Built in 1856, the Isaac Chase House is one of only a handful of adobe buildings remaining from Utah's early settlement period. Once the center of a pioneer agricultural and industrial complex, the house later served as a residence for the superintendent of Liberty Park and, most recently, the home of the Utah Folk Arts Program.
Over the years, moisture problems and neglect cause the Chase House's adobe bricks to compress and settle, threatening the building's structural integrity. Concerned about the house's future, Salt Lake City staff commissioned a feasibility study and developed a plan for renovating the building. Recognizing the house's outstanding significance, Salt Lake City Corporation, the Utah Arts Council, the Utah State Legislature, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints partnered to fund its renovation.
The Chase House was restored to its circa-1918 appearance in a project that came in on time and under budget. Extensive repairs were made to the adobe masonry, two story porch, and roof. The landscaping around the house was redesigned to reduce moisture problems. On the interior, some inappropriate alterations were reversed to restore the house's original plan.
The graceful Chase House is once again home to the Utah Folk Arts program and a center of cultural activity in Liberty Park. This outstanding project serves as a model of a successful public-private partnership and cooperation between government agencies who rarely cross paths.
