Gardo House

Brigham Young meant this Victorian mansion to be a grand official residence, designed in 1872 with his wife Amelia as its hostess — which is why Salt Lake called it "Amelia's Palace." Young died in 1877 before it was finished, and after a stint as John Taylor's home it was rented out. Then in 1901 it found a fitting owner: Susanna Bransford Emery-Holmes, the Park City mining heiress known as the "Silver Queen," whose husband bought it for her birthday. She rolled out a literal red carpet for guests. The mansion is gone; the Eagle Gate Tower stands on its corner now.

What the plaque says

This elaborate Victorian mansion, known formerly as the Gardo House, was designed by William H. Folsom and Joseph H. Ridges in 1872 as an official residence for Brigham Young, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was also sometimes referred to as the "Amelia Palace," since Young's wife Amelia Folsom Young was to serve as hostess. Brigham Young died in 1877 before it was completed, but President John Taylor lived there briefly. It was later rented to various tenants. In 1901 Colonel Edwin F. Holmes purchased the house as a birthday gift for his wife. Known as the "Silver Queen" for her fortune made in Park City's mines, Susanna Bransford Emery-Holmes turned the home into a showplace. On occasion, she even rolled out a red carpet for her guests. The Holmes eventually moved to California and the home was razed in 1921.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Salt Lake City — steps away
  Utah's capital and largest city — where the Wasatch Range meets the Great Salt Lake.
• Temple Square — 0.2 mi
  The spiritual and architectural heart of Salt Lake City
• Ensign Peak — 1.5 mi
  A short hike to the spot where Brigham Young surveyed the valley
• Liberty Park — 1.8 mi
  Salt Lake Citys beloved 80-acre urban park since 1882

More markers nearby

• Federal Reserve Bank — steps away
• Brigham Young's Office — steps away
• The Bee-Hive House — steps away
• The Lion House — steps away