The Centennial House by the summer of 2004 had already started to exhibit the wear and tear of a century standing toward the southern end of Main Street.
It was put up in the early 20th century as a boardinghouse, with silver miners probably the tenants at the time. Over the years, even as historic buildings across Old Town were restored and renovated during the skiing era, there was only marginal progress at the Centennial House.
A cloudburst in July 2004 exacerbated the issues at the building. The heavy rainfall overwhelmed Poison Creek and the waterway on the eastern edge of Old Town jumped the banks. Water, mud, rocks and debris cascaded down the creek, eventually reaching the backside of a row of houses along upper Main Street.
The Centennial House sustained bad damage that day. Up to three feet of mud and rocks came to rest in two apartments on the bottom level. The water, mud and rocks broke down two dead-bolted doors in the building. The water’s force lifted a sink and cupboard. City Hall ultimately condemned the Centennial House in 2007. It had been unoccupied for some time by the year of the condemnation.
More than 20 years after the flood, the deluge became of note again this week as a subsequent owner — a firm called Centennial House LLC — pursued plans for a renovation of the decrepit building.
The Park City Historic Preservation Board on Wednesday evening approved a plan to reconstruct the Centennial House in a unanimous vote. The municipal government’s Old Town panel spent weeks discussing the plans, covering topics like the high-profile location, the advanced state of disrepair and how much historic materials may be salvaged and used in the project. The Centennial House team said afterward work could start as early as the fall.
The damage from the flood was not one of the overriding topics during the Historic Preservation Board talks, but its mention on Wednesday evening illustrated the impact a weather event can have even so many years later.
One of the people who testified at the meeting, Betsy Wallace, described what she called the “crazy flood” of 2004. The flood hit the Centennial House “straight on,” she said, indicating the building nowadays is in “complete disrepair.” She said it appeared the building could have collapsed during a recent winter of heavy snowfall.
Wallace lives nearby the Centennial House and had her place in 2004. The flood deposited debris in her backyard and moved outside furniture at Wallace’s residence.
The flood was also briefly mentioned during a Historic Preservation Board visit to the property on Wednesday, but the panel did not spend significant time on the topic.
Some of the documentation compiled as part of the Historic Preservation Board discussions, meanwhile, noted the presence of mold at the Centennial House and water damage. It appeared not all of the issues were linked to the 2004 flood.
A report detailing the conditions in one section says water damage “was apparent as well as significant mold” on Level 0 of the building. Ceilings and walls also showed water damage, the report says. On Level 1, according to the report, there is water damage on the ceilings and walls and “extensive mold visible” in the area of the kitchen. It says “no wall or ceiling is undamaged by water, age or graffiti.” The Level 3 section of the report notes water damage “that looks to be at a vulnerable roof valley and also looks to be a major contributor to water in the basement.”
Another person who testified on Wednesday, longtime activist Rich Wyman, also mentioned the flood. According to remarks prepared prior to the meeting, Wyman said he understands “that the building has suffered significant deterioration, including damage from the … Poison Creek flood.”
Wyman expressed worry about the broader project, saying “the proposed plan to deconstruct and reconstruct the building, even with the intention of using as many historic materials as possible, raises serious concerns.”
He wanted alternatives considered, such as to “strengthen the existing structure without dismantling it, as has been successfully done with other historic buildings.”
Wyman described another idea to “integrate the building into a new use without sacrificing its historic character. For example, the ground floor of the Centennial House could be converted into a small commercial space — like a cafe, while the second floor could be adapted for residential use. This kind of thoughtful reuse keeps the building functional, relevant, and alive — without erasing its past.”
A new owner of the Centennial House, Michael Bradbury, addressed the approval in a prepared statement: “I am delighted that the Historic Preservation Board signed off on our vision for preserving The Centennial House. Our team has worked diligently over the last two years to find a solution that prevents it from being lost and celebrates the legacy Joseph Durkin created in the early 1900s. The Centennial is an absolute gem and holds a profound spot in the heart of many in Park City. It is unfortunate that it took this long for someone to return this beautiful building to its former glory. I had the opportunity to tour the Centennial in 2022 and knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of saving it. We are excited to get moving on the project and confident The Centennial will soon be the pride of upper Main Street again!”