington Bridge at 181st Street...
in New York City.
While the home was under construction, John R. Winder
John R. Winder
John Rex Winder was a leader and general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric from 1887 to 1901, and First Counselor in the First Presidency to Church President Joseph F. Smith from 1901 until his death. He was well-known...
and McCune called upon the First Presidency
First Presidency
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency was the highest governing body in the Latter Day Saint church established by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1832, and is the highest governing body of several modern Latter Day Saint denominations...
of the LDS church. McCune told them that he and his wife, Elizabeth, were building a new home and wished to rent the Gardo House
Gardo House
The Gardo House was the official residence of the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the tenures of John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff.-Construction:...
for two or three years. The Gardo house had been used as a residence and offices for LDS church leaders. Relieved to find a suitable new tenant, the Church accepted his offer and set the rent at $150 per month.
The McCune home site was chosen to rise up impressively over the nearby streets, and little expense was spared on decoration. McCune had mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
shipped from San Domingo, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and a rare white-grained mahogany from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The red roof tiles came from Holland, and an enormous broad mirror
Mirror
A mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection...
wall was transported from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in a specially made railroad car. The walls were adorned with moiré
Moiré pattern
In physics, a moiré pattern is an interference pattern created, for example, when two grids are overlaid at an angle, or when they have slightly different mesh sizes.- Etymology :...
silks, tapestries, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
. The exterior of the home was built of red Utah sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
although some details like the lavish fireplaces used more exotic stone like Nubia
Nubia
Nubia is a region along the Nile river, which is located in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.There were a number of small Nubian kingdoms throughout the Middle Ages, the last of which collapsed in 1504, when Nubia became divided between Egypt and the Sennar sultanate resulting in the Arabization...
n marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
. The home was completed in 1901 at a cost of over one half million dollars.
History after the McCune's
Alfred W. McCune and his wife Elizabeth lived in the home until 1920. Prior to moving to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, they donated it to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the intent that it be used as an official residence for President Heber J. Grant
Heber J. Grant
Heber Jeddy Grant was the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was ordained an apostle on October 16, 1882, on the same day as George Teasdale...
. President Grant did not like the idea of living in such an ornate residence, and so decided to turn it into a Music School. It was used as the McCune School of Music until 1963 when it became the Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
Salt Lake City Center which moved to a new location in Salt Lake City. In 1975 the LDS Church sold it to a group of Salt Lake City residents who were seeking to make the building into a cultural center of some sort.
It then became the Virginia Tanner
Virginia Tanner
Virginia Tanner was an American dance instructor and founder of the University of Utah Children's Dance Theatre. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, she began her formal dance training at the University of Utah...
Modern Dance School, which held lessons in the ballroom. Since then, the building has been privately owned, often used for wedding reception
Wedding reception
A wedding reception is a party held after the completion of a marriage ceremony. It is held usually as hospitality for those who have attended the wedding, hence the name reception: the couple receives society, in the form of family and friends, for the first time as a married couple. Hosts...
s and other short-term rental.
Philip McCarthey, a shareholder of the Kearns-Tribune Corp. which published The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
until 1997, bought the building and began restoring it, after the August 11, 1999 Salt Lake City Tornado
Salt Lake City Tornado
The 1999 Salt Lake City tornado was a very rare tornado that occurred in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 11, 1999, during an unusually strong summer monsoon season...
, which toppled one of the building's smokestacks. McCarthey completed the restoration in November 2001.
External links
- Official McCune Mansion site
- Utah City Guide - McCune Mansion - Salt Lake Tribune description of the mansion.
- Alfred and Elizabeth McCune - Article with bio information of Alfred and Elizabeth McCune
- The Horror Channel - Information about the McCune Mansion on The Horror Channel