Project day at the historic Relief Society House on Yucca Street was held Saturday, March 18. The house was built in 1928-29. Funds to build the house were raised by the ladies of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They grew cotton, took it to the mill in St. George and trading it for fabric, they made quilts to sell in Las Vegas. This Saturday the ladies and girls were busily removing the handles on the drawers, scarping and removing paint. The men were moving the wheelbarrows of old linoleum and repairing the floor near the old fireplace. The historical society is grateful to those that came to help with the project.
“The spacious room is very unusual for a room in the early pioneer days, “said Wes. Carter. “It was dedicated in April and our plans are to rededicate it next April when restoration will be complete and landscaping added. We have a lot of old sewing machines and want to display them in the great room and have a quilt on frames for people to experience the art of quilting by hand. It is hoped that this can be a meeting room for many occasions.”
The pine flooring is tongue and grove and will be sanded and refinished. The walls are gypsum board with plaster and the ceiling has covered edges where it meets the walls. The two large arches were engineered with triple trusses in the attic and were probably constructed by Von Toble Lumber in Las Vegas. The walls have a stencil trim around the top and will be duplicated when the walls get new paint.
The baptismal font which was in the back room under the floor will also be restored to the same measurements. “There was not a crack in the old cement, but we couldn’t move it,” stated Carter.
The first room built was the kitchen with lathe walls covered in stucco with linoleum flooring. The floor will be replaced with new plywood and then covered in linoleum. There was a sink but no running water in the kitchen. The cupboards will be sanded, repainted and replaced in the kitchen. The cupboards were built by Walter Hughes who did a lot of carpentry for homes in that era.
A Pioneer Dutch Oven Dinner fundraiser is planned for Friday April 14, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Heritage Park, 121 Whipple Way. Uncle Wes’ chicken, chuck wagon Potatoes, garden salad, harvest rolls and apple brown Betty is the scrumptious menu that is planned.
April 15 is the next work day and the community is invited to come and help – all tools and supplies are provided.
John and Connor Zarate
Heather Clements, Geraldine Zarate with her grand daughter Brooke Zarate
Geraldine Zarate, Vicki Waite and Brooke Zarate
Working on the kitchen
Brook Zarate and Vicki Waite
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