The Thomas Kearns Mansion and Carriage House

"A beautiful Chateauesque exterior, a stunning interior, and the dramatic story of the Kearns
family make the historic Kearns Mansion one of Utah's architectural treasures."1
Located on the corner of 603 East and South Temple at the edge of what residents of the Salt
Lake Valley refer to as, "The Avenues" is a beautiful and stately old mansion. This elegant
mansion was begun just at the turn of the 19th century. At that time Utah had been a state for
only four years.

Sometimes when you pass by or visit an interesting building, it crosses your mind to think to
yourself, "I wonder what the walls of this building would say if they could talk and tell their
story?" Unfortunately, the walls of an old building literally speaking to us isn't possible.
Figuratively though, in this case we are lucky. This stately, old building's history has been very
well recorded. The Mansion has seen grandeur, and fame. It has known very, very good times
and suffered neglect, sadness and hard times. Although the walls of the mansion can't literally
speak to us, we can know much of its history because it has been well documented by personal
journals, news articles and historical foundations.

Today when you tour the elegant old Mansion you are welcomed to what is now known to the
citizens as the Governor's Mansion of the State of Utah! Foundations and historical societies
have been dedicated to preserving and maintaining this historic building both physically and by
written documentation. The Mansion is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and it serves as Utahs Governor's residence. Within the walls of the building there is even a

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Mansion library which houses a comprehensive collection of books about Utah written by Utah
authors and particularly about the Mansion itself.

To know the Mansion we need to start at its beginning. We need to come to know Thomas and
Jennie Kearns and their family who were the original owners. They were a famous, prestigious
and powerful couple that rose to wealth and fame from a very simple and ordinary life.

"Thomas Kearns made a fortune on the silver flowing out of Park City mines. He spared no
expense building a home that became the dazzling center of Utah's elite social life.

At the turn of the century, Thomas and Jennie Kearns were a well-known couple in Utah. By
1902, they owned a Mansion, a silver mine in Park City, Utah, a newspaper, and the Kearns
Building in downtown Salt Lake City. Thomas also would serve as a Senator from Utah in
Washington D. C. Because of who they were and the positions they held the Kearns Mansion
was a hub of social and political activity.
The Kearns couple also was unusually kind in spite of, and because of, their wealth, power and
prestige. They were committed to giving back to society. Because of their generosity and
commitment, Utahans we are beholden to the generosity of the Kearns and the beautiful
landmark known as the Utah Governor's Mansion.

Thomas Kearns was born in Canada to parents who had crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a ship
from Ireland. Thomas had an independent nature and an unstoppable work ethic. He was
determined to use this work ethic to work hard and become successful. He moved with his

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parents to Nebraska where he went to school only during the winter when he wasnt working on
his familys farm, and in the freighting business.

In 1883, at the age of 17, Thomas left his home in Nebraska and traveled to Park City, Utah. He
had tired of farm life and wanted to take advantage of mining districts where he thought there
was a greater opportunity for fortune. He came to Utah with nothing more than a small
backpack, a willingness to work, and a determination to be successful. He possessed a keen eye
for spotting opportunity. When Thomas arrived in Park City he started work in one of the many
mines as a mucker. A mucker is a person that shovels rocks. Thomas quite literally worked
himself up from the very bottom of the mining industry by working in what became a very
lucrative mining industry in Park City. He worked for seven years completing his required shift
daily, then eight hours was devoted to prospecting and studying geology. He eventually began
prospecting and operating several mines.

Although Thomas began working at the lowest job in mining, he was always watching and
learning from the other workers. He saved his money and eventually was able to join with two
other men as partners to buy a mine of their own.

"In 1889, he and one of his partners, David Keith, discovered the rich ore that became the
famous Silver King Coalition Mine in Park City. Overnight they became millionaires. They
would eventually own several mines throughout Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and California. They
also bought the Salt Lake Tribune in 1905."2

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Thomas met Jennie Judge who was a niece of one of his partners. Both Jennie and Thomas were
devoted Catholics. Jennie was working with her mother running a boarding house for miners in
Park City. Thomas and Jennie courted for several years and eventually married and began a
family.

After the Kearns' became wealthy they decided to build a large, elegant home in the heart of Salt
Lake City. Thomas Kearns became a millionaire before he was 30 and he and his wife Jennie
chose the corner of Brigham Street, later changed to South Temple to build their mansion.

These were the early days of the creation of the western states. Salt Lake City was far from the
cities in the more populated East where mansions and beautiful art were common. Thomas and
Jennie wanted their home to have the finest of woodcarvings and furnishings and they had the
resources to make that happen. They had worked very hard and were dedicated to bringing
culture to the state that had rewarded them so generously. The couple wanted to bring culture and
superb craftsmanship to this new state. Utah had only become a state four years before the year
1900 when the young couple broke ground on what would come to be known as the Kearns
Mansion and Carriage House.

"The Kearns spared no expense in building their elaborate new home. Jennie traveled with her
children to Europe. There she shopped for furnishings, and employed many European craftsmen
to carve and do exquisite tile work.

The Mansion is made of Utah granite and sandstone and is rich with treasures from around the

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world: marble from Africa and Italy, oak from France, cherry wood from Russia.3

The Kearns Mansion was completed in 1902 at the cost of $350,000. To celebrate the
Kearns' opened their home to 800 people on two consecutive evening parties. Guest marveled at
elaborate fresh flowers and palm decorations, and they danced to the music of a live orchestra."4

The Kearns planned a golden dome in their large entrance hall and a spacious ballroom on the
third floor. The ornate designs on the exterior stone walls made this structure as magnificent as
any Mansion in the entire United States!

"Since its construction in 1902, the dome over the Utah Governors Mansion stairwell has been
an important architectural focal point of the home. In 1993, fire severely damaged and almost
destroyed this golden dome. Replicating it required the skills of many craftspeople and cost 7.8
million dollars to restore to its original 1902 style."5 Incredibly, this was by far more than the
entire mansions original price!

As mentioned, Jennie traveled to Europe with their three children during the time the home was
being built. While there, they purchased many items that would enhance their fashionable
residence. They brought back two brass lighted statues to adorn the staircase in the Grand Hall,
shapes of Greek gods to decorate the fireplaces, and a large oil painting from France to hang in
the parlor to give the Mansion European elegance.6

Thomas was an important businessman. He also served as a U.S. Senator from January 23, 1901

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to March 4, 1905. He was elected as a republican to the U.S. Senate to fill a vacancy. He was the
first Utahan to establish a national and international political reputation, partly because of his
personal and political friendship with Presidents William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and
Howard Taft. Through Kearns' efforts as Utah's U.S. Senator, Fort Douglas became a regimental
post. During all of Thomas Kearns business and governmental responsibilities the mansion
served as a grand and elaborate place to entertain guests from Utah and around the world. 7

Especially during the period that Kearns serviced as a U.S. Senator he became good friends with
Theodore Roosevelt, who was elected President of the United States. When President Roosevelt
toured the West and stopped in Salt Lake City, he accepted an invitation at the Kearns mansion
with important government and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint officials. When you
go on the guided tour of the Governor's Mansion today they proudly point out the hat rack where
President Roosevelt hung his hat during that breakfast meeting.

Even though Thomas and Jennie were constantly surrounded by important friends, government
dignitaries and hosted elegant events, they were concerned about people who had very little
monetarily. Thomas had made his fortune in the mining industry, but he recognized mining was
a dangerous occupation. Accidents in Kearnss mines left families without a breadwinner and
children without parents. The Kearns were moved by compassion for those orphans. The Holy
Cross Sisters opened an orphanage in 1891 in a two-story adobe building. It was not adequate.
It could not hold all the orphans that needed a home. The Kearns aided the cause and St. Anns
Orphanage came into existence. The Kearns Mansion was an architectural beauty and Thomas
and Jennie Kearns wanted the St. Ann Orphanage to be just as beautiful and welcoming. They

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especially wanted to help children without family or home. They knew these children needed a
place to live and be cared for.8 "Kearns and his wife Jennie responded to the need and provided
much of the necessary funds to build the Kearns-Saint Ann's Orphanage, which today is a
Catholic elementary school located at 430 East 2100 South, Salt Lake City, Utah. I mention this
because the Kearns Mansion and the St. Ann's Orphanage had the same architect, Carl
Neuhausen.

"Mr. Neuhausen was born in 1858 in Germany and was, "the only prominent Utah architect to
employ the Renaissance spirit and mannerist detailing of the Chateauesque style."9. Also
connected to the Kearns Mansion building style are The Cathedral of the Madeline, and The
Holy Cross Memorial Hospital. When you know that Mr. Neuhausen was the architect of these
buildings and was employed by Thomas Kearns you see the striking resemblance of these
Gothic, 12th-16th century East German looking buildings. The exterior of the buildings are
characterized by pointed arches, large windows and elaborate workings.

In 1918 Thomas Kearns was hit by a reckless driver. As a result he had a stroke and died eight
days later. He was only 56 years old. He was survived by his 48-year old widow and four
children.10

After Thomas Kearns death his widow never again held another lavish party at the mansion. Life
as it had been at the mansion, suddenly changed. Jennie Kearns wore black for the rest of her
life. She continued to live at the Kearns Mansion intermittently. Spending the majority of her
time in California with her daughter. Thomas Kearns, their oldest son, moved his family into the

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Kearns Mansion and cared for his mother when she was there.

"A new phase in the mansion's history began in 1937 when Senator Kearns' widow Jennie
donated the mansion to the state. The Mansion was donated with the condition that it serve as the
Governor's Residence. For the next twenty years the governors of Utah resided at the mansion
during their terms of office."11

Governor Henery Blood and his family were the first governor to move into the Kearns
Mansion. Their daughter Evelyn was the first child of several governors' children to have a
wedding reception at the mansion. Governor Blood also started a tradition of opening the
mansion for a public reception on New Year's Day.

Years followed and governors Clyde and Rampton lived and raised families in the Mansion
during their terms as governor.

Another changed in the circumstances surrounding Kearns Mansion occurred in 1949 when J.
Bracken Lee became governor. Governor Lee complained that the mansion wasn't comfortable.
By now the home was fifty years old. The Governor complained that the home was hot in the
summer and he thought the home was drafty in the winter. Even though First Lady Lee was
content at the Kearns Mansion a new governor's mansion was built in Federal Heights and
Governor Lee moved his family to the new residence.

The Kearns Mansion was then vacant to full time tenant. It was turned over to the Utah State

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Historical Society where they established their offices, a library and a museum. At the same time,
during the 1960's along South Temple some of the finest old buildings were destroyed to make
room for new development. Even though organizations were fighting to preserve the legacy of
the city through these old historical buildings many were demolished to update the look of the
city center. The Kearns Mansion survived that period even though it was becoming old and there
was concern over outdated plumbing and electrical wiring.

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In 1977 a new governor, Scott M. Matheson took office. There had been a movement of protest
about the relocation of the Utah Governors residence. The Ladies Literary Club of Salt Lake
City, circulated a petition to retain the Kearns Mansion as the governors official residence.13
Governor Matheson made a proposal to restore the Kearns Mansion as the governor's residence.
The public strongly favored this idea. So after three years of extensive renovation of the
Mansion, the Governor and First Lady Matheson along with their four teenagers took up
residence in the mansion establishing once again as the official residence of the governor of
Utah. The Mathesons were followed by Governor Bangerter and Governor Leavitt.

Wednesday, December 15, 1993, was another memorable date in the history of the Kearns
Mansion. Governor Michael Leavitt and his family were now residing in the mansion. It was
Christmas. The Mansion was decorated and prepared for the public tours. Around noon a fire
consumed the Christmas tree in the main hall of the mansion and then spread quickly through the
old home and destroying much of the mansion. "Governor Leavitt was not at home at the time,
but Mrs. Leavitt and her staff were quick to notify the Salt Lake City Fire Department, and their
response kept the Mansion from suffering more significant damage. A long and painstaking

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restoration was begun to restore the mansion to its original state and save as much of the
historical interior as possible."14

After a difficult two and half years of restoration the Utah Governor's Mansion was ready for
Utah's First Family to take up residency again.

"This is one of the most outstanding historic restorations in the country," said Governor Mike
Leavitt. The painstaking work of the many artisans and craftsmen to restore this architectural
treasure is remarkable. This is one of the greatest treasures of the state of Utah."15

Following Governor Leavitt as residents of the Governor's Mansion House have been Governor
Olene Walker, Utah's first female governor, Jon Huntsman, and Governor Gary Herbert who is
presently serving his third term as Utah's Governor.

The Kearns Mansion now known as Utah's Governor's Mansion is an historic preservation that
connects the past to the present. It is a grand revitalized building that holds many memories. The
citizens of Utah are lucky it has survived to stand as a legacy of those early pioneering residents
of Utah. They lived their lives founded on the principles of hard work and had a grand vision for
the citizens of Salt Lake City that would follow them.

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Historical Site Visit

Location~ Thomas Kearns Mansion and Carriage House
Address: 603 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah
Tours Held: June, July, August, December
Thursday, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Tours are provided by volunteers of the Utah Heritage Foundation and are free to the public.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1- Utah Heritage Foundation Kearns (Utah Governor's) Mansion Utah heritage foundation.org
Published in Guided Tours- front blurb
2- Data Contributors MARC Collection - level
Archival Descriptions. OCLC WorldCat Guide to the Thomas Kearns scrapbooks, 1890-1918 J.
Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah bibliographic and archival records
3- Susan Lyman Whitney, "Silver King's Underground Bonanza Got Kearns Mansion Off The
Ground", Jan. 17, 1993 Deseret News
4- O. N. Malmquist, The First 100 years: A History If the Salt Lake Tribune, 1871-1971, Utah
History Encyclopedia, Salt Lake Tribune, page 371.
5- Judy Magid, September 12, 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Open House
Public Mansion not always ideal for private life",reprinted on sltrib.com2005 for personal
research purposes
6- Arrington, Leonard J., Swinton, Heidi S., 1987, Salt Lake City, Ut., Publishers Press, "In The
Utah Tradition: A History of the Governors Mansion Kearns, Thomas pg.201.
7- Wikipedia Contributors, "Thomas Kearns", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 April,
2013, "Historic Utah Governors Mansion Reopens, 5C Spence Konrad, State Of Utah Dept. Of
Admin. Services NEWS, July 29, 1996, SLC, Utah
8- History from Wikipedia & Old Company.com a Valero Mining Certificate Vignette, issued in
1899, printed by the Utah Litho Company.
9- From the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City Archives, article titled, "The Orphanage."
10. Ibid Arrington, and Swinton,In the Utah Tradition, page 274.
11. O.N. Malmquist, The First 100 Years: A History Of the Salt Lake Tribune", page137.
12- Ibid, O.N. Malmquist, pg. 211.
13- Haddock, Marc, Deseret News, "Governor residence: Mansion to home, back to Mansion"
May18, 2009.
14- http//wwe.utah.gov/governor/mansion/mansion-history.html.
15- Kinard, Spence, "Historic Utah Governors Mansion Reopens", State of Utah Dept. of Admin.
Services,NEWS, July 29, 1996, SLC, Ut.

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