McCune, Alfred W., Mansion
About this property
The Alfred McCune Home is one of the mansions on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City, Utah, from around the turn of the 20th century. Built for Alfred W. McCune on the inclined south side of Capitol Hill at the northeast corner of 200 North Main Street, the mansion has 21 rooms and is on the National Register of Historic Places. McCune was born in Calcutta, India, while his father, Matthew McCune, was stationed with the British Army and converted there to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The family immigrated to Utah Territory, settling in Farmington and then in Nephi. Alfred William McCune joined the LDS Church in Farmington in 1857. He and Elizabeth were childhood sweethearts and were married on July 1, 1872, in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. Though McCune was not very active in church service, he donated a lot of money to it. According to LDS Church president Heber J. Grant's notes in his personal journal (April 1, 1927), McCune was always in good standing with the LDS Church. By the time he was 21, McCune had contracted to build portions of the Utah Southern Railroad. He was a highly successful railroad builder, and became well-connected to other late 19th century millionaires. He was a partner in the Peruvian Cerro de Pasco mines along with J. P. Morgan, William Randolph Hearst, and Frederick William Vanderbilt. He owned business interests throughout Utah and in parts of Montana, British Columbia, and South America. McCune was respected by his contemporaries for his integrity, his congenial personality, and his generous donations to worthy causes. He was also civic-minded and politically ambitious. In 1899, he ran for the Senate as the Democratic candidate against Republican incumbent Frank J. Cannon and several other candidates. When none was able to get a majority of votes, the election went down in history as the time when Utah was unable to select or send a senator to Washington. McCune later tried again for the Senate but was defeated by another mining and railroad magnate, Thomas Kearns. The house was built in 1900. Elizabeth McCune had as many diversified interests as her husband had. She served in many prominent LDS Church positions and became close friends with Susa Young Gates, one of the daughters of Brigham Young. An active supporter of women's rights, Elizabeth attended the 1889 International Congress of Women in London. After being voted patron of the organization, Elizabeth was entertained by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle. McCune wanted his home to be an extravagant display and to this end he financed a two-year tour of America and Europe for his architect S. C. Dallas to study designs and techniques. The design chosen was a Gothic Revival plan with East Asian influence. The home is a replica of a house Alfred and Elizabeth saw while driving on Riverside Drive in New York City.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was McCune, Alfred W., Mansion listed on the National Register?
McCune, Alfred W., Mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 12, 1974.
What type of historic resource is McCune, Alfred W., Mansion?
McCune, Alfred W., Mansion is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for McCune, Alfred W., Mansion?
The period of significance for McCune, Alfred W., Mansion is recorded as the industrial era.
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