When Sean Carroll moved into his family’s old Victorian home in 2011, he knew restoring the place would take an immense effort. He had, as a construction superintendent, the experience to make it happen. But when he realized the central Heber City residence was built around a log cabin dating back to 1939, he and his family sat down to re-evaluate their vision.
It was clear from initial reconstruction that the original sandstone foundation and nearly 100-year-old log cabin was aged and weather beaten, but Carroll had no intention of tearing it down. In fact, he did the opposite.
“We decided that we wanted it to be a little more original. Even past the Victorian era they tried to emulate,” Carroll said.
Carroll opted to renovate the home to capture a rustic feel with elements like exposed log cabin walls that he cleaned up and properly restored. Once they tested that style out on the interior, they decided to do the same to the outside. Now, everything from the eaves to the porch features the home’s original wood.
It was, as Carroll said, not easy or quick. But his efforts paid off in the long run.
“Once we figured out that it was possible, we got really excited about it,” he said.
Carroll’s is one of many historic homes in central Heber City. In fact, according to Rachel Kahler, executive director for the Community Alliance for Main Street and former Heber City councilwoman, it’s one of hundreds.
Kahler’s on a mission to keep the history and character of central Heber City alive by establishing it as a national historic district. With the rapid expansion of density in Heber City and beyond in recent years, Kahler suggested that the establishment of a national historic district would offset some of the negative impacts of growth.
“It’s not just about those beautiful Victorians,” Kahler said at Heber City Council’s meeting Tuesday, “but about the progression of design that has happened over the last 100 years.”
Residents of established historic homes would be entitled to hefty restoration project tax credits of up to 20% federally through the Historic Tax Credit program and 20% through Utah’s State Historic Preservation Office.
Cracking the code
As of today, there are a dozen properties on the national historic registry in Heber City, including nine residential and three commercial buildings. But according to an out-of-date reconnaissance level survey that evaluated historic buildings in the city, more than 380 homes would qualify as historic.
That was in 1981.
Today, Kahler said, an updated survey would show that 1,200 homes would qualify for historic evaluation from 500 North to 600 South and 600 West to 500 East. It’s an additional way to increase affordable housing options, Kahler said, as opposed to revamping central Heber City through increased density.
“You don’t have to change the code and put density in here to make it more affordable,” she said.
But as Councilor Sid Ostergaard said, “not every home from 1966” will be considered historic. And not every home will be worth reconstructing.
“It doesn’t become economically feasible,” Ostergaard said. “It won’t become low-income housing. I’m for it, though. It adds another layer of character and history in this valley, which people love.”
According to Amber Anderson, technical preservation manager for the Historic Preservation Office, the tax credit programs available to historic homeowners would enable lower-income individuals to make use of and revitalize the buildings they already own.
“If the repairs are made now,” she said, “they can last another 100 years.”
Anderson also emphasized that, with National Historic District status, there would not be restrictions on what a property owner may or may not do with their property. That’s unlike the restrictions of a local historic district, where standards are crafted based on community input.
Hurdles
Kahler’s efforts to establish a national historic district were prompted earlier this year during a council meeting at which city leaders explored the possibility of increasing density. It was then that she asked: Why is the city not doing more about historic preservation?
“We’ve been talking to Heber for decades, honestly, about a national district, not a local district,” Anderson said. “And then since Rachel (Kahler) has been involved, she’s been trying to get a little bit further along.”
On Tuesday, Kahler urged the Heber City Council to include funding for a Certified Local Government grant application into its budget for 2025. Then, she said, consultants can conduct an updated reconnaissance survey.
While Anderson said that officially establishing a national historic district by fall 2025 is ambitious, Kahler said Tuesday that if all goes to plan, a geographic historic district can be defined based on the results of the survey by summer of 2025.
That road ahead is long, but supported by Heber City Council members, including Yvonne Barney.
“If you look at historical neighborhoods and see how the value of the homes around it goes up, it brings permanence to the neighborhood,” Barney said. “I think it’s vital and I think it’s how we save the Heber City central area.”