The new year promises to be a busy one for the Draper Historic Preservation Commission as they set out to undertake a new Reconnaissance Level Survey of historic properties in Draper City. The goal is to identify and evaluate homes, public buildings and even outdoor sites to determine eligibility for official historic designation. 

In addition to this project, the commission works with property owners to help them get their qualified homes or buildings on the National Historic Register. They also make local history accessible to the public by putting together walking tours of historic sites and making videos that offer a look at the interiors of Draper’s historic homes. 

Enniss Automotive, built between 1950 and 1955, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2024 due to its architecture that was unique to the Texaco franchise in the decade after World War II. (Photo courtesy Draper Historic Preservation Commission)

According to the city website, the mission of the Draper Historic Preservation Commission is “to assist the city in identifying, preserving, protecting and enhancing historic buildings, sites, monuments, streetscapes and landmarks within the city deemed architecturally or historically significant.” 

Jennifer Jastremsky, who is the Community Development Director for Draper and staff liaison to the Historic Preservation Commission, defined it as “an advisory board to the city.” “We keep a list of historic buildings and keep track of them,” she explained. 

The commission, which was founded in 1985, is dedicated to saving the stories of Draper’s significant structures for posterity. Jastremsky explained that if a building of historic value were to be slated for demolition, the commission would create a written and visual record of the place. “We have the authority to postpone a demolition to get documentation and photos,” she said. 

From left to right, Draper Historic Preservation Commission members Nancy Nichols, Christa Hutchison, Angie Quinlan, Melissa Day and Annie Bommer dressed in period clothing for the historic Draper walking tour during Draper Days in 2025. (Photo courtesy of Draper Historic Preservation Commission)

The Draper Historic Preservation Commission often works closely with the Draper Historical Society which houses a small museum and research library. Chair Annie Bommer explained, “We have a liaison from the Draper Historical Society. It is a great repository of information. We’re preserving the buildings, they are preserving the stories.”

Draper has many buildings that have been recognized as historic by the Utah State Historic Preservation Office. “We also have 19 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places,” Bommer said. These include private homes as well as landmarks such as the Draper Park School and the Draper Poultrymen and Egg Producer’s Plant on Pioneer Road which now houses the IFA store and feed mill. 

Having a property listed on the National Register has some benefits such as eligibility for tax credits and potential access to grants to help with maintenance costs. For a home to be listed on the Register, it must be at least 50 years old, retain its historic architecture and have a significant tie to Draper or national history. The application process involves a review by the local preservation commission.

While the Draper Historic Preservation Commission nominates buildings for the Register in some cases, sometimes property owners take the initiative. “A couple of homeowners have reached out to us,” Bommer said. “It’s exciting. We recently toured a home from the 1920s which was really fun. It had the original floors and fixtures. We want to save that story.”

Named for the prominent 19th-century Utah educator John Rockey Park, Draper’s Park School is on the National Register of Historic Places and now houses small businesses and an event space. (Katherine Weinstein/City Journals)

“Our last full Reconnaissance Level Survey was in 2001,” Jastremsky said. “We are actively looking at historic properties in the community that could go on the National Historic Register.”

“People often don’t think of buildings from the 50s, 60s or 70s as historic,” Bommer said. 

In the history of Draper, those decades marked the beginning of homes being built on land that had been previously been used for growing crops or livestock. “It’s interesting to look at the types of homes they were building back then, the styles. I love Mid-Century Modern style,” she said. “Those homes offer a really cool glimpse into the past.” 

The members of the Draper Historic Preservation Commission are passionate about their work. All completed an application process to be on the commission and were approved by Draper City Council and appointed by the mayor. Jastremsky, who has a background in urban planning, said, “I think the thing I enjoy the most is learning more about Draper’s history and learning about the iconic buildings I drive past every day.”

This plaque created by the Draper Historic Preservation Commission is on the exterior of the Park School and explains the historic significance of the building. (Katherine Weinstein/City Journals)

Bommer originally grew up in Ogden and has worked in the fields of archaeology and museum studies. “While walking through Draper along Fort Street, before I moved here, I fell in love with a lot of the homes so naturally I had to apply to the commission when the opportunity arose,” she said. “I love being on the commission because I have learned so much about the city through our work. There is no better way to get to know your new community than through studying its past.” 

The Draper Historic Preservation Commission has been striving to share that knowledge with the public in various ways over the years. In 2003, they helped to establish the Sorenson Home Museum. Originally built by Danish pioneers Peter and Martina Sorenson between 1880 and 1890, the home was restored and moved to its current location near Draper Historic Park. The museum, which depicts life in the 1890s, is open on Tuesday afternoons. Another example of a historic building made accessible to the public by the commission is the Day Dairy Barn. 

“We worked really hard to get the Day Barn to Draper City Park,” Jastremsky said. The barn, which was constructed in 1922, was part of the Day Dairy Farm. When the Day family relocated to Payson in 2007, the commission undertook the task of having the building moved to the park and renovated as an event space. 

The pioneer home of Peter and Martina Sorenson was restored and moved to its current location near Draper Historic Park as the Sorenson Home Museum in 2003 thanks in part to the efforts of the Draper Historic Preservation Commission. (Katherine Weinstein/City Journals)

Walking and driving tours of Draper’s historic homes and buildings are a key element of Draper Historic Preservation Commission’s public outreach. Guides to the tours are available as printed pamphlets which may be found at the Draper Historical Society and at local businesses. “We also created an online app,” Jastremsky said. The tour information may be accessed via smartphone by scanning the QR codes on the pamphlets or by downloading the walking tour app on the Draper City website.

For Draper Days, members of the commission have added an extra element to the walking tours. “Members dress in Victorian clothing and tell the story of the historic home,” Bommer said. She enjoys “sharing the interesting stories we learn with the people who live here, hoping to spark a passion for history in them as well.” 

While these walking tours offer a look at only the outside architecture of Draper’s historic homes, the commission has been working with some of the families who own them to make video recordings of their interiors. “The owner records the narration,” Jastremsky said. The video tour of the J. R. Allen home includes an interview with Allen’s grandson, Paul Smith. Links to video tours of five homes are currently available on the Draper City website. 

The Draper Historic Preservation Commission worked with the Day family and other community partners to move the Day Dairy Barn to Draper Park and turn it into an event space. (Photo courtesy Draper Historic Preservation Commission)

The Draper Historic Preservation Commission is also seeking to better document historic sites that are not tied to a physical building. “Something else we’ve been working on are plaques for the Historic Park sharing information about the old fort,” Jastremsky said. Historical information plaques to be posted at the Phebe Brown Trailhead and the Widow Maker Trail at Point of the Mountain are also in the works. 

As summed up on the commission’s web page, “Historic preservation begins with understanding the places and buildings that give a community its distinctive character and sense of place.” 

“It’s important to save this history and tell stories of the past to keep our Draper history alive,” Bommer said. 

To learn more about Draper Historic Preservation Commission and to access information on walking tours and video tours of Draper’s historic homes, visit www.draperutah.gov/events-programs/historic-preservation/.