WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
VIRGIN TOWN HALL
Virgin, Utah
LOCATION
75 South Mill StreetVirgin, UT
HISTORY
Commentary by Mary Phoenix:Virgin, which was Officially founded in 1858, is one of the oldest cities in Washington County.
As soon as the basic necessities were taken care of, the founding fathers realized they would need a building dedicated to education if their children were to have a chance to better themselves.
In the middle '60's, the townspeople began working on what was to become their school building, church and social center. After the fashion of the times, they used a lot which the city planners had designated as a school site. They also needed the brawn and muscle of every able-bodied man and team in the valley to plan and build this structure, even though at the time many of them were still living in dugouts.
The original building had two cavernous rooms, one on each floor. The second story was entered by a wooden staircase that went up the outside of the building. Sanitary facilities were provided by outdodor privies on the northern edge of the lot. Eventually the upstairs room was divided in half. When a church building was constructed to the west of the school, the school's use as an ecclesiastical facility dimished.
When the depression brought the Works Projects Agency to Utah, Virgin benefitted by having indoor plumbing installed in the building, a great blessing to the students. A furnace was installed to replace the pot-bellied stove which roasted those in the near vicinity and froze those in the rear of the room. It is interesting to note that the furnace is still in use.
When the schools were consolidated and Virgin students bussed to Hurricane, the city secured a lease on the building, some of which has been restored to serve as city offices.
PHOTOS
WCHS photos:WCHS-00564 Jon Bowcutt sketch of the Virgin City Town Hall