JAMES G. BLEAK HOME
St. George, Utah

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LOCATION

391 South Main Street
St. George, UT 84770

HISTORY

Elijah Fordham obtained the land where this home stands in 1865.

The James G. Bleak family purchased it in 1874. They built a granary (root cellar) and used it as a temporary home. It consisted of 3 foot thick adobe walls. The entire structure was sunk down into the earth and had three steps down to the floor level. It had double doors for insulation in keeping with the thick walls. The inside was all shelving to store heat and cool sensitive foods and grains. One room was built above that for cooking, sleeping, etc. There was also a leanto on the side for wood, tools, and implements.

The original part of the house was probably built during the next 16 year after 1874. It sits on a rock foundation like the St. George Temple. The inside and outside walls are adobe brick about 24 inches thick with 10 foot ceilings. It has four rooms on the first floor and three rooms on the second floor. The living room has a huge stone fireplace and there are pine wood floors throughout.

The home remained in the Bleak family until 1943, when the William L. Morris family bought it. Later owners included the Arnoldus, Rockwood, Putnam, and Pershon families.

At one time, it was used as a funeral service building.

BIOGRAPHY

James G. Bleak TBD

PHOTOS

TBD

REFERENCES

Landmark and Historic Sites: City of St. George, pp. 8-1 through 8-5.