One of the most memorable buildings in Salt Lake City is this lovely mansion sitting atop a small hill in the city’s downtown. The house was built by Alfred and Elizabeth McCune in 1900. It was intended to be an extravagant place and they were successful in achieving this. It’s inspired by a home the McCunes had seen in New York City.
The home site was chosen because of how it rose above the street. The exterior is made of red Utah sandstone. Interior decorations included mahogany from San Domingo, oak from England, red roof tiles from the Netherlands, mirrors from Germany, and Russian leather. The home was completed in 1901 at a cost of one million dollars — adjusted to about $30 million in 2020 dollars.
McCune and his wife lived in this home until 1920, when they moved to Los Angeles. The McCunes donated their home to the Later Day Saints church, which turned it into a Music School. The building has since been a school of modern dance and today is used mostly for wedding receptions and special events. Tours are normally available on the second Tuesday during the summer.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, It was restored in 2001, after suffering some tornado damage.
