Woodruff-Riter-Stewart Home
Encyclopedia
The Woodruff-Riter-Stewart Home is a mansion
on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City
, Utah
. It sits on the corner of State Street and 200 North on the south slope of Capitol Hill.
Originally built for Edward D. Woodruff, a Union Pacific doctor
who partnered a successful laundry
business, the home was designed by architects Headlund and Wood and was finished in 1906. The home is an example of Renaissance architecture
.
Originally, the house had an interior like an English home with stained glass
, mahogany
paneling (although it was cheap local pine
painted to resemble mahogany), leather
coverings, and mural
-adorned walls. However, subsequent owners painted over all of the original interior. Likewise, the original red brick
of the house was painted white for a time.
Woodruff lived in the house his entire life and it was inherited by his daughter Leslie and her husband, General Franklin Riter, a noted local citizen. Riter was the first Utah
attorney on the Board of the American Bar Association
. He was also the US Judge Advocate in Germany
. In 1950 the home was sold to DeVirl Stewart. For a time it was used for office space, but the building's interior and exterior is now restored.The building was purchased by Philip McCarthey in 2003.The bed and breakfast
, Inn on the Hill,was reopened in 2004 and is open daily.
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City
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...
. It sits on the corner of State Street and 200 North on the south slope of Capitol Hill.
Originally built for Edward D. Woodruff, a Union Pacific doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
who partnered a successful laundry
Laundry
Laundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
business, the home was designed by architects Headlund and Wood and was finished in 1906. The home is an example of Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
.
Originally, the house had an interior like an English home with stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
, 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....
paneling (although it was cheap local pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
painted to resemble mahogany), 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:...
coverings, and mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
-adorned walls. However, subsequent owners painted over all of the original interior. Likewise, the original red brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
of the house was painted white for a time.
Woodruff lived in the house his entire life and it was inherited by his daughter Leslie and her husband, General Franklin Riter, a noted local citizen. Riter was the first 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...
attorney on the Board of the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
. He was also the US Judge Advocate in 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 1950 the home was sold to DeVirl Stewart. For a time it was used for office space, but the building's interior and exterior is now restored.The building was purchased by Philip McCarthey in 2003.The bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
, Inn on the Hill,was reopened in 2004 and is open daily.