A Salt Lake County historic landmark got a helping hand this week.
Wheeler Historic Farm received a $10,000 grant and help from more than 40 volunteers from Hampton Hotels "Save A Landmark" program. The grant funds much-needed repairs on the historic farm, including a new paint job for the iconic farm house.
The turn-of-the-century dairy farm is a "historic treasure" said Save A Landmark spokesman Chris Epting. The program aims to find landmarks that need help while raising awareness of great local destinations .
"You sort of forget what is in your own backyard," Epting said.
The help comes at a critical time for the farm, said director Hollis Robison. County budgets are tight, and antique equipment requires intense upkeep.
"There are financial obstacles to keeping old things serviceable and working,"Robison said.
Volunteers braved the rain May 12 to clean out Henry Wheeler's 1904 garage, beating dust out of antique rugs and polishing milk cans. Others raked yards or pulled weeds from the gardens, while those working inside the activity barn helped farmer Rick Snow build a fireplace and paint the ceiling.
Some volunteers, such as Lauren Doran of the Park City Hampton, visit the park frequently. Her family comes to get a pumpkin each October and to feed the ducks and geese. She is excited to show her daughter the improvements she helped to make.
Others, like David Jensen of Orem, experienced their first visit while volunteering. The employees were given a paid day to volunteer, enticing more than 40 Hampton employees to attend.
The biggest project, cleaning the brick and painting the wood on the historic farm house, won't actually occur until August, Robison said, when traffic at the farm slows down.
The refurbishment will allow farm employees to better interpret history, said employee Jennifer Jones. Her 1900s costume was no hindrance to cleaning and organizing the barn for a new exhibit of historic automobiles.
The volunteers' work will help historians like Jones educate future generations about the farm's historical significance. She believes history helps people to know where they have come from, and how everyday life has improved since then.
"We need to start getting history into the lives of these kids," Jones said. "If nothing else, this house shows that they've got it good now."
Wheeler Farm was established in 1886 with the marriage of Sariah Hankinson Pixton to Henry Joseph Wheeler.
The 75-acre farm is a prime example of Progressive Era farming techniques from the 1890s to the 1920s. The farm was acquired by Salt Lake County in 1969, and added to the National register of historic places in 1976.
Today, visitors can visit the old farm house, milk cows and perform other chores to learn about turn-of-the-century life.
Hampton Hotels is currently taking nominations for its next Save-A-Landmark project. To nominate a landmark, visit www.hamptonlandmarks.com.
