The Brigham Young Winter Home
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(2003 RE-OPENING)
CLICK ON PICTURE TO MAKE LARGER
The Brigham Young Winter Home is a popular tour site in St. George, Utah. The winters in St. George are very mild compared to that of Northern Utah, so many times Brigham and his family would spend the winter here. The Brigham Young home is open all year round for those who may wish to visit.
Brigham Young was born in Vermont, June 1, 1801, and as a young man moved with his family to New York. There he learned the trades of cabinet maker and furniture builder. He also worked as a painter and glazier. He appreciated the skills necessary to build this handsome pioneer home and he loved good furniture. Brigham Young was 69 years old when he spent his first winter in St. George and he came here to enjoy the mild weather and to nurse rheumatism.
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FOYER | COPIES OF THOMAS COTTOM CHAIRS | SQUARE GRAND PIANO MADE IN 1872 | PARLOR |
The front portion of the house was built by Brigham Young and was completed in time for President Young's fourth winter in the area in 1873 and '74. The fireplace mantle is made of metal over wood and painted to resemble marble and above it is a picture of Brigham Young on his 75th birthday in St. George, June 1, 1876. The woodwork throughout the house is pine taken from the Pine Valley mountains to the north and has been hand grained to look like hardwood. Because the timber from these mountains was usually straight and free of knots, it was used in 1866 to make the original pipes for the famous Salt Lake Tabernacle organ. The parlor was comfortably furnished, but was not intended for entertaining large numbers of people.
The Dining Room was part of the original house which stood on the property
when Brigham Young bought it. The ceilings are lower and the feeling is not as
spacious as in the newer part of the house. The adobe walls are 12 inches thick,
while in the newer section they are 18 inches thick. In the floor you
can see some old square nails which were made by one of the earliest nail
machines in the Utah Territory at the Cedar City "Iron Works".
Brigham Young once said he believed in working 8 hours, sleeping 8 hours, and spending the other 8 hours of the day in recreation. He enjoyed dancing, he liked good theater, and delighted in entertaining guests at dinner parties, known as "sociables".
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BRIGHAM'S CHINA | SOUP BOWELS THAT HOLD HOT WATER IN BOTTOM TO KEEP THE SOUP HOT | HUTCH AND TWO RUBY-COLORED VASES | THESE VASES WERE ORIGINAL ARTIFACTS USED IN THIS HOME |
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PLASTIC FRUIT REPRESENTS PRODUCE LOCALLY GROWN | PICTURE OF JOSEPH AND HYRUM SMITH | PICTURE DRAWN BY TRUMAN ANGLE TO SHOW BRIGHAM WHAT THE FINISHED SALT LAKE TEMPLE WOULD LOOK LIKE |
The butler's desk doubled as a desk and a linen storage cupboard. Brigham Young had a picture of Joseph and his brother Hyrum Smith, and one of the Salt Lake Temple hanging in this room just as it is today. The dishes are part of Brigham Young's own china set with the serving dish monogrammed with "BY".
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