Boyden's house began as a small, brick structure that was common to the area at the time. Later, as the town grew, Boyden's wealth increased and in turn, so did the structure of his home. The Boyden House eventually became one of the nicest homes in the area.
Boyden's County Involvement
Boyden was a diversified businessman to say the least. He was the manager of the local co-op store and is listed as one of the town's 1st elected officials serving as the Summit and Morgan county assessor. Boyden was also a long-term School Board member as well as the Summit County Recorder. Years later he served 3 terms as the Coalville City Mayor.
Picture of John L. Boyden HouseIn 1890, his youngest son, John S. became the 1st licensed pharmacist in Utah. Together, in 1892 Boyden and his son opened Coalville's 1st drugstore called "Boyden and Son". The structure still exists on Main Street. Boyden then became the secretary of the Park City Railroad Company and took interest in the local coal mining industry.
It is also said that Boyden was known for his expert penmanship. Many of the town's important documents were written by him and are still kept within the town's records.
Increasing & Renovating
It was around 1888 that Boyden started to increase the size of his home. Surrounding the original structure, which can still be seen within the newer addition, architect Thomas Allen used the typical "T" plan pattern with a Gothic Revival style. The result was not entirely successful, as the size of the old house did not allow for many of the rooms to be as big as Boyden had intended.
Boyden passed away in 1905 but his children and grandchildren remained living in the house for many years.
By Karri Dell Hays
