Beehive House, Historic residence in Salt Lake City, United States
The Beehive House is a residence in Salt Lake City built in 1854 from sandstone and adobe construction, crowned with a distinctive beehive sculpture on its roofline. The structure contains multiple rooms inside that originally served as both a private home and an official seat of authority.
Designed by Truman O. Angell, Brigham Young's brother-in-law and architect of the Salt Lake Temple, the house was built in 1854 of adobe and sandstone. It served as the executive mansion of Utah Territory from 1852 to 1855 and housed Young's large polygamous family; Lucy Ann Decker Young acted as hostess. Young died in 1877 in a room in the suite connecting the house to the Lion House. After his heirs lost it at auction in 1893, the LDS Church used it for presidents Lorenzo Snow and Joseph F. Smith, both of whom died there.
The interior reflects how members of the Mormon community lived in the 19th century, with rooms arranged for large families and filled with period furnishings from that era. The layout and decorations tell a story about daily life and family habits of the time.
The house is located downtown and is easily accessible by walking through public streets. Visitors should check ahead before arriving as renovation work may affect access and tour availability.
The beehive sculpture on the roof echoes the word "Deseret", which Mormons proposed as a state name and understood as "honeybee"; the US government chose "Utah" instead, from the Ute people, yet a beehive still appears on the state seal.
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